DESIGNING YOUR BOOK for the Write-A-Book Project © Seomra Ranga 2014

DESIGNING YOUR BOOKfor the

Write-A-Book Project

© Seomra Ranga 2014 www.seomraranga.com

• Having put so much work and effort into writing your book, you now need to think about how your book will look.

• You will need to make decisions about the size, shape, design, layout, colour scheme and cover of the book.

Designing Your Book


Looking at a Book Design

Look at the design of some of your favourite books:• Title – is there a special word which attracts you?• Illustration on the cover – does it amuse / frighten /

interest you?• Blurb – does it capture your interest?• Illustrations – do they give you an idea of the story?• Chapter headings on the contents page – do they

make you want to read all about it?• 1st Paragraph of first chapter – does it make you

want to read on?


The Final Draft

When writing the final draft, keep the following in mind:• Use lined backing pages to keep writing straight• Number each page beginning with the title

page• Don’t forget to allow room for

illustrations/pictures/designs• Will it be handwritten or typed?• Don’t forget to leave room for binding• Start a new page for each new chapter


Design of the Text

Things to consider when writing the text of the Final Draft:• Will it be typed or written using a print style or

joined writing?• If it is typed, use a clear and consistent font• How will text be broken up eg. into paragraphs• Will you use Drop Caps at the beginning of

chapters?• What visual strategy will you use to show

passage of time in your story?


IllustrationsIllustrations give the reader’s eye a break from the text. They should add to and not take away from the story. Consider the following when illustrating your book:• Will you have a whole page or half page illustration?• Will you include several small illustrations?• Where will they be on the page – top, bottom, at

the side or in the middle with text wrapped around it?

• Will you include captions with illustrations?• Will illustrations be black and white or coloured?• Will illustrations be realistic or cartoon-like?


Illustrations – First or Last?As you write your Final Draft, you will need to decide on a strategy for doing the illustrations. Will you:• Do all of the written work in the Final Draft first,

leaving room for illustrations as you go along, including room for whole page, half page and smaller illustrations

OR• Do the illustrations as you are writing the Final

Draft, so that you are doing a combination of writing and illustration work

It’s your choice!© Seomra Ranga 2014 www.seomraranga.com

Decorative Page BordersDecorative page borders or decorative corners enhance the overall appearance of a book and give it an individual stamp. Things to decide:• Will you include decorative borders/corners on

some or on all pages?• Will they have a theme eg. A colour theme, leaf

borders or a particular patterned border?• Will the theme of the borders be connected to the

content of the story?• Will you use pencils, markers, calligraphy pens to

create effective borders?


Types of Books

Think about the overall look and shape of your book. Here are some examples:• A3 Landscape / Portrait• A4 Landscape / Portrait• Zig-Zag Book• Pop-Up Book• Large / Miniature Book• Shape Book• Picture Book


Types of Books

• Book in a Scroll format• Comic Strip style book• Photo Album Style Book• Fold Out Book

Decide on what style of book best suitsthe theme of your story


Ordering the Book

Put the various sections of your book in the following order:• Front Cover• Title Page• About the Author• Dedication• Acknowledgements• Contents / List of Chapters• Story Proper• Back Cover


The Book Cover

The cover of the book should contain three main elements:• The Name of the Book - the lettering on the

name of the book should be clear, eye-catching and easily read from a distance

• The Author’s Name – this should also be clear and legible, but slightly smaller in size than the name of the book

• An Illustration – this should be clear and should be related to the theme of the book

You should decide on the position of these three items on the book cover


Designing the Cover

The design of the cover is an ‘Invitation to Read’. Using one of the following visual arts techniques as a background for your cover will appeal to the reader:• Spatter Painting• Blow Painting• Paste and Comb Painting• Marbling• Collage• Stencilling• Scraffitti• Paper Weaving


Other Things to Consider

Will you include any of the following in the design of your book:• A Blurb on the back cover• An “About the Author” page• Create a “Publishing Company” and Logo• A Bar Code and an ISBN number on the back cover• A price section on the back cover• A Bookmark for the reader of your book• A “What the Critics Say” section on the back cover• A Pop-Up feature in the book• A Book Jacket wrapped around the front and back

covers© Seomra Ranga 2014 www.seomraranga.com

Finally …..

• Nobody said that writing a book was going to be easy, but when you see the finished product, you will agree that the hard work has been worth it!

• Enjoy writing, designing and illustrating your book. It may be the first of many!

Documents

DESIGNING YOUR BOOK for the Write-A-Book Project © Seomra Ranga 2014