Libbe Dennard was referred to me by San Miguel poet and literary doyenne, Judyth Hill. Libbe has completed a chapbook – it is ready to send out to chapbook publishers and she wanted a cover design for the presentation manuscript that would showcase her title, compelling central image and hopefully get their attention! In her words:
“Libbe Dennard has submitted a small collection of poems called, “A Far Cry” to a US chapbook publishing house. Her manuscript is now being reviewed with an eye toward publication. The poems relate to Libbe’s life journey. She feels that the poignant cover done by Margot Boland caught the eye of the editor. ”
What is a chapbook?
A chapbook is a small publication, usually poetry, which can be either printed inexpensively or lavishly, but are almost always produced in a limited quantity, adding to their rarity.
Margot’s Design Notes:
When Libbe asked me to work on her cover, she had an image in mind – it was a jpg of an old photograph of herself as a very small child. The photo was a bit damaged, and it was not in the correct resolution for eventual printing, but the image itself was perfect for the poignant and personal quality of Libbe’s writing. After cleaning up the photo and having it rescanned at a higher resolution, it was ready to have a couple of Photoshop filters applied. I chose a calm, warm taupe for the background colour and as Libbe had specified a Baskerville font for the interior of the book, I used Baskerville for the cover typography. It worked! Here is Libbe’s cover design, created to capture the attention of a chapbook publisher.
Yours in design,
Margot
“A Far Cry” Cover
Margot Boland Book Design for Writers 