Has it really been 15 years since I last posted to the blog? I mean, almost to the day!

I stopped posting to this blog back then because I’d run out of new things to say about book design, making books, and freelancing. It just felt like I was stretching beyond any sense that I was blogging fo any reason except to try to attract eyeballs. I had not sense of being able to say something tha might be helpful to people starting off as book designers or freelancers.

But I found myself thinking today that there have certainly been enough changes over the past 15 years that I might be able to again say something I hadn’t already said, and something that might be of help to any readers I might again have.

So … AI, am I right? [laugh track kicks in]

Seriously, tho’ I’ve been looking around some to see if AI has made any impact. I must say I can’t say I’ve found clear evidence of AI–created book layouts. I’m not saying it hasn’t been done, just that I don’t have any clear examples to name. Frankly, coming up with looks for new books is the part of book design that’s most fun. Finding typefaces that fit with different subjects …  that’s more of the best fun of the work.

As for freelancing, finding work is still the busiest part of having a career as a freelance book designer. And, of course, so is getting clients to agree to my price. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that, as once someone decides they want me working on their book, my price is usually okayed. Maybe I just thought of this because for the first time in quite some time, someone declined to work with me because my price was higher than they could spend. This person made a point of telling me that they weren’t calling my price too high, just that it didn’t fit their budget. So there’s that.

I’d be curious whether anyone is going back to my long-ago blog pieces and finding any of them helpful as they start out as book designers and freelancers. Specifically, whether anyone starting out is doing so.

And who knows, maybe I’ll find some new things, or I’ll be asked questions by newcomers, that will inspire to post again.