Blog – KZ Miller

Non-Fiction

kzmiller April 1, 2015November 25, 2019 Portfolio No Comments

Most of my professional design experience is in non-fiction. Books on martial arts, violence dynamics, history, memoirs…they’re some of my favorites. With non-fiction books, frequently the client has images of their own that they’d like to use. It’s extremely important that the people in these images, if they’re other than the author, have signed model releases. It’s also important that if someone other than the author took the image that they want for the cover, that they have permission from the photographer to use the image. You may not need to get the photographer’s permission if the image was taken with the author’s camera or phone for the author’s own use. Copyright law is not super-complicated, but there are nuances that a lot of people don’t understand, so you can expect that I’ll ask some questions and give you what information I have about image use. I’m not a lawyer, though! If I have the slightest doubt I will usually suggest that either you consult a copyright lawyer, that you purchase a stock image (or I may purchase a stock image on your behalf), or you use an image that is free and clear of any copyright issues.

Fiction Covers

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I specialize in contemporary, retro, and paranormal covers with occasional forays into fantasy and mystery. If my fiction covers are not quite what you’re looking for, I can refer you to some amazing cover artists. My priority is your complete satisfaction!

Interior Design

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The interior design isn’t usually the thing that sells a book, but once a reader takes a peek inside, a poor quality interior design can sink a potential sale. After all, if the interior design is poor, why would a reader believe that the content is well written, well edited and proofread? Countless times I’ve seen a high quality, beautiful interior design sell a book to a customer who was on the fence about buying a book. Whether you struggle with book interior templates or want something special or truly custom, I can help the interior of your book look its best.

Banners and Other Stuff

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Sometimes it’s easier to get a designer to help you set up your business card, stationary, or banner. If you’re basing your brand on your books, a book designer may be just what you need to create consistency and quality when it comes to your marketing and presentation materials.

A Story to be Told

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I recently created a banner for client Timber Philips. After some manipulating and adjusting, the Lady in Green was born. Timber put the order for the banner in right away, and took it to a book signing at a local bookstore. The banner got a lot of attention…but maybe too much? When a girl saw it, she asked Timber if she could read that book. Well, I guess Timber has a new project on her hands now. Sorry…but not sorry. I want to read about the Lady in Green too!

Chiron

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Sometimes the image that you want simply doesn’t exist. Yet.

Chiron Training’s brand involves Chiron, legendary trainer of heroes from Greek mythology. Most centaurs are depicted with a bow, but for this brand, it was important that Chiron the Centaur had either a book or a scroll, and a sword. It took some work to find the stock images of a horse and a roman soldier to create this version of Chiron. A lot of painting in Photoshop helped bring it all together. It was a great deal of fun! This logo now appears on business cards, websites, and I believe a challenge coin is coming out soon. How cool is that?

Nano Nano…

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Our beloved webmaster, like me, participates in Nanowrimo–the National (International actually) Novel Writing Month. I thought it would be fun to put together a cover for her work-in-progress for this year, just for kicks. She told me it was a mostly-funny book with some real life experiences with zebra finches. You see, Doris is part of a network of people in Germany who rescue and rehabilitate sparrows and other tiny birds, and so although she said it was going to be a funny book, I had a feeling that a lot of real-world passion and some poignancy was going to work itself in. I guess I must have gotten it right! She posted it on her profile page.

Although the focus is on writing during Nanowrimo, one of the pleasures of participating is putting up a temporary book cover. I look forward to it every year. Now if I can just get my book written, I’ll be set!

Big Projects

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Every so often a big project lands on my desk. It’s not always size that makes it a big project though.

A lot of authors are seizing control of the rights of their books after those books go out of print, or the original publishers go out of business. One such book was a landmark book of its time. When I was tasked to put together a new cover for a new edition, I really felt the pressure. Fortunately, the clients were very clear about what they wanted. I can’t wait until this new edition comes out! I think it’s going to be an amazing book, and I’m proud to play a part in its publication.