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 | Been doing a lot of reading lately and not all of it's good. Coincidently, a blog I was just reading talks about how women read more books than men -- something about women ruling the publishing industry or something. Haven't read the whole thing yet. But, back to my book reading adventures. The stories, the information is fine but, oh dear, what a mess some of these books are -- bad typos and poor design choices. Even though I'm interested in the topic, the publishers are making it real hard for me not to just give up and try a different book. Some of those authors, editors, designers, or publishers need to go back and learn or relearn the basics. | |
Use Subheads to Keep the Story and the Reader Moving Along
You'll find this list mentioned in Part 1 of my "What I'm Trying to Read" (see sidebar). Here's a reminder and tips about the usefulness of a properly written and formatted subhead. Headlines may be what grabs the reader but the subheads can keep them interested.
| Provide Readers With Visual Signposts From Start to Finish
Subheads are just one way to break up text and keep the reader involved in what you have to say. There are dozens more including photos, captions, pull-quotes, and well-designed jumplines.
| Make 'Em Stop Reading
Sometimes you want the reader to know when to stop reading. An end sign can be a nice subtle clue -- and it can also help reinforce your brand if you use a mini version of your logo or other appropriate symbol.
| Dissect a Book
I was doing some research at the library this week and was frustrated by the lack of an index in a few books I picked up. Not every book needs an index and not every book has all these parts -- but if you're doing a book layout it can help to know how all these book parts typically fit together.
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