Design and content

It’s probably the sign of being open-minded or magpie-minded that I’ll consider all sources for inspiration for my books. I don't see why an idea used, for example, in a cookery book, might not transfer to fiction. Overall though, I want them to look beautiful and stand up to reading and re-reading. I do hope that these are books that will be read more than once. Some readers will want to keep their copy pristine in a suitable library plastic cover, but others will read it one-handed standing on the tube, so the book needs to be tough enough to strap-hang on the commute. Or get rained on while being carried in a bag. There’s no real point in transporting a book in a padded envelope after it has been delivered after all.

I’m finding that I’m reading for sources and ideas for design and layout just as much as I’m reading for pleasure. You find yourself looking up fonts used in various novels or posters and sometimes there’s a short entry about it all at the back of the book. Usually not, so you hunt down a good typography blogger and envy their eye and steady hand at calligraphy for guidance or a history lesson. Then you look more critically at the layout – yes, my books might be ordinary fiction, but it’s so important for them to be a pleasure to read. That, to me, means wide margins and space between the lines of text running neatly down the page. I prefer not to be forced to crack the spine just to turn the page or squint at the text which is small, packed together or hyphenated chaotically. Actually, I prefer not to see hypens at all unless the spacing will be unequal if you don’t have them, though there does need to be a balance between squashing words into a line and having lines with four or five words extended along them. I have mixed feelings about headers, especially in fiction. Does anyone really forget what novel they’re reading and need to turn the book round and check the cover? It’s essential in academic publishing, especially when you’re reading for an essay or similar and need to note the reference for the bibliography, but not quite so much when reading for pleasure. I’ve started adding simple chapter headings to the books if the chapter has a title. If it’s a simple matter of ‘Chapter Three’ following ‘Chapter Two’, then surely the reader can cope?

Wall to wall sport

I'm trying to steel my nerves to watch Murray and Federer battle for the Olympic gold medal in the tennis and so pleased to see that Murray has taken an early lead. I'm also trying to contain my anger that there are still seats free at both the gymnastics and the tennis that I haven't been able to purchase for the last year. I've barely read a book all week, though I've been error-checking Title Four as well as watching the Olympic cycling, sailing, showjumping, tennis and gymnastics. Much of my time is spent turning away to the computer screen to make a change and then being distracted by cheering on the television. It appears that I don't even have a suitable sporting vintage novel in my collection to reread: I was never a fan of pony books - lots of competitions, medals and rosettes there, but I only seem to have Noel Streatfeild's Tennis Shoes. I even skim over the netball, cricket and hockey matches in most girls' own fiction, so have a collection that reflects my own interests in music, cooking, crafting and the like. That said, I also skimmed the interminable descriptions of Chalet School Sales!