Wine Bass Island Stories + Legends of Middle Bass
TWO SOFTCOVER CASE STUDIES
“IT’S A PIRATE MAP!” the author exclaimed with glee when he set eyes on the cover we created for his first book, Legends of Middle Bass & Other Lake Erie Islands. Complete with sea monsters and tall ships, it perfectly sets the stage for what is to be found inside. Barr’s inimitable sense of humor is evident on almost every page and our task was to let it shine through while making the layout with its 175 full-color photos approachable and fun. His extensive Notes on the Story at the end of nearly every chapter add context, making Barr’s stories as informative as they are entertaining. As Jeff Koehler, associate editor of the Put-in-Bay Gazette reports, his stories are “diverse and interesting… like 21st-century island stories on steroids.”
For his second book, Foster Design was asked to create a less-weighty tome (his first book with its glossy pages and full-color photos weighed in at nearly 2 1/2 lbs.). He wanted this to be one to carry with you for an entertaining read on the beach or on the ferry ride to the mainland. Like his first, Barr’s second book, Wine Bass Island Stories, draws from actual events but is enhanced by the imagination of the author. Engaging tales are interspersed with true facts, bits of historical lore, close calls, and misadventures. Barr’s puckish humor is evident throughout.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
There are thousands of books about how to be a “great writer” but there is little covered on how to produce a great book. You may write fantastic prose but even the best work can be ruined if the presentation is perceived as “amateurish” or “cheap…” or worst of all “dull” (the goat’s beard of self-publishing).
In the same way you would not operate on your own heart, it is best to call in professionals for your surgery (or at least get their advice). Same with the backroom function of creating your book. I had an idea of what I wanted but was unsure of how to create a finished product that reflected my vision. Decisions on typeface, font size, paper quality, paper stock, binding, copyright, and ISBN numbers… to some, these choices may seem like an afterthought. They are not.
The folks at Foster Design Collaborative helped me on just about every aspect of my last two books, from layout, type choice, and font size, to cover design. They offered practical advice that helped me manufacture two lovely books and realize a life dream of self-publishing.
I worked with Peggy and Howard Tuttle on my last two books, Legends of Middle Bass and Other Lake Erie Islands (2018) and Wine Bass Island Stories (2019). They are flexible. If you just need a little care and feeding for your project, they can help. In my case, they had a strong influence on helping me with almost every aspect of my two books. They were partners in the best sense of the word. They helped me to produce two successful niche books (I sold more units than I expected, the literary police found no typos, and the books looked polished and professional). I look forward to working with Foster Design Collective once again, as we are now starting on my third book (title to be announced September 2021) about Lake Erie beach glass.
– Gordon L. Barr