Well, I've learned one thing. Professional book designers earn every dollar they make, bless them. Doing it yourself is an exasperating process. Who would have thought type fonts would be such an issue?
With my first proof, I wasn't pleased with the appearance so I set about finding a new font. Palatino was not that different from Times New Roman and still didn't give it that proper "paperback" look I was seeking. During my extended rant on the issue, my husband listened, somewhat patiently, and responded, "Bimbo." Quickly taking offense, I responded hotly to what I perceived as a personal insult (many words beginning with the letter "F" were involved). "Not B-i-m-b-o," he explained. "B-e-m-b-o. Bembo. It's the typeface Penguin uses for all its paperbacks. It's been around for years. You need to use Bembo." Doesn't exist, I responded. Not on my Word font list. Yes, it does. No, it doesn't. He consulted the internet and pulled up a page describing--Bembo. How does he know these things? Damn, I hate it when he's right.
As it turned out, we were both right. Bembo exists, but has never been digitized as a readily available computer font. More internet searching resulted in consensus that the closest thing to Bembo was Garamond. I converted the entire manuscript to Garamond, 10 point. Looked great on the screen. However...when the proof arrived, the print version was too small to be read easily. Sigh. I've increased the subsequent copy to Garamond 12. Here we go again. In the process, I fiddled with some editorial changes (couldn't help myself) and minor corrections. Then...
My son, Mr. Graphic Design student, home for a few weeks before he heads off to CalArts, took one look at my cover and announced that it "sucked." He is designing a new one for me. Okay, yeah, it already looks better. Geez, everyone's a critic. This new incarnation will be off for a third proof this weekend. Paperback still coming soon.
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