From the Tool Shed Designers

Good design is another powerful element in generating sales for your book. The cover is the primary billboard for your book and its design should be appropriate to its intended market. The contents won't stand a chance if the cover (as well as the title) doesn't immediately draw the prospective buyer. A well-designed, carefully laid out book enhances the reading experience -- and page layout should be done by someone who has a clear notion of what all is involved. Then consider that many books are greatly enhanced or actually require illustration to carry their message.

Finding good designers or illustrators is not an easy task; when the Cat was about to publish its first book, there was no network available to make inquiries. This section of the Tool Shed is meant to simplify that task. As with other "rooms" of the Tool Shed where names and contacts are given, the ones listed here have come to attention because their services have been recommended by independent publishers or whose work is known to the Cat. (Disclaimer: Cat's-paw Press cannot vouch for the reliability or price of the services; the Tool Shed itself is a service from Cat's-paw Press where we firmly believe in assisting neophyte publishers compete as strongly as possible in a sometimes daunting environment.) It's been a great pleasure to find that there are actually many fine designers out there and to provide this means of reaching them.
One other point. Many designers have additional expertise. The Cat suggests you look in the Production Issues room for other designers who may specialize in getting those designs into production.

• Book Design
  
• Points To Consider When Seeking A Book Designer
  
  
• Designers
  
  
• Is The Price Right?
  
  
• Illustrators
  
  
• Web Designers
  
  
• Talk to the Cat

One can say that book designing splits into two areas: cover design and interior design. Some designers specialize in covers; others focus on book interiors, and still others deal with the entire book design project. A good cover designer is thoroughly cognizant of the requirements for the book trade (inclusion and placement of the ISBN, the bar code, the value of including the category (or categories) of the subject.

The Cat asked widely-respected designer Mayapriya Long of (Bookwrights Press) to talk about the importance of good design, and here she answers some basic questions.

A. Who needs a designer?

For book interiors, you need a designer if you are not familiar with paging software such as PageMaker, Quark Xpress, Framemaker and others. Word processing software is great for use as you write your manuscript but it is not made for producing book pages. It falls short of producing really first class pages. So unless your budget does not allow it, hire a professional.

Book covers should always be produced by a design professional. If you are an artist, you may still want to hire a designer and supply her/him with your drawing or painting.

Book cover design is a particular specialty in graphic design. And it is not being overly critical to say that a good graphic designer who has never produced book covers is a bad choice. Hire someone whose specialty is books. There are many to choose from.

B. How do you decide to hire a designer?

When talking with a prospective designer for your book or cover, ask to see samples of the designer's work. Many have web pages for viewing their work, but feel free to ask for actual printed covers or book interiors to look over. Pick a designer who has a solid reputation and substantial track record and whose work you like. Ask for and call the references they give. You may pay slightly less for a person who is just starting up their design business but they may cost you more in the long run because of their lack of experience.

Your book has 3-4 seconds to attract a book buyer's attention, so a good designer is someone who can produce a cover that fits in with the other books in your genre, but stands out from them on the shelf.

Make sure your designer knows printing. A good book designer will know what the industry standards are, how to get the best results from a printer, and will be able to send your electronic files to your printer so that there will be no problems or headaches for you-and no unhappy surprises when you see your finished books.

Remember that the cover is, in essence, the poster for your manuscript. If a buyer is not attracted enough to pick the book up off the shelf, they will never read what is inside.

C. What does your designer need from you to do a good job?

1. Your designer will want to please you and will also have her/his own ideas of how best to "show" your book. If you make a list of books with covers you like, this will help your designer visualize a design in a style you will find pleasing. There are many design approaches possible for each book, so if your designer sees approaches you already find pleasing, it will steer her in your direction. If you have certain things you don't like, tell the designer those as well.

2. Write up a paragraph synopsis of your book and supply a table of contents. Few designers have time to read a manuscript before they design a cover. A good designer will be too busy working with clients to do that much reading!

3. Supply every piece of text that will appear on the front, spine and back cover. Indicate which text is the most important and hence should be made somehow prominent. If you want it to appear, you will need to supply a graphic file of your company logo. You will need to give the designer your ISBN number and price so that they can purchase a bar code for the back of the book. You will need to research shelving categories for the book. You can ask for your designers advice on this also.

4. Tell the designer who the audience is for the book.

5. Is it paperback or hard cover? What is the trim size?

6. How many colors can the designer use?

7. Do you have any art you can supply for the cover? Do you want the designer to procure art? (You will have to pay for it.) Be up front with your designer about your budget so they can plan a design that will fit your budget.

8. Do you have a preference for the typography? Do you like plain and simple or decorative type?

9. Is there a subtitle? Should it be emphasized?

Your designer will have other questions, but if you give them the information above, it should help them produce a cover you will like, and most importantly, one that will help you sell books.

The designers listed here have been either recommended by other publishers following satisfactory experience with them or are known designers (and their work) by the Cat. No comments are made regarding their charges; that is as always a matter between publisher and designer.

Adventure House

286 Spring St., #504

New York, NY 10013

Phone: 212-243-6867 Fax: 212-352-9517

www.adventure-house.com

One publisher commented to the PMA-list, "I can recommend a cover design firm that most on the list have probably never heard of. They are Adventure House in New York City, and they recently did a cover for me. They are not the cheapest, nor the costliest, but they have a real flair, are easy to work with, and meet deadlines.

My cover design needed to work both in bookstores and as a textbook, as my title bridges both of these markets. Adventure House was able to create a very lively and attractive cover that will work well in both markets. They will be on my short list from now on."

JOHN COLE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

3 Juego Place

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Phone: 505-466-4290

Fax: 505-466-2624

john@johncolegrf.com; jcolegrf@prodigy.net

www.johncolegrf.com

"Specializing in book design, providing a complete personal service for the publisher. From covers to guts, from text books to monographs, from concepts to completion, I strive hard to meet my customers expectations in providing a top quality professional service. If experience is what you are searching for, I have quite a bit of it to show for the time that I have been involved with printing and book work. If vision is what you seek, give me a concept and let's have fun! If marketing is your edge, we'll make that book sell.

"My goals are simple: 1) having fun and 2) keeping the roof over our heads."

KAREN COLE, Painter/Illustrator

3 Juego Place

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Phone: 505-466-4290

Fax: 505-466-2624

Email: swishcole@prodigy.net

santafesocietyofartists.com/cole.html

"Color, color, color--what great stuff to have! and it's endless, as are the visions we can bring to our viewers. The paintings I create live in a realistically-depicted fantasy perspective. I can depict our world realistically as well as abstractly. My medium is oil paint."

LINDA DAGEFORDE

Dageforde Publishing

Lincoln, Nebr.

Phone: 402-475-1123

"Typsetter/designer who works at very reasonable rates, I recommend, of Linda has done some 20 books for us...and we've always got praise for our interiors." (from publisher recommendation.)

TAMARA DEVER

TLC Graphics

4113 Tecate Trail

Austin, TX 78739

Phone: 512-292-8798

E-mail: Tamara@tlcgraphics.com

Midwest office:

ERIN STARK

Waukesha, WI

262-650-8929

Email: Erin@tlcgraphics.com

www.TLCGraphics.com

Award-winning book cover and interior design for the small and self-publisher. Be sure to check out her article "Good Covers Sell Books". Now we have a new Midwest office.

"Because of her enormous talent, enthusiasm for solving graphic challenges, positive 'can-do' attitude, friendly demeanor, eye for what makes a book cover sizzle (and sell) and professionalism, Tamara Dever's the only designer I even talk to for my books."-- Dianna Seay, Howling at the Moon Press

DUNN+ASSOCIATES DESIGN

PO Box 870

Hayward, WI 54843

Phone: 715-634-4857

Email: info@dunn-design.com

www.dunn-design.com/

Dunn+Associates is an award-winning design house. They have been often recommended by independent press people.

GEORGE FOSTER

Foster & Foster

104 S. 2Nd St.

Fairfield, IA 52556

Phone: 800-472-3953

E-mail: foster@fairfield.com

www.fostercovers.com/

George Foster is strongly recommended by a number of veteran publishers (including Dan Poynter and John Kremer) for his cover designs.

ROBERT GOODMAN

Silvercat

3738 Carmel View Rd.

San Diego, CA 92130

Phone: 858-794-1597 866-251-3741

info@silvercat.com

Services offered include

EDITING

Editing (proofreading; copyediting for grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling)

Substantive editing for style and content; Document and manuscript rewriting

Document and manuscript rewriting

Ghostwriting and collaborating

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Books, newsletters, reports, proposals, articles, columns, and other manuscripts

Traditional design, layout, and typography

Simple graphics and covers

BOOK AND DOCUMENT PACKAGING

Manuscript development

Typesetting and prepress

Print brokering and management

CONSULTING SERVICES

Publishing

Book and document design

GWEN HENSON

SageBrush Publications

957 East Guadalupe Road #17

Tempe, AZ 85283

Phone: 480-777-9250 Fax: 480-777-9270

E-mail: sagebrsh@mindspring.com

Book Design * Cover Design * Typesetting * Graphic Design * Editing & Writing
Computer Indexing * Electronic Prepress * Publishing Consultation

ROBERT HOSLEY

Hosley Design

PO Box 507

West Patterson, NJ 07424

Phone: 201-256-0140; Fax: 201-256-3917

Recommended by a PMA-Listmate.

NANCY JOHNSTON

Brushwood Graphics

505 Park Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone: 410-539-5085 Fax: 410-539-5545

E-mail: brushwood@clark.net

Said the publisher (not the only one) as to why he recommended Nancy: "Foremost, talent with design and illustration. Add to that price and cooperation (sometimes hard to find with artists). She and husband Steve have been in the biz for years, and unlike many fine designers that we publishers use, TRULY understand the logistics and economics of book publishing. Unless you ask, you're not going to get a six color jacket design on special metallic paper that's embossed with a die-cut that's totally impractical. And, like smart business folk these days, Nancy and Steve are getting into web design.

BARRY T. KERRIGAN, President

DESKTOP MIRACLES, INC.

112 South Main Street

PMB 294

Stowe, VT 05672

Phone: 802-253-7900; Fax: 802-253-1900

E-mail: barry@desktopmiracles.com

www.desktopmiracles.com

Desktop Miracles is a full-service Publishing Design and Production studio providing Jacket and Cover Design, Interior Typesetting, and Print Production Management to publishing clients nationwide.

PEGGY LAURITSEN

Peggy Lauritsen Design Group

26 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis MN 55401

Phone: 612-339-5011 Fax: 612-339-4672

Southern Minnesota Graphic Designers

The Cat has seen several of Peggy Lauritsen's design projects. Two were books aimed at the gift market and are remarkably beautiful with great tactile and visual appeal, down to subtle but exquisite details including paper selection.

MAYAPRIA LONG

Bookwrights Press

2255 Westover Dr.

Charlottesville, VA 22901

Phone: 434-823-8223

E-mail: design@bookwrights.com

www.bookwrights.com

We design and produce book covers and interiors for independent and university presses. For some of our clients we take their project from manuscript to delivery of bound books. Because of our 18 years experience with buying book printing, we also offer a service where we will follow your project through production from obtaining print quotes to ushering your job through printing and binding. We are a full sevice design studio.

PETE MASTERSON

Aeonix Publishing Group

P.O. Box 20985

El Sobrante, CA 94820-0985

E-mail: pete@aeonix.com

www.aeonix.com

Pete Masterson offers publishing consulting and design services to small publishers. He can help you learn about publishing, typography, and book production or can perform all services necessary to create a professional quality book.

Pete has a degree in marketing and nearly 20 years experience in publishing and printing-related management positions which have created unique qualifications to help you with your publishing project. In particular, he has extensive background in book-oriented typsetting services, with many of the customers coming from a cross- section of publishers.

Pete has now established an independent consultancy and design service that uses his skills and, when necessary, can call upon the large number of other professional editors and graphic designers that he has worked with over the years.

His web site offers a great deal of practical information on getting your book ready for printing.

DORIE MCCLELLAND

Spring Press

431 East Haskell

St. Paul, MN 55118

Phone: 651-457-0258 Fax: 651-457-0258

E-mail: dorie@springbookdesign.com

Spring Press has produced a number of very attractive books.

PERI POLONI

Knockout Design

8801 Mosquito Rd.,

Placerville, CA 95667

Phone: 916-621-3831; fax 916-626-4096

E-mail: knockoutD@aol.com

She designed Fun is a Feeling and The Right Touch (see them at www.illumin.com).

PATRICK REDMOND, M.A.

Patrick Redmond Design

P O Box 75430-CPP

St. Paul, MN 55175-0430

Phone: 651-646-4254 or 651-503-4480 Fax: available

E-mail: PatrickRedmond@ApexMail.com and redmond@patrickredmonddesign.com

dha.che.umn.edu/Redmond/and
www.PatrickRedmondDesign.com

Patrick Redmond is an award-winning creative director and designer with experience in book design and book cover design. With marketing experience in his background, he guides the neophyte publisher into carefully thought-out decisions. In addition to his work as a practicing independent professional designer, Patrick taught numerous courses -- including "Introduction to visual communication and design" -- at the University of Minnesota for many years. He is a former president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Minnesota Chapter, ("AIGA/Minnesota"). His web site will lead you to a "Book Design" category where several of his covers may be seen. His credentials also include a Master of Arts degree.

Areas of expertise:

Creative concept and Creative Direction

Design consultation

Art direction & photo editing

Graphic design:

*trade paperback book cover and book design

*book cover design/marketing focus groups

*development of publishers' marketing, advertising, and promotions support material

*use of Macintosh, QuarkXPress, et cetera, via service bureaus and outside resources as needed

*book cover and cover-to-cover design seminars and workshops

SHERRY STINSON

The Printed Image Design Studio

1300 S. Johnstone Ave.

Bartlesville, OK 74003-5624

Phone: 918-336-7927 voice; 918-336-7961; 918-527-6779 cell; 877-879-4354 (toll-free)

Email: sherry@cooldesigns.net

www.cooldesigns.net

The Printed Image is a full-service graphic design studio specializing in book cover design and providing creative graphic solutions for publishers and clients nationwide. Our principles are simple Ð offer the best design solutions, on time and on budget. We offer innovative approaches in print design and web development using cutting-edge digital technology, with the focus on making your books, image, and products stand out in today's highly competitive market. View our online portfolio, featuring client testimonials, book covers, software and retail packaging, catalogs, advertising, and more.

BRIAN M. TAYLOR, Principal / Creative Director

Pneuma Books / Pneuma Graphic Design

327 Curtis Avenue, Suite Five

Elkton, MD 21921

Phone: 410-996-8900 Fax: 410-996-8901

Email: info@pneumabooks.com

www.pneumabooks.com

"Pneuma is located at the head of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, Maryland."
We are full service book design, book editing, & book marketing agency to publishers and self publishing writers, Helping publishers succeed through education, inspiration, and the creation of excellent books. We provide professional book development, editing, cover design, interior book design, and marketing materials for writers and small presses.

PAMELA TERRY

Opus1Design

Phone: 800-590-7778; 800-590-6666

Fax: 323-934-2881

E-mail: pam@opus1design.com

www.Opus1design.com.

Pamela Terry designs a wide variety of things: book covers, interiors, brochures, postcards, Web sites and many more.

LIZ TUFTE

Folio Bookworks

3241 Columbus Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55407

Phone: 612-827-2552

liz@folio-bookworks.com

www.folio-bookworks.com

A frequent award winner for design, Folio Bookworks designs and produces books with a deep respect for art and tradition while using cutting-edge technology. Experienced, Liz Tufte has designed the interiors of thirty-five books and the covers of three books. She has worked closely with freelance designers to produce thirty-two book covers, several of which were award winners.

NANCY TUMINELLY

Mighty Media

400 1st Avenue North

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: 612-338-2075 Fax: 612-338-4817

E-mail: mt@good-design.com

www.good-design.com/

Mighty Media is a full service graphic design and production firm specializing in book cover and interior design, and related marketing and sales materials (catalogs, direct mail), trade show materials, spin-off product design and production, packaging, display, and website development. Experience in trade, mass market, library, educational,and university press. Mighty Media, under their earlier name of MacLean & Tuminelly, has won numerous awards for cover and interior designs, including a number of PMA's Benjamin Franklin Awards and several Midwest Book Achievement Awards.

TOM WILLIAMS

PubMart

12445 NW 10th Court

Coral Springs, Fl. 33071

Phone: 954-796-0104

E-mail: publish@gate.net

www.pubmart.com

Dr. Thomas Williams has an excellent book, The Kitchen Table Publisher: How to Start, Manage and Profit From Your Own Home-Based Publishing Company (Using Your Desktop Computer), which is loaded with advice on starting a wide variety of publications using your own computer and your knowledge of your own area. His web site has a great deal of helpful information.

Dr. Williams says, "We also do book design and typography." In fact, PubMart offers a full range of preproduction services including preparation of the manuscript for going to press.

MYTHIC DESIGN STUDIO

Jamon Walker, Artist/Photographer/Designer

74 Union St

St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Phone: 802-748-2595 Fax: Same # call ahead

E-mail: mythic@mythicstudio.com

www.mythicstudio.com/

My passion is for multi-layered book covers and my services are limited to covers, photo retouching and design consultation. My rates are reasonable and I have excellent testimonials from my clients. I have a studio where I can make props and have a resource for models and vintage clothing.

I have many years of experience as an artist, working with acrylics, and majored in Cinematography in college. Two years ago I returned to college and took courses in computer Graphic Design and design theory. I will work closely with an interior book designer and the author to produce a book that brings to life the author's vision.

Graphic Artists Guild

90 John Street, Suite 403

New York, NY 10038-3202

Phone: 800-500-2672, fax: 212-791-0333

execdir@gag.org

www.gag.org.

The Graphic Arts Guild is a sister organization to the Writers Writers Union. Their web page points the visitor to the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook Pricing and Ethical Guidelines (9th edition), valuable for a general price list of the services offered by professional artists. The site also includes portfolios of members, great for the hunt for artists or designers.

Uncertain about what it will cost? Check out the REAL PRICES listing at the Brenner Information Group web site.

The Brenner Group specializes in collecting and publishing prices from all over the world on as many desktop service subjects as we can. This is a site to mark for return visits.

Denny Driver

3602 29th West

Seattle Washington 98199 USA

Phone: 206-352-1849

E-mail: dennydriver@earthlink.net

"I studied art in the US at Wenatchee Valley College and The Art Institute of Seattle, both in Washington state. I have done work for such publishers as Scholastic, MicNik Publications, and The Learning Workshop since 1991.

My work is somewhat whimsical, conceptual, and all together fun. Samples and information are available upon request."

LINDA ESCHER

Escher Illustrations

678 Lyndale Avenue South

Richfield, MN 55423

Phone: 612-866-8732

Linda Escher has been a long-time core member of the Minneapolis Children's Book Illustrator Guild.

JACQUE FOREMAN

E-mail: foremangraphics@ juno.com

www.abacus-es.com/foreman

Graphic Designer / Typesetter -- Making Your Business Easier since 1972 -- Pen & Ink Renderings of homes & Bldgs. & portraits from photos, Brochures, Ads, Flyers, Packaging, Business Forms, Manuscripts, etc.

TERRY MACIEJ, Owner

MACIEJ ART & FRAME

Nature/Wildlife Illustration

990 W. 41st Street

Hibbing, MN 55746

Minnesota Seasons, published by The Cabin Bookshelf, is a compilation of outdoors stories. The book's illustrations were done by Terry Maciej.

ANASTASIA MITCHELL

W10399 Tipperary Road

Pynette, WI 53955

Phone: 608-635-2672

Anastasia Mitchell, according to a PMA-List member, is "a published illustrator" and very good.

INKY WHELAN

120 S. 8th St

Wilmington, NC 28401

Phone: 910-762-2343

A publisher friend sent me Inky's name and a sampling of her pen and ink wash illustrations of medical drawings (they're not the only thing she does). (Medical illustration is a demanding field; the illustrations are beautifully done and informative.) He further reports she "delivers on time and at a good price."

JON WILSON

1221 Fifth Ave.

Eau Claire, WI 54703

Phone: 715-830-1031

E-mail: jonepuma@ecol.net

Jon Wilson was recommended by a PMA-List member as being very talented, though not widely published.

Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI)

8271 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA  90048

Phone: 323-782-1010

Fax: 323-782-1892

Email: scbwi@scbwi.org

www.scbwi.org/

(From their Web site: SCBWI is the only professional organization dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature. Whether you are a professional writer, a famous illustrator, a beginner with a good idea, or somewhere in-between, SCBWI is here to serve you.

Our Web site exists as a service to our members as well as offering information about the children's publishing industry and our organization to non-members."

SCBWI has regional associations. Check their site to find one near you.

Children's Book Illustrators' Guild of Minnesota

6630 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 2

Richfield, MN 55423 USA

Phone: 612-866-8732

www.childrens-illustrators.net

I'm always happy to help people find the resources available in Minnesota, and here is another such resource. This has been an active group for some years.

You can find others on Dan Poynter's Document 250 -- Suppliers List, available from his Fax-On-Demand: 805-968-8947.

The World Wide Web is a relatively new but increasingly important element in book marketing, particularly for small presses. Judy Coker of Workable Webs offers this advice (thanks, Judy, for permission to include this piece here.) Judy writes:

Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, is as simple as offering a product or service for sale on the Web and having a method for a customer to place an order.

It can also be as complex as an integration of business processes covering a gamut of business functions from ordering merchandise, to shipping the merchandise to customers, to getting the customer's bill paid. Every computerized business operation your company could use in its operations can be integrated with a Web site doing electronic commerce.

Let's talk about simple e-commerce and how a small business could utilize a Web site for direct sales to the end consumer.

The basic things you will need for your simple e-commerce Web business are:

• Your own recognizable domain name.
  
• A reliable Web presence provider with a fast connection to the Web to host your site.
  
• A secure server to host your order form or shopping cart and to let you share the host's verisign digital-id, unless you use a shopping cart host or a full service provider.
  
• If you plan to use an order form or your own shopping cart on a secure server and your host won't let you use its verisign digital-id or doesn't have one, you will have to get your own or find another secure server host.
  
• A merchant account, unless you use a full-featured shopping cart service.
  
• Shopping cart software or programming to make your order taking methods work, unless you use a full-featured shopping cart service.
  
• A method and policy for retrieving, processing and fulfilling orders and of contacting your customers to let them know the status of their order.
  
• A written policy about how you conduct business on the Web. This includes how responsive you are to customer emails or email inquiries about your products or service.
  
• A product or service to offer.x
  
• A message to encourage your customers to buy from you using your shopping cart or order form.
  
• Contact information.
  
• Policies and affiliations that ease the minds of consumers and help them feel comfortable doing business with you.
  
• A marketing plan that goes beyond getting listed in search engines. It should cover everything about how you are going to get the word out about your Web site. This document will grow with your business.

These are just the basics to help you get started. There's lots more a small business could do with e-commerce and the Web, but for small businesses with just a few products to sell, simple may be best.

JUDY COKER

Workable Webs

24 Sunbeam Court

St. Peters, MO 63376

636-278-2202 Fax: 636-278-2202 [fax]

judy@workablewebs.comjudy@workablewebs.com

www.workablewebs.com

Gerald Marino, Managing Director

the Marino Group

1160 Hunter Street

San Diego, CA 92103

Phone: 619-299-6827

Fax: 619-299-6844

E-mail: gem@marinogroup.com

gem@marinogroup.com

www.marinogroup.com

"The Marino Group provides complete packaging services for your book, presentation or information product. We provide a complete turnkey publishing program or just the specific service you need to complete your project. Our services include concept development, cover and interior design, editorial management, editing, prepress, print coordination, converstion to electronic media and all required and necessary project management. We can also help market your title, and when appropriate, sell it to special sales markets."

BookZone, the Net's Largest Publishing Community

P.O. Box 9642

Scottsdale AZ 85252-3642

Phone: 800-536-6162; 480-481-9737

Fax: 480-481-0103

bookzone@bookzone.com

www.bookzone.com/

The staff at BookZone is well-equipped for and experienced in designing Web sites for publishers (and others).

Comments or suggestions?
Write to catspawpress@aol.com; we'd love to hear from you. Thanks for dropping by, and come again--we'll be adding new "shelves" and "rooms " in the Tool Shed from time to time, and there's always new material to put in the Tool Shed!

You can also take a publishing class: Pat Bell is a faculty member of the Writers College, where she teaches an on-line class on publishing. Check out When is The Next Publishing Class? for her current schedule.

Don't have time to take a class? You can also arrange for consultations with her. Help is close at hand!