I always wonder why people find book design difficult. The year after my book Dad Was a Carpenter won the Writers' Digest Self-Published Book Award, I was asked to judge the entrants. I was dismayed when the UPS guy delivered five large boxes to my home. There were too many; how would I give each title the attention it deserved?

Then I opened the boxes and laid the books out on my kitchen table and counters. Suddenly, I knew my job would not be nearly as difficult as I had feared. More than three-quarters of the books looked -- literally -- like they had been designed by space aliens who had never actually seen a book but had only heard about them: they were bound paper with writing on it or some such thing. Most looked like they were designed by a child. I am not exaggerating.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," is good advice for assessing people, but not for books. Because if an author or publisher cannot find the time to create an interesting cover for their book, heaven only knows how little time went into plot, character, and editing.

It shouldn't be that hard, because the local library is full of books, thousands of 'em! One need only go there and wander the aisles, picking out the titles that get one's attention. I did this once at a local Barnes & Noble, gathering together over a hundred books and laying them all out on the floor in a corner. Then I stood back and asked my self, "Why did these books get my attention?" And it became very clear to me: bold, bright colors appealed, as did large, readable type, fascinating illustrations, and clever subtitles. Above all, a cover that begged to be opened.

And when I did, I discovered something else as well: no book with a great cover is a slouch inside. Similar attention to detail was paid to margins, gutters, typeface and type size. Above all, wide margins and lots of white on the page make for an inviting read.

An award-winning book should have what a best-seller has: a great presentation. And since we're not asked to reinvent the wheel, we can look to what's being done to the tune of 200,000 times every year: a new book comes off the American press. But if the entrants to the self-published book awards were any indication, 150,000 of those books aren't worth the paper they're written on.

Publishing is like life: we get one chance to make a first impression. Every time after that is catch-up ball. There is no excuse for a poorly designed book. You took great care with your words; now take equal care with your layout and cover. It will make a difference.

-- Kenny Kemp