Jeanne McCafferty

When this client was referred to me, I received a rough final draft (the attached file attached is a portion of that). I took her 101 tips, did the copy edit, organized them into categories and designed the layout and cover of the book (available in the Design Samples folder). Through the services of a local digital printer, printed copies were available for a conference three weeks later. A turnaround from rough draft to finished books in three weeks!

Floating Souls: The Canal Murders is a novella-length mystery novel, the first fiction from a distinguished forensic anthropologist, Mary L. Manhein. The comparatively short length of this manuscript allowed for a more expansive page treatment. Once again, I was able to find a text element to distinguish the chapter headings - this one reflecting the watery setting of the title, which was so perfectly captured in the outstanding cover art created by Nicole deLaunay Harris.

War of the Pews is the compelling story of the struggle of a congregation to keep their church open in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This was a lengthy manuscript, so an economical, tight page design was in order. I wanted the book to reflect the history of the church, however, and after conversations with the publisher, who told me about the historic ironworking tradition of the African-American community of New Orleans, I designed a decorative element for the chapter headings that evokes that tradition. Although I was not on the editorial side of this project, I was able to offer some insight and advice as to how to handle the extensive front and back matter of the book, making it a bit more accessible for readers. (Cover photo of St. Augustine Church by Syndey Byrd.)

The dramatic tone of Humanus Diabolicus - described on the cover as "A Postmodern Prophecy" - is announced by the striking cover art (by James A. Packard) that was selected by the author. Both the subject and the art seemed to call for a dramatic font treatment, and I selected a modern interpretation of a classic look. This is also a lengthy manuscript, and some accommodations had to be made to the length. Yet again, the subject matter was so distinct that I was pleased to find a text element that could function as a design element on chapter pages: in this case, the text elements evoke all-seeing eyes - an appropriate element for such a dystopian tale.