Client Praise

I’ve seen many self-published family history books. Most have one author, large amounts of text, and a few photographs.

 

The book about my mother was going to be different. Although I was the primary author, 34 family members and friends also contributed their own stand-alone stories. Furthermore, I wanted to use 190 photos or illustrations. By the time I had finished weaving everything into a typed manuscript, I wondered what I had really created for my family. A masterpiece—or a monster?

 

Although I have decades of experience in the editorial field, and have even worked closely with graphic artists, I am not a book designer. I didn’t want friends and family members to feel obligated to read about my mother. I wanted them to be so visually stimulated that they would open Georgia On My Mind because it looked great.

 

Of all the decisions I made on this large project, my smartest decision was hiring John Bennett Book Design in St. Louis. Before bidding on the job, John Bennett read the complete manuscript. He then understood that my mother was a formal, courteous, and elegant woman. He agreed with me that the book’s design shouldn’t be hip or casual, nor look like a scrapbook. We discussed at length the large number of co-author submissions, which could either enrich the book or confuse and annoy the readers. With some clever design elements, he successfully formatted these special texts in a way I couldn’t have visualized in a hundred years. John’s experience and skill in handling photos was also masterful. He scanned black-and-white prints from the 1930s and 40s, color transparencies from the 50s and 60s, and yellowed documents and newspaper clippings from seven decades. In his capable hands, he prepared these items to reproduce beautifully during the printing stage.

 

John Bennett is an accomplished book designer and took a great deal of personal pride in every page he created for me. He was patient, a good listener, and a trustworthy collaborator on this complex job. I also appreciated his knowledge of paper stock, ink, and printing processes, as well as which St. Louis printers would be the best fit for my book. Georgia On My Mind was completed on schedule and on budget.

 

Aneeta Brown

Washington, Missouri