Last year I was asked to design the interior for Unsalted Blue Sunrise, speaker and Sparkitivity founder Kathryn Haydon’s sixth book. This book is a captivating collection of poetry inspired by the ever-changing scenery of Lake Michigan, and I was thrilled to bring the author’s vision for this slim and elegant volume to life.
Working closely with Kathryn, I typeset her heartfelt words into a beautifully-crafted book that reflects the depth and artistry of her poetry. This collaboration was not just about designing a book; it was about creating an experience that resonated with readers and honored the essence of the lake’s beauty.
Kathryn came up with the idea for this book when her aunt showed her a book of photos she took of Lake Michigan, through the window of her apartment, over the course of a year. She was amazed at the nuance and stark difference in the scene from day to day. Kathryn set a challenge for herself to walk to the lakeshore each day over the course of a year to capture her thoughts and impressions through poetry.
Kathryn's Book Done Timeline
✍️ Writing started: June 2021
🎨 Files ready for design and layout: April 2023
✔️ Book done (released): June 2023
Kathryn’s Book Done Takeaways
Here are my questions for Kathryn about self-publishing and reaching book done.
Tell me about how you came up with your book's title.
For this poetry collection, I thought it only right that the title read like a poem. A creative writing teacher of mine had recently decreed that he doesn't think one-word titles are specific enough, so I avoided those. Unsalted Blue Sunrise came to me as a fully-formed idea. I brainstormed dozens more only to return to this one!
What was the biggest surprise during your book project?
This book was different from my others as I did not set out to write a book, I set out to challenge myself to see the lake with new eyes day after day. So it was a very organic process, and I was surprised how eagerly readers have embraced the book, including many who have never read much poetry.
Which part of your book project was the most fun or rewarding?
I promise that I'm not just saying this because it's going in a newsletter, but I loved working with Julie. It was like a gift each time she sent an update of the design. The feeling of seeing my words that started as pencil scrawls in a notebook transformed into a beautiful typeset format is delightful. I also enjoyed working with another graphic designer on the cover.
Tell me a bit more about the cover design you chose.
My cover designer had a vision for this cover and asked me if I'd mind if he involved his daughters in the process. Russell and his young daughters spent a morning creating abstract lake art and Lily, age 8, created the final drawing we used for the cover. She has participated as a speaker in three of my book launch events, starting with an assembly at her elementary school for fellow second graders! Russell gave me many cover layout options to choose from and a designer colleague of mine told me to choose the cover that would best stand alone as an art piece on a wall. This was a perfect prompt.
Which part of your book project took longer than you expected, and why?
Editing. Editing poems is a different process than editing prose, and I sent this manuscript to two professional poets as well as another editor. There were a lot of eyes on it, and for that I am grateful. I still haven't spotted a typo!
What is your best advice for marketing a book?
I've been down this road and wanted to take a fresh approach to this book, one that would motivate me and also match the inspiring and artful content of the book itself. I started brainstorming all of the ideas for connections and outreach. After narrowing these initial ideas down, I posted many on my whiteboard. Instead of holding myself to a particular timeline as I've done in the past, I looked at my board each day and thought, "Which one am I inspired to pursue today?" This made it a joyful, almost natural process and it continues just as naturally, with one connection leading to another. I do try to do at least one outreach on the book each day, whether that means a post, an email to my list, making a new connection, following up on a conversation, or a note to a reader.
You have done a lot of in-person book readings and sales. Could you explain how you get those opportunities?
I’ve learned valuable book launch lessons with the release of each of my books. In 2019, I found success using a dual approach for my earlier book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative. I put a lot of effort into garnering an online launch team, revving up my email list, and securing Amazon reviews. At the same time, I hired a local PR agent to make community contacts with newspapers, radio, and publications. I personally made connections with local independent bookstores and scheduled readings. This localized approach was not only enjoyable, but I believe sold quite a few books and increased excitement in the launch. I repeated this process for Unsalted Blue Sunrise, but this time I focused more heavily on the local approach. This was extremely successful for this particular book, which carries not only international but local interest, and it made the process much more personal and meaningful to me.
I loved Kathryn’s idea to ship her poetry book about her favorite lake in shiny blue envelopes!
— Julie
Book Done Technical Details
Your printer needs these kinds of details to give you a quote for printing a similar book. If you are using a print on demand printer like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark, you can enter your book details on their website to know your printing cost per book.
Page Count: 68
Dimensions (Page size): 5.25 x 8 inches
Binding: Paperback
Interior Details
Ink colors: Black
Interior paper: Creme
Bleed: No
Cover Details
Binding: Softcover, perfect bound
Ink colors: Full color
Laminate: Matte
Printer: IngramSpark (Note from Kathryn: I used Ingram because I’m set up with them already and know how to use their system.)
If you have a poetry or artistic book that you are wanting to produce independently in a creative but professional way, and have questions or don't even know which questions you should be asking, a good next step might be to book a consultation call, especially if your book has a lot of artwork or images.
If you know what you need, go ahead and fill out this book project questionnaire (journal projects have their own questionnaire) or just send me a message with any question you have about book planning, design or formatting, through my contact form. The only way to reach #bookdone is to get started. ✔️