First-time author Drew Cordell's book had a false start: he hired a family friend to typeset the complex interior of his 60,000 word non-fiction book with many charts, photos, tables and captions. When he saw the "final layout" he realized that he just couldn't print it as it was.
He showed it to some other typesetters to ask if they saw the problems he saw in the layout. I saw the issues he noted, and then some! He needed to start over again with a book design specialist. Soon we were off to the races. This time the book design made it to the finish line.
Some months ago I shared a detailed before-and-after article showing my changes to his book layout. Now, for the first time, I am sharing the details of his entire project: cover, interior and ebook design for print-on-demand printing with Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. This independently published book is indistinguishable from a big publisher's book on the bookstore shelf!
Bringing Honest Christianity to Life
Drew Cordell is a business consultant and public Christian advocate from Australia. He had a clear goal: to create a modern, approachable, and visually thoughtful book that presents the evidence for Christianity in both a rational and inviting way.
With a background in marketing and writing, Drew brought a professional polish to his manuscript, and I had the privilege of helping shape it into a print-ready format that delivers clarity and impact across every page.
Drew gave me a draft of his cover layout that he created in Canva. I delivered various cover design options, and ultimately, the cover looked like a polished version of his original concept.
While creating the cover, I also created various simple wordmarks for the publishing imprint he was creating. We used these for the book, but I also delivered them in a variety of colors and file formats for him to use in the future.
Below you can see the files that Drew gave to me, and the files I delivered to him at the end of the project. (Some first-time authors don't realize that they need a different cover file for each printer, since different printers print on different papers, which affects the spine size.)
The interior design process for Honest Christianity was one of precision and finesse. The book explores difficult theological and philosophical questions and uses detailed timelines and charts to support the arguments, so the layout needed to support logic and flow, without overwhelming the reader.
One of the challenges of formatting a book with many charts and tables is not only the formatting of the tables, but making them fit beautifully within the margins of the book.
In the first attempt at this book layout, the designer had put a complex timeline on it's side and had to make it super small to fit inside the margins, which made it illegible.
The timeline needed to be legible at final size, which meant it needed to cross two pages, but also needed to be divided in the middle with a gap left for the spine. Below you see how the final timeline looked in my file:
And here you see how it looks in the final printed piece. A regular timeline, with no gap in the middle, would be illegible in print. (Hardcover and softcover books may also be tighter or looser at the spine, so I make sure to leave a generous inside margin).
My ebook developer, Luca, always does an excellent job of adapting even the most complex books into ebook format. He removed the separation in the timeline as that would work better for the ebook:
Every two-page chart or table in the book got the same treatment, it was broken into two parts and designed to look balanced and clean but also legible and comprehensible.
Other charts just don't work in a horizontal format given the content (number of columns, length of text). If needed, I turned the chart on its side, which means the reader has to spin the book 90 degrees when reading, but can consume all the information at once in an easy-to-read format.
Careful thought is put into each of these design and layout decisions, similar to how Drew put careful thought into his book. There's no sense putting years of your life into a book that ultimately can't be read or understood because the visuals don't make sense or aren't readable! As Drew says below, designing a book is "a lot more complicated than simply printing words on paper!"
Drew's Book Done Timeline
💡 The idea was born: 2011
✍️ Writing started: 2018
📨 Files ready for design and layout: December 2023
✔️ Book released: March 12, 2024
Drew's Book Done Process
Here are my questions for Drew about self-publishing and reaching #bookdone.
What is Honest Christianity about?
Honest Christianity outlines the best evidence and arguments for why people can still reasonably believe the Christian message today. Written in a direct and efficient style, the book lays bare the foundation of Christian belief while answering the tough questions modern culture poses. Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusion, you’ll walk away with a more considered view of the world’s largest religion.
How did you land on the book’s title?
It came fairly quickly, but I tested it on a lot of people before finalizing it. Testing is crucial! A simple, clear title helps readers understand what the book is about right away.
Tell us about your cover design.
I gave Julie my draft cover concept and a clear brief: I wanted something modern, relaxed, clean, and inviting. She nailed it. And yes—people do judge a book by its cover!
What partners helped you bring the book to life?
Friends and contacts who read early drafts
Editor – Kristin Defevers
Designer and Typesetter – Julie Karen Hodgins
Proofreader – Christine Pennylegion
Drew's Book Done Takeaways
What was the biggest surprise during your book project?
The fine-tuning and effort that goes into typesetting, especially with graphics and diagrams.
Which part of your book project took longer than expected?
I’ve worked with a lot of written and marketing material before, so I was prepared for the timelines. But for those new to the process, the effort involved in writing and producing a book can be eye-opening!
What part was the most rewarding? The most challenging?
The whole process, from concept through to design, was incredibly rewarding. When you're putting your name on something, you want it to be just right. The most challenging parts was getting permissions for images and perfecting the graphics.
Will you do anything differently next time?
I’ll absolutely use the same team again—Julie will 100% be my book designer for the next one. Having the right people on your team makes a huge difference. Next time, I’ll also invest more in pre-marketing. Building a social media presence early really helps with podcast bookings and finding readers. I wish I had started that part sooner.
What’s your best advice for marketing a book?
Understand what your readers (and the people who might promote your book) are looking for. If you can grasp that, you’ll have a much better chance of reaching them.
Drew’s Testimonial
I was so pleased to be able to help Drew Cordell "finish the race" and bring his book Honest Christianity to life through thoughtful interior design, clean cover visuals, and an effective ebook. 🏃🏻♂️➡️ Thank you so much, Drew, for trusting me with this important project and allowing me to feature your book story in my newsletter! Grab a copy of Drew's book, Honest Christianity!
While a family friend may be able to throw a social media graphic together or design a one-page document for you, if you have a complex book in the works, it's important to entrust it to a professional book designer. If you've got something important and well thought out to say, let’s make sure it looks the part. I help thoughtful authors like Drew get their books to the finish line, combining your powerful ideas and my knack at presenting them in a clean and clear way. Ready to get started?
Send me any questions you have about book planning, design or formatting through my contact form. If you’re still in the planning stages, consider booking a one-hour live consultation. Or fill out this book project questionnaire or journal project questionnaire if you already know the specifics of your project. Most projects are booked 2-4 months in advance.