Westfield, Indiana, United States
20 years of design experience in all areas of book production from inception to print Guide projects from concept to finalization. Experience with highly designed and illustrated books and similarly complex content. Comprehensive technical knowledge of production processes, design, typesetting, prepress, printing processes and specifications. Understanding of permissions and licensing rules relating to art, fonts, logos, and other graphics-related materials. Skilled at working successfully with all areas of the design process to include editorial, marketing, proofreaders, designers, freelancers, and printers. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with reliable remote office setup and necessary graphic design software.
Work closely with clients to create custom book interiors and covers; leading them through the design, layout, and printing processes. Collaborate with printers for a successful outcome. Projects include design and layout of custom book covers and book interiors, ePubs, icons, flyers, mailers, postcards, logos, t-shirt designs, instructional documents, charts and tables. Frommer’s, LLC: Designer, compositor, and project manager over several freelance compositors for Frommer’s travel (2013-present); create and maintained master templates and samples for 3 book series; oversee production of 30+ titles yearly; partner with Automation person on templates; collaborate with editorial manager, editors, and printer. Autumn Bloom Press: Designer, compositor, and created the ePub for the self-published title, Saving Ourselves from Suicide Before and After by Linda Pacha. MPS: Compositor on several K-12 math titles. Used MathTools for equations. IMMI/Providential, LLC: Collaborated with a team on the 4-color, photo and design heavy, books Winning Perspectives in Picture & Rhyme and By God’s Amazing and Enabling Grace (700 pg. book). I drove the schedule and deadlines. Lash Affair: Designer and compositor for a 4-color, spiral bound teaching manuals for lash artists. Done on a very tight schedule. AAPC Publishing: Designed/composed books such as Strategies for a Successful Mealtime and Taking Control of my Emotions so my Emotions Can’t Take Control of Me as well as a few seasonal catalogs. Dr. Terry S. Wise/Servant Communications, Inc.: Ongoing contract with this author designing and composing self-published titles. Turner Publishing: Designed/composed such books as Saturday Millionaire; Beat the Heart Attack Gene; Candy at Last; Dylan; Secrets of a Dog Trainer; US Pony Club; and Publisher’s Weekly cover ad. Delay the Disease, LLC: Worked closely with author, David Zid, on the 4-color spiral bound title Delay the Disease: Functional Fitness for Parkinson’s.
Designed packages for VDO REDI-Sensors and print ads for socket sets, flashlights, and work lights. Laid out custom catalog for a wide variety of the Balkamp products such as car parts and car accessories.
Directed high-profile titles such as Betty Crocker, Better Homes & Gardens, Frommer’s travel, For Dummies, and tech lines such as the Companion, FAQs, In 5 Minutes, and Dummies Field Guide series through the design and layout process consistently achieved 100% customer satisfaction Completed final design interiors for series redesigns with input from editors Collaborated with editorial staff leadership on high profile titles to create one-off designs and marketing pieces Created and maintained master templates and samples; partnered with Automation staff on templates and icon libraries Conducted individual and group training sessions; acted as a mentor for staff and served as a resource for editorial staff
Lead technician for Frommer’s series; managed internal design updates requests and refined master templates Inspected and approved final electronic book files for print; transferred books to printer’s FTP site and communicated needs Poured text into master templates and placed graphics onto pages to create book interiors Acted as resource for new staff Implemented and set design standards for book series
Note: Macmillan was sold to Pearson in 1998. Pearson then sold my division to IDG Books in 1999. IDG Books changed changed it's name to Hungry Minds before being bought by Wiley Publishing in 2001.