Spotlight Writers: Jess Sands

Jess Sands is a successful graphic designer with over 15 years' experience and a a CV that is beyond impressive,

designing books for Oxford University Press and Disney, including a Sunday Times best-seller (no biggie!). We had the best chat where she

shared her story and expert design tips, from choosing the right book designer to creating a successful brand.

How it began …

How and why did you get into book design?

I have always loved art. I think it’s because I’m dyslexic and school was always a challenge academically. I didn’t know then that you could create a career out of being creative. So I did an art foundation course where you try everything, photography, ceramics, textiles and all these different creative processes to find out what you like and I tried graphic design, which I’d never heard of, and it turned out to be the thing that I was good at! Then I went to do my graphic design degree at Bath Spa, which was amazing − three years of just being creative. I was having the best time and I didn’t want to go home when my degree ended. So I started looking for jobs in Bath and had my first job interview the week before my graduation, which was for a junior designer at a publishing house that had just got the license for Disney books. We had to design a princess book and because I was a massive Disney geek (which I probably still am!), I rocked it.

The next step

How did Oxford University Press happen?

I started my own business in 2012 as freelance graphic designer because I fell in love with someone in the RAF and had to move. And then OUP happened after I started my business. We were posted to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and OUP needed cover for someone who had gone travelling. So I worked in OUP’s children’s section for a year, which was hugely different to the quick-turnaround Disney work. In traditional publishing they can spend a year publishing a book. It was a whole new world.

How did the design process work in-house?

As a designer, you’d work closely with an editor who would either write the book or commission a writer, normally through an agent. Then I would work with the editor to commission an illustrator, unless I was doing the design myself, and we’d all plan the book together. Normally you’d read the whole book, so you’d get a real feel for the end user. We’d do three or four rounds of cover designs and the whole team would get together to do cover meetings. The end say was the boss but the sales team would also come to the meetings because they’re the ones who have to go out and sell it in the real world. It can be hard as a designer because you fall in love with one design and they always pick the other one!

Best bits!

Do you have any favourite books that you worked on?

So many! I think my favourite was always High School Musical. At the time, it was this tiny little thing that nobody had heard of, this straight-to-TV film. So they gave it to me as a junior designer and it ended up being a Sunday Times Number 1 best-selling book, which was just bonkers! I think the fact it was my first-ever book and that it did so well. And then High School Musical became my speciality. It’s amazing that as a designer you are able to turn your brain into that of a child or another person.

Advice for authors

What sort of things should an author include in their brief for a book designer?

I would always say, sit down and talk to your designer like a human because we need to know loads of information about what your book is about and who it’s for. So normally we do that by asking lots of questions. If you find a designer who doesn’t ask you questions, run away! We need to know what you’re thinking, even if you think it’s not relevant. We need to know things like how many pages there are, for spine width; and how it’s going to be printed - hard bound or soft bound; whether it’s being printed or going to be published online. You should be led by your designer. They’re the expert and should ask the right questions - the technical stuff is their job. You’re the expert on your book so share any creative ideas you have, but the secret is to work together. You’re paying for their creative mind so take advantage of that and let them have a little freedom. If you have strict boundaries, it can kind of take the sparkle away.

“People do judge a book by its cover.”

What should people think about when choosing their cover fonts and colours?

Legibility, because you have to think about where it’s being used. For example, on Amazon, you have this tiny little picture of the front cover and it needs to make an impact straight away. So even though we might want to use beautiful scripted fonts, you still have to be able to read it. So that’s the most important thing. Also, like with any branding, you don’t have to put everything on the front of your book. Keep it to your title, who you are and perhaps your strapline. 

Colour-wise, you want to make it attractive to your audience. You don’t want to confuse people … people are busy and want their lives to be made easy. So if you’re writing a book about princesses, make it look like a princess book; if you’re writing a business book, make it look like a business book. You don’t have to think too far outside the box. People do judge a book by its cover. You can be innovative and do funky and cool things but if you go too different, it’s going to get confusing. With branding, the key is consistency. If you find your favourite authors and lay out your favourite book series, they’re always going to be the same size and have the same fonts – look at the Harry Potter spines.

“If you want to build a strong brand, then stick with it, do it well and be consistent.”

Do you have any tips for someone who is DIYing their book cover and formatting?

I would say, firstly, do lots of research. See what your competitors are doing. Not to copy them but to be inspired by them. Then once you have created your design, don’t put it on Facebook for 4 million people to give their opinion. The problem with visual things is that everybody has an opinion and it’s just going to get confusing. So find three or four trusted people who know you and your book who can say what works and tell you if it feels like you. Then, if you’re printing it, double check the size specs with the printer, or if it’s digital, do some testing. If you can, get a designer to at least check it. It will be worth it because mistakes always cost more.

Talking business

Tell me about Design Jessica

Design Jessica is my graphic design business that I started in 2012. I create new branding for SMEs and work with larger companies to apply their branding to their marketing materials or products. My skillsets are taking a brand and applying it across a series of things and recognising when you have a really strong visual brand and hinting at that brand through the colours or the fonts and using it in the best possible way so that your brand is easily recognisable, which is what I did for Disney. So that’s what my strength is and that’s what I really love.

You can find out more about Design Jessica and check out some of Jess’s incredible work at www.designjessica.co.uk.

And make sure you follow her on Instagram @design_jessica for more beautiful brand inspiration.