It’s been quite a while since I last posted here, but I think that this interview with the delightful author LL Lewin (real name Linda Peters) will make up for that! Linda’s stories lean heavily on astrology and mysticism as a thread running through her Neptune’s Window series of YA…
I recently had an enquiry from an author who has written a fantasy novel, and was looking for fantasy cover illustration ideas. Epic fantasy is one of those genres where the audience has rather specific expectations of the kind of cover the book will have, so you either need to…
Let’s continue our exploration of the fascinating world of fonts by exploring the subject of ‘typographic colour’ (or “color” for my American friends!). That sounds very grand and just a bit complicated. What do we mean by ‘colour’ here? Well, it has nothing to do with making your text red,…
I promised to write some posts about graphic design, so let’s get started with one of the fundamental aspects that has a huge effect on the look and feel of your project: the choice of typefaces, also known as fonts. Technically speaking, the higher grouping is the typeface, which may…
The rapid-read version Doing it yourself may seem like the cheapest option, but unless you know what you’re doing, it’s a false economy. A good graphic designer provides excellent value for money. Building a healthy, long-term relationship with an experienced designer is invaluable and an investment in your future success.…
I’ve been thinking and talking about creativity quite a lot lately. First of all, I participated in a podcast which veered a long distance from its normal subject matter (wargaming with miniatures) because my co-host and prolific blogger, Neil Shuck, has decided to retire from his role as a regular columnist…
I’ve started a few businesses over the years. Back in 1991, I co-founded a graphic design partnership, H A Design, and then in 1998 started its digital arm, H@://Wired. Then in 2001, after splitting from my business partner at the end of 1999, I re-branded myself as Gladius Creative Communication,…
It’s been a momentous few days, folks! On Sunday, I hit the milestone age of 55 (so technically I could start taking my pension, if I had a pension worth taking!) and I decided to take stock of where I am in life, and where I want to be. As…
Last week was one of the most exciting I’ve had in years. On Monday 14th September, I flew out to Venice with Roz Morris, who was set to deliver her Self-Editing for Authors course on behalf of my sister Janys Hyde’s Creative Retreats in Italy enterprise (also publicised via her Words…
Bloomsbury Publishing organised the Writers & Artists conference “Self-Publishing in the Digital Age”, which took place at The Wellcome Trust on Euston Road, London on Saturday 29th November. I didn’t count the numbers present, but it felt like well over 100 people in the sixth floor venue had come to…