The Bible Illustration Blog, itself very interesting reading, provides links to a number of useful sites for Christian artists, including professional organizations and references for Bible archeology, biblical scenery, Bible clothing, coins, models, transportation and much more.
What good is a book if it is not readable? The July/August 2008 issue of Cook Partners magazine is now online! It discusses legibility, typography, literacy and much more. Read about publishers in Nepal, Poland, Egypt, and Mexico, how to write effective promotional copy and what to do "If God Disappears." Send us feedback. We look forward to your comments!
A book about the history of Islam in the Siberian region will be scrapped, reports Islam.ru, because the publisher, who offered no explanation, used photographs of Orthodox churches rather than Muslim mosques to illustrate it. The publisher is asking that the authors, nonetheless, pay the 200,000 ruble cost of the print run.
Where do you go to get photos of lonely people, sheep, the Olympics, and an ordinary girl? Or how about funerals for pets, race cars, or business women? Slate magazine sheds light on the weird science of stock photography:
I was startled to realize that stock photo and video purveyors actually create material in anticipation of demand ... These suppliers of the world's commercial imagery are making bets on what life will look like in the near future. Which made me wonder: What ... do they imagine waiting ahead?
The Times of India notes that Vachana Jyotis, "the official journal of a Catholic diocese in Kerala, carried a picture of Jesus Christ with a beer mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other on the cover page of its June issue." In response to protests, "the church has withdrawn the issue and stopped publication till further notice."
Meanwhile, The Hindu reports that on Sunday in Hyderabad, Christians protested "the publication of an objectionable picture of Jesus in [Sakshi,] a Telugu daily." The publisher stated the paper planned to publish an apology on the front page on Monday July 14.
In this age of social networking and Internet connectivity, authors are increasingly expected to promote their books in as many venues as possible... and that includes having their own Web sites. Books Written By is a site with links to more than 100 different author sites, encouraging "authors and designers ... to gain inspiration for their own sites."
Illustrator Mini Grey offers design advice in today's Times Online:
They said that you can't judge a book by its cover - well, I was always a trusting sort and I believed them. I used to think the illustrator's job was just to make the insides and then leave the cover to the experts. But when I started to make my own books I realised that the illustrator doesn't necessarily have to do just the pictures - you can do it all - write the words, design the pages, orchestrate the whole performance.
I began to realise that the cover is the first part of telling the story. And its job is also to look so thrilling that no one can resist picking the book up, having a look inside, and wanting to take it home with them.
Read the rest of the article here.
Before & After magazine offers free downloadable PDFs. Available now are "Design a Logo of Letters," "How to Cool a Hot Photo," and "What's the Right Typeface for Text?"
A PC World article, "101 Fantastic Freebies," lists links to services and downloads in such categories as productivity, file sharing and storage, security, communication, and more.
To see how your book cover designs compare with those of other publishers, you can check the cover images of books displayed at an online or local bookstore. To see the reaction of prospective readers, you can poll your friends, arrange a focus group... or submit your cover to Rate My Book Cover, a web site that encourages visitors to give book covers scores from one to ten. Unfortunately, the site does not allow for comments.
The Read the Spirit blog organized a focus group with young people judging thirty Christian and non-Christian books on spirituality. Choices include The Outdoor Bible, Hell Girl No. 1, The Art of Power, and more. See videos and commentary on the teens' reactions here, as well as a follow-up entry.
What would you uncover with a similar focus group in your market?
Book Business reports that
Nearly 25,000 publishers, printing industry professionals and others congregated at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center last week for the On Demand Conference & Exposition and AIIM International Exposition & Conference. The event featured product launches and announcements from a variety of companies, including those impacting the book publishing industry.
Read more here.
