BOOK DESIGN FAQ
1) Why should I spend my hard earned money on a professional graphic designer?
1) A seasoned designer can give your book a unified, professional look that will enhance your credibility. The last thing you want is to appear amateurish. Unless you're a prodigy, it's best to hire a professional.
2) What happens if I have to cancel the project before it's finished?
2) If for any reason the project is canceled, Symes Design will bill you for the time spent on your book. We will send you a CD with the files we have completed up to that point. You can always continue the project at a future time.
3) How long will it take to design a cover and format the inside pages?
3) It really varies from job to job. I've had authors who sent revision changes back within a day or two. That really speeds up the process. You might want to allow four weeks for a book with straight text. More time would be needed for books with lots of graphs, pictures, charts etc. The Jagannatha Puri book in my portfolio took about three months. The author was in India and the turnaround time on revisions was several weeks.
4) Will a professional design really have an impact on my return on investment?
4) YES! A beautiful and elegant design will attract more buyers. Marketing managers know that a beautiful design will jump off the shelf and grab your potential customer's attention. The result, more clients will have a good reason to purchase your book or product.
5) Can I send my electronic files via the internet?
5) YES! I have a high speed cable modem. I accept text files attached to email. I recommend sending larger graphic files via YouSendIt.com. This ftp site will allow you to send any file up to 1 gigabyte for free.
6) What if I decide to make some editing corrections after the inside pages have been formatted?
6) Editing corrections can be done at anytime during the process. However, entering editing corrections will increase the price because of the extra time spent entering the changes and correcting reflow problems.
7) What if I find an error in my book and I didn't make it?
7) At Symes Design we fix any mistakes we make at no extra charge. All our book pricing packages include three revision changes. That's usually enough to catch everything. The author or his/her editor is responsible for checking proofs for mistakes, so please check thoroughly.
8) I have a great cover photo. I saved it as jpeg file and I'm ready to send it to you.
8) You can get really good compression when saving images in jpeg format but at the cost of quality. When saving files as a jpeg, use the highest quality setting.