My title applies to life in general, but more specifically to designing book spines.

We all know the old saying, ‘Don't judge a book by its cover', but we literally do that with books (and probably with people too). Basically, unless you're a known figure, it's challenging to get your book into a bookstore as it is so you will probably not have the luxury of having a huge display with your books on it, facing outwards and languishing on silk with a fresh vase of flowers next to them. In fact, if you're lucky, you'll only have a few on a shelf with only a small piece of real estate, the spine, doing the job of selling.

If the potential book purchaser doesn't already know what book they're looking for—that being your book—if the spine isn't appealing, your chances of going home with the book buyer are about as likely as my current obsession Jo-Wilfried Tsonga asking me out for a coffee the next time he's in Melbourne (but, hey, Jo, if you're reading this blog, email me, *laugh*).

So, what can you do to make your spine sexier? Here are a couple tips:

1. First of all, please, please carefully consider the font. I'm a sucker for decorative fonts, you know the ones with the curves in all the right places, but people literally GLANCE at spines, so it has to be readable as well as enticing.
2. Think about using colour, or at least an interesting motif for part of the spine. Be really careful with your colour choice as they convey and trigger subconscious moods.
3. Most people don't have necks that tilt to the side so if the spine is wide enough to keep the writing horizontal, why not do it? My Australian Oxford Dictionary is a prime example of this principle in action.
4. Finally, and I've actually jumped ahead, as I'd start with this: Do your research. Go to a bookstore (or three) and have a look at where your book would appear. Look at spines ... really look at them. Which ones grab your eye? Which ones do your eyes slide over? Why? The insights you collect during this phase of the design process will give you some awesome insights into what works and what doesn't.

OK, I'll close for now and let you get back to it. If you have any questions, or want to share a tip, feel free to email me on renee@risingstardesigns.com.au.

Let's talk a bit about fonts since I'm working on another book design and ... also, I love talking about fonts!

If you ever decide to self-publish, you will have at least some say in the font of the book. It is what your reader will stare at for the entire time so remember that it has to be above all readable. Secondly, it should suit the tone and voice of your book.

If it's a serious topic, forget about those 'groovy' fonts we all tend to love. While serif (it has the little 'feet' on the bottom) fonts are usually deemed to be best for print, you can get away with sans serif if you're 'careful'. I know, caution is for wimps, but you do really need to exercise some willpower when choosing fonts.

Here are some other tips/guidelines:

• Do not set the vast majority of fonts in all caps. It's just ... ugly.
• Please, please do not set script fonts in all caps. Ever. Otherwise, I may have to hunt you down and torture you. That is all.
• Do not use every font you own on a project. Yes, we know you love fonts, but less is more!
• Do not underline fonts. It's so ... yesterday. Yes, I know I just did it, but do as I say, not as I do! Use italics or bold for emphasis. Apart from underlining looking repulsive, you also tend to cut off letters with descenders (like gs and ys).
• Think about what you're trying to say and pick a font that creates that 'mood'. Yep, heaven help us, fonts have moods too.
• If you cannot tell the difference between an m and an n or an l and a 1 in a font, seriously consider ditching it.
• I cannot believe I'm going to say this, but if you have to choose between a beautiful font and a readable font, go for the readable one.
• Do some research. Find a few tomes by some of the best publishing houses. Study them. They usually have the font used on the imprint page so if you get stuck, you can always do a bit of creative copying.
• Finally, have fun! You've taken the time to create a book. Now is your chance to make it shine visually as well.

Good luck! There's a wide world of fonts out there and, truly, one for everyone and every project. Oh and one final word of advice: avoid using Times New Roman, if at all possible. It's like being trapped in conversation with a boring person at a party: seemingly unavoidable, but also able to make you snooze at ten paces.