What he wanted...
To publish a book that showcased all his hard work.
When the sky is aflame . . .
John’s work dazzled us each time we turned to a new page bursting with an abundance of sensory detail. We were amazed at his ability to offer images both wonderful and grounded in the heaviness of reality, and couldn’t wait to journey into the farmlands and cityscapes that tether these elements to the collection.
What's long been closed and hidden / is torn open . . .
We dove into this overhaul project headfirst, working hard to guide John through several rounds of critique and revision. Since his work was already filled to the brim with scenes clear enough to be memory, we really focused on making those moments shine as brightly as possible through details such as meaningful line breaks and intriguing poem titles.
“To seem spontaneous, a line of poetry requires a fresh set of eyes and ears. To have an experienced editor look at a body of work and make recommendations is akin to taking a breath of cool fresh air. The process we engaged in took quite a while––many edits, some restructuring, and often removal and rewrite of the wayward word, line, or phrase. I can best describe the experience with Kallie and her team as a necessary last step on a rather long journey––and I would heartily encourage others to move forward with Kallie and her team to see where the path might take you.”
Over barren farmland . . .
Once we were done with the content of the book, we were ready to design the cover and interior layouts. We looked over several examples of John’s favorite text placement and fonts before coming to a decision on what the inside of the book would look like. When it came to the cover, John knew he wanted an illustrated, brightly-colored image that involved a farmhouse and trees. We landed on this final cover design with a 16th-century painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and are overjoyed with the result!
Gnawing at leafless trees . . .
In addition to traditional design aspects, John also wanted to craft an image to use as a buffer in between sections. He sent us an image of trees and asked us to get inspired! Taking the time to consider our options, we decided to pull a focal point from the center and utilize it as our base. Finally, we settled on a hand-drawn version of the image that fit in organically with the rustic and solemn nature of the collection.
Marketing images
We made some cool marketing images for John to use on social and create a buzz about his book!
Midwives to the muse...
John called us “Midwives to the muse” and we’ve never been happier! Look at his glowing collection, Shadowgraph, in the shadow of one of our mascots, Michiko.
“A scrupulous, beautiful vocabulary showcases the poet’s skill and depth . . . A talented poet with a relish for nature and the human experience . . . ” — Booklife