MISSION
Ughetta Ciaponi is the author of two books about the pilgrimage known as Camino de Santiago in Spain. In 2014, for her first book, she asked me for editing, layout, creating the cover and managing printing and publication. The only request for this project was to maintain a classic style but creating something unique for the reader.
CASE STUDY
Because the content of the book differ from other in hits genre, it is not a guide but an autobiography, my decision about the layout and the style for the cover wanted to be similar to a book novel but in pocket size.
MY WORK
Starting from the pocket size (17×10,5 cm) I created the layout in Indesign. On the top of every page, in block letters, there is the full name of the author on the left and the title of the book on the right, with the exception of the blank pages, the one with the title, the inscription, the credits and the number of the chapter. The font used is Trajan Pro, 9 points regular.
The number of the pages are in the corner to allow the reader looking for a specific page. The text is arranged in a way that allow the chapter to start on a new blank page and the number is in Roman, placed on a picture of a scallop shell, also used for the cover. The font choice for this book is Times
- 12 points for the text and the page number,
- 14 point, bold for the subtitles and chapter’s number,
- 14 points, italic for the author’s name in the first page
- 18 points, bold for the title in the first page
The cover choice is based on a study about all emblem and iconic images connected with this particular pilgrimage and research regarding books on the genre both on web libraries and shops. After locate the position this book will have on the shelf or on a webpage my decision was to make it iconic and visible between its competitor, usually printed with more colored covers, and in order to be recognizable in its contents, is placed a big scallops shell in the front, a well known symbol for all the pilgrims in the Camino of Santiago route. The very same image located under the number of every chapter. The only colored image is the one chose by the author for her biography in the back of the cover. Credit for the image Meyer, Franz Sales “Handbook of Ornament” 1904.
For the text in the spine is used Copperplate Gothic which resemble the Trajan Pro but is more visible when printed. The author’s biography is in Times New Roman, regular 12 pt while the text in the front is in Trajan Pro.
IMPACT
The author’s wanted to print the book in a limited amount of copies to gift family and close friends but due to its contents and size, it started moving around the community where Ughetta lives. Many people that already read the book found it very quickly on Amazon and it still sells to date. She made numerous reprint and she wrote another book whit her son about the second time she did the Camino, which has the same success. She is planning another story for another pilgrimage next year.
