Good afternoon, everyone!
This week, we have a very special topic to discuss, both on our blog and partnering podcast.
Everyone on the Jan-Carol Publishing team recently answered some frequently asked questions, which can be found on our website and at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/185GtUG4NihfAECAME1kvVb2C3tzr3SxF/edit
Janie Jessee, Tara Sizemore, Draco Bailey, and Allison Chudina all answered questions related to their specific job duties at JCP.
This Friday on the podcast, Janie, Draco, and Allison will discuss some of their FAQs in detail, so be sure to listen to that this week. Below, you can find Tara's list of FAQs. Tara is our graphic designer, and she is so talented at what she does! I am excited to share her list of FAQs with you all.
See below for her answers.
Tara Sizemore, Senior Graphic Designer
Cover & Illustrations
Does JCP have an illustrator?
No, but we have different illustrators that we can recommend, or you could hire an illustrator or artist independently.
Can I provide my own cover?
There are several different options regarding the cover. You can hire a cover designer independently or even design the cover yourself. You could also submit an original photograph or drawing/painting for the cover, and we would design the layout using your original art and add typography of the book title and author name. However, most authors will have an idea of an image that they would like for the cover. Several different ideas are helpful for our designer. We have an extensive photo stock/illustration library where we have the rights to use a professional image.
Will JCP design my cover for me? Can I make requests?
Yes, we usually design two covers for authors to choose from. Usually, we will have different cover images and font selections to give an author a choice.
Will I receive multiple cover options? If I don't like it, can I make changes?
Yes, absolutely. We will send the author a digital cover proof and will ask if they have any changes or suggestions regarding fonts, colors, etc.
JCP requires illustrations and author photos to be at least 300 DPI. What does that mean? How can I make sure my cover is high enough resolution?
DPI stands for dots-per-inch, which literally refers to the number of dots that a printer is printing for every inch of an image. At 300 DPI, an image will appear sharp and crisp and will be considered high resolution. 300 DPI is standard across the board for print; anything less will begin to get visual distortion. You will lose clarity and color, and it will look too pixelated, blurry, and low quality.
Most images downloaded off of the internet will be lower resolution since the web doesn't need to display in high resolution, like print. Thankfully, today's smartphone cameras are a good alternative for taking high-quality images, if a professional photographer is not used. If illustrations are not digital, they would need to be scanned at least 300 DPI. Photographs and artwork can be emailed to us or sent via Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
Text
Should I format my manuscript before I send it in?
If you are a children's author, you are more than welcome to send a mock-up book on how you would like it to look and flow, but that is not necessary. Some illustrations in books will have text directly on the illustration, and in some books it is necessary to have in your manuscript, “Insert illustration 1 here,” or, “Insert photograph of XYZ here.”
Can I choose the fonts I like for the title or interior?
Yes, we welcome authors to send in specific font choices that they like or examples of front covers that they like the look of. Font websites such as Adobe Fonts and Font Squirrel are two good options to look for specific font suggestions.
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Again, to see the full list of our team's FAQs, you can go to the following link.And don't forget to tune in to this Friday's podcast to hear Janie, Draco, and Allison discuss some of their questions in detail. It's a fun episode you won't want to miss!
Have a fantastic rest of your week, and don't forget to pick up a book!
Allison Chudina
Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
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