Michael McInnis
digitally Handcrafted DESIGN for Small Presses and Independent Authors
Book DESIGN
You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but a memorable cover design that stays true to the tone of your book will attract readers, make your writer friends wish their books looked like yours, and make you feel extra proud.
With over 30 years of design and publishing experience, from pasting-up waxed phototype rolls and halftones, to desktop publishing, I understand books. For me, designing books, whether for the ICA Boston, or small independent publishers, is like making a cutting board or lamp. Each starts with an idea, an image or mood, a sense of place and function. I may keep sharp chisels and a computer in separate toolboxes, but both feel like extensions of my hands.
Book Trailers
A book trailer can introduce an audience to an author, whether through a taped reading, static images with a voiceover, or a combination of both. Engaging potential readers through social media is a must that translates to sales.
When I served in the Navy chasing Soviet submarines and white whales, I was never sure whether I was Ahab, Starbuck, Ishmael, or even Fletcher Christian. Still, Melville and I crossed the same tropical seas. But I only heard the sea monsters he sought. Now, I listen to sound that loiters at the edge of dissonance and silence, writing poetry and prose hand-crafted with all 26 letters.