Okay, this heads back some in the direction of the notion that a book designer is there to bring the author’s work to the reader without getting in the way. That can still be a partnership, I suppose, with the author; but it’s different from the way I was hearing the word “partner” in what you said earlier about David Carson. I’d still be interested, however, in material that might shed some light on whether Carson really meant that a book designer can be successful while also doing work that draws attention to him- or herself. I guess my gut tells me that that does a disservice to the author, drawing attention from the substance of the book to the form. But part of me, I won’t lie, finds appeal in the idea of creating a book that garners attention by the design. My bad, I suppose.

http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/?dcdc=top/t
Stephen, here’s a link that shows some of David Carson’s work. He is what I call a star, so he can really push the limits. He’s a graphic designer & type designer extraordinaire. He was the designer of RayGun mag for several years, where his style was very apparent. I would imagine anyone who is publishing a book and hires David Carson wants his distinctive style to be prominent. Working with him is indeed a partnership, and a collaboration. I encourage you to see where a Google search takes you — he continues to do a lot of interesting stuff.

Gott in Himmel! Carson’s stuff blows me away. I wish I were 30 years younger and I knew not to waste my time trying to write the three novels I tried to write. This man really pushes limits that I hope I get to see before I pack it in someday.

Earlier tonight I blogged about my concern that I sense a trend with self-publishers more interested in selling books than making good ones. And I just got done reading Morris Rosenthals’s blog, Self Publishing. He wrote about a—granted, imaginary—conversation with an aspiring self-publisher more interested in selling a book than writing a good book to publish.

A book designer such as David Carson gives me hope. I don’t see him designing a book to put some author’s junk into.

Tell me I’m not being naive. Please.