Category Archives: Design Services

Welcome to the Army — Now Available!

Congratulations to Dennis Schulze on the release of his book Welcome to the Army! Columbus Publishing Lab was excited to assist Dennis with the production of this military memoir about his time serving as a military attorney in Vietnam.

The Schulze family believed that Dennis had a story to tell, so they gifted him the Columbus Publishing Lab Complete Package. We edited, designed, and distributed Dennis’ book so that he could bring his story to a worldwide audience.

Our graphic designer made the author’s personal accomplishment into a beautiful book cover. Dennis submitted a picture of an award he received. Our graphic designer took that picture, cleaned it up, and turned it into a meaningful cover that Dennis can be proud to call his.

This book used extensive military jargon, which our editor expertly edited and conformed to style guidelines.

“My publisher has been so patient and professional in guiding a
novice author to the completion of his goal. I couldn’t have done it
without you!” — Dennis Schulze

Check out Welcome to the Army by Dennis Schulze!

Bode Gets a Job — Proving Press

April 9, 2019Author Spotlight, Copy Editing, Distribution Services, Editing Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Proving PressColumbus Publishing Lab

Dr. Bobby Moore returned to Proving Press to produce the sequel to his work The Book of Bode. In the new release, Bode Gets a Job, Bode tries out many different jobs, including work as a rescue dog, a show dog, and a guide dog.

Dr. Bobby Moore brought his own illustrations to the project. Columbus Publishing Lab took those illustrations and created a flawlessly formatted interior layout and cover.

With a keen eye for detail, the Columbus Publishing Lab team copyedited, proofed and created an e-book version of Bode Gets a Job. Once the final product was executed to perfection, we distributed the book as a paperback, hardback and e-book, so that children can get excited about reading, and of course, dogs.

Find Bode Gets a Job at these retailers or ask for the book at your local bookstore.

Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon — Proving Press

January 24, 2019Author Spotlight, Book Marketing Services, Copy Editing, Cover Design, Design Services, Developmental Editing, Distribution Services, Editing Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Proving Press, Self-Publishing Packages Portfolio, The SolutionColumbus Publishing Lab

Norman Walters brought a wealth of life experiences to Columbus Publishing Lab in Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon. Musician, songwriter, artist, and the owner of a tourist destination along the Amazon river in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, Norman Walters had adventures to share, and he trusted Columbus Publishing Lab to produce his memoir.

The Columbus Publishing Lab team edited the manuscript, designed the interior and the cover, proofread it, and distributed Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon to all major retailers in paperback and e-book editions. The end result? Norman’s escapades can now be read by a worldwide audience in an attractive, professionally published book.

“Interspersed with tales of his gloriously misspent youth, one of the hardest-working hippies of his generation recounts the genesis of his remarkable achievement–the creation of an eco-sensitive tourist lodge in Peru’s Amazon jungle.” — Amazon reviewer

Find Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon at these retailers or ask for the book at your local bookstore.

The Foreigner’s Tale – Proving Press

December 1, 2018Cover Design, Distribution Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Proving PressColumbus Publishing Lab

John Scott Brinkerhoff has worked with our company before—The Cloud Fisher, a book of poems, was released on January 23, 2018. So when John was ready to publish The Foreigner’s Tale, an epic fantasy novel, he already understood the importance of having his book produced by a team of professionals who cared about his finished product, all while retaining creative control over his work. We were more than happy to deliver.

The Columbus Publishing Lab team proofread the manuscript, laid out the interior of the book, and built a beautiful cover that reflected the content and tone of John’s novel. We then handled the distribution of The Foreigner’s Tale to major print retailers. The resulting product is an artistic, accurate realization of the author’s intent for the book.

The Foreigner’s Tale is now available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble in hardcover and paperback formats, as well as available to brick-and-mortar bookstores around the world. John Scott Brinkerhoff collects a quarterly check for his sales, without the hassle of running to the post office, storing and warehousing orders, or paying for them upfront.

Throughout the entire publishing process, John had a dedicated point of contact to answer his questions and provide him with updates. Calls were answered or returned, emails were read and promptly answered, and a close-knit team who actually cared about his book brought the project to fruition. This level of service is standard procedure at Columbus Publishing Lab.

If you’re interested in making your book project a reality, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We’re happy to sit down with you for a free consultation or answer your questions via email/phone.

The Design and Construction of the Nautilus – Boyle & Dalton

November 10, 2018Book Marketing Services, Boyle & Dalton, Copy Editing, Cover Design, Design Services, Developmental Editing, Proofreading, Services Portfolio, Standard Cover DesignColumbus Publishing Lab

The Nautilus Cover Ever since he was a boy, Demetri Capetanopoulos was enthralled with Jules Verne’s Nautilus, drawing his first set of schematics at the age of ten. Fast forward to the present day, and Demetri has years of experience as a nuclear submarine engineer and deep submersible pilot—and he still loves the Nautilus. The Design and Construction of the Nautilus seeks to answer the question, “Could the Nautilus have been real?”

We worked with Boyle & Dalton, the publisher of The Design and Construction of the Nautilus, to provide editing, design and marketing services, so the finished book would reflect the years of passion and research that Demetri Capetanopoulos put into exploring the science behind the Nautilus.

The first step in the publishing process was a developmental edit. After reading the entire manuscript, an experienced developmental editor provided Demetri with a detailed report containing recommendations to improve areas of concern. As a result, Demetri was able to act on the suggestions of our editor to vastly improve The Design and Construction of the Nautilus before the book was released to readers.

Next, a professional copy editor combed through the manuscript correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, as well as standardizing the manuscript to a style guide. Our editor worked closely with the author to ensure the technical terms used throughout the book were formatted accurately.

After the copy edit was complete, our interior designer set to work creating a custom aesthetic to be both elegant and readable. We also incorporated pictures, graphs, and schematics provided by Demetri to enrich the reader’s experience and illustrate the different systems of the Nautilus, seamlessly building them into the design of the book.

As soon as the interior design was complete our proofreader checked the entire manuscript a final time, searching through the text and the design for any last-minute errors.

Our cover designer worked with Demetri and his publisher to incorporate several schematic drawings, creating a dynamic cover design that commemorates the Nautilus while attracting passing readers to his work.

We distributed The Design and Construction of the Nautilus in paperback and hardcover formats to all major retailers as soon as Demetri was completely happy with his final files. The Design and Construction of the Nautilus is readily available to readers, and Demetri collects a quarterly check for his sales without the need to store, ship or purchase copies of his book up front.

Find The Design and Construction of the Nautilus on Amazon.com here.

Demetri spread the word to his friends and family about the release of The Design and Construction of the Nautilus but wanted to expand the reach of his story. Columbus Publishing Lab provided marketing services to Demetri following the release of his book to help get The Design and Construction of the Nautilus into the hands of more readers.

Throughout the entire publishing process, Demetri had a dedicated point of contact for questions and updates. Calls were answered or returned, emails were read and promptly answered, and a close-knit team who actually cared about his book brought the project to fruition.

Welcome to Doxieville – Children’s Book by Darrin Todd Martin

May 8, 2018Author Special Website, Book Marketing Services, Copy Editing, Design Services, Distribution Services, Editing Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Proving Press, Services Portfolio, Website DesignBrad Pauquette - Columbus Publishing Lab CEO

Todd and Trudi Martin came to us with a passion and an idea. They love their dachshunds at home, which they’ve bred for years, and they wrote a children’s book which celebrates the personality of each pup and brings them to the page.

As a first-time author, working with a first-time illustrator they’d met locally, they had a lot of questions—they were committed to publishing a great book. Our team was happy to answer questions, provide good advice, and coach them through the process to make sure that the results exceeded their expectations.

“The hardcover books just arrived, they are BEAUTIFUL! You guys did a great job!” – Trudi Martin, co-creator of Welcome to Doxieville.

The Columbus Publishing Lab team edited the manuscript, worked with the illustrations to lay out the interior of the book, proofread the book, and built a cover with the provided artwork. The resulting book is gorgeous, error-free, and an amazing representation of Todd and Trudi’s passion.

Welcome to Doxieville is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Sony/Kobo in hardcover, paperback and digital formats, as well as available to brick-and-mortar bookstores around the world.

We also built a custom WordPress website at www.DoxievilleBooks.com, and provided guidance and consultation as they set out to market their book.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing, it’s OK that you don’t know how to complete every part of the publishing process. That’s why we’re here. Our authors bring their passion to the table, and we fill in the gaps to ensure that their books are better than the books coming out of the big, traditional publishing houses.

Todd and Trudi could have taken this book to a traditional publishing house. But by working with Columbus Publishing Lab, they maintained creative control of their work, they produced a better book, and now they’re in a position to make more than 10x the royalties per book sold.

Do you have a passion that you’d like to see on the page? Let’s start a conversation. Contact us today.

The Deceived — Proving Press

October 5, 2017Author Special Website, Book Marketing Services, Cover Design, Design Services, Distribution Services, Interior Design, Premium Cover Design, Printed Marketing Materials, Proofreading, Proving Press, Self-Publishing Packages Portfolio, Services Portfolio, Social Media Assistance, The Catalyst, Website DesignEmily Hitchcock - Columbus Publishing Lab COO

The Deceived by E. C. Fisher is a work of dark, biblical fantasy. The book opens with the death of God, and then launches readers into an epic good-versus-evil story that pits the Archangel Michael against monsters, demons and Lucifer. Set in the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Rapture, Michael and his ragtag group of followers set off on a desperate journey to save the souls of all humanity.

The Deceived tells a story E. C. Fisher felt compelled to write. He wrote the book quickly, his manuscript taking shape around his own frustrations with the real-world troubles humanity grapples with today. After receiving favorable feedback from his peers, Fisher began the process of finding a publisher who would allow him to retain creative control over his debut novel, and his relationship with Columbus Publishing Lab began.

Fisher chose the Catalyst package–everything he needed for a professionally produced novel, with the extra support of a marketing foundation to help boost his work into the hands of readers. Learn more about publishing packages here.

We got right to work. Fisher worked with an outside copy editor prior to contracting Columbus Publishing Lab, and so our first step was to take his raw manuscript file and create a custom interior design for The Deceived. Our designer chose an aesthetic to reflect the dark tones of the book, while maintaining a simple, readable layout.

Writers spend a lot of time in the worlds they create for their characters. Fisher wanted The Deceived cover to represent his ideation of Lucifer, and he provided detailed notes describing what he was looking for–down to the facial structure and hairstyle of his antagonist. These instructions were then provided to one of our professional illustrators, who transformed Fisher’s words into a provocative, illustrative cover.

After the interior design was complete our proofreader combed through the manuscript again, searching for any last-minute errors, while also checking design elements like page numbers, headers and spacing. Our e-book designer then created a digital version of The Deceived that’s readable across all major e-book platforms.

While the book was in production, our web developer created an author website designed to be a tool to reach more readers, and a showcase for current and future work by E. C. Fisher. Built on a simple WordPress platform, Fisher’s website is easy to update, customize, and blog from at any time.

Check out E. C. Fisher’s author site here.

Given the thrilling story line and thought-provoking themes in the book, The Deceived was sure to garner some attention. But with so much self-promotion work needed to make even the most exciting new release stand out, Fisher enlisted the help of Columbus Publishing Lab to boost his marketing efforts in the critical time following his book’s release. We created printed marketing materials he could hand out at readings and conferences, helped with content creation, social media management, and acted as his publicist to help solicit reviews.

Learn more about our marketing services here.

The Deceived is distributed through our Proving Press imprint to all major retailers. E. C. Fisher collects a quarterly check for his sales, without the hassle of running to the post office, storing and warehousing orders, or paying for them upfront. This leaves him time to market his debut novel, and work on his second one.

Find The Deceived on Amazon.com here.

Throughout the entire publishing process Fisher had a dedicated point of contact to answer his questions and provide him with updates. He never had to wonder if his emails were being read, or if his project would be completed on time. This level of service is standard procedure at Columbus Publishing Lab.

Do you have a book that you felt compelled to write? We want to hear about it. Click here to contact us and learn more about the personal publishing experience we create for our authors.

Maman — Boyle & Dalton

September 15, 2017Book Marketing Services, Boyle & Dalton, Copy Editing, Cover Design, Design Services, Developmental Editing, Distribution Services, Editing Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Self-Publishing Packages Portfolio, Services Portfolio, Standard Cover DesignEmily Hitchcock - Columbus Publishing Lab COO

Maman weaves the life story of a Jewish-Iranian woman whose identity is fiercely bound to her family, her country and her faith. Married at a very young age, Maman raised seven children in the midst of poverty and the chaos of political upheaval in Iran. Moris Niknam, one of those seven children, tells his mother’s story with a nostalgic love through memories both sweet and heart-wrenching.

We worked with Boyle & Dalton, the publisher of Maman, to provide editing, design and marketing services, so the finished book would reflect the heartfelt effort Moris Niknam put into chronicling his mother’s extraordinary life.

The first step in the publishing process was a developmental edit. After reading the entire manuscript, an experienced developmental editor provided Moris with a detailed report containing recommendations to improve areas of concern. As a result, Moris was able to act on the suggestions of our editor to vastly improve Maman before the book was released to readers.

Next, a professional copy editor combed through the manuscript correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes, as well as standardizing the manuscript to a style guide. Our editor worked closely with the author to ensure the Persian language used throughout the book was formatted accurately.

After the copy edit was complete, our interior designer set to work creating a custom aesthetic to be both elegant and readable. We also incorporated pictures provided by Moris to better illustrate his upbringing in Iran, seamlessly building them into the design.

As soon as the interior design was complete our proofreader checked the entire manuscript a final time, searching through the text and the design for any last-minute errors.

Our cover designer worked with Moris and his publisher to incorporate several family photographs, creating a dynamic cover design that commemorates Maman while attracting passing readers to her story.

We distributed Maman in paperback and e-book formats to all major retailers as soon as Moris was completely happy with his final files. Maman is readily available to readers, and Moris collects a quarterly check for his sales without the need to store, ship or purchase copies of his book up front.

Find Maman on Amazon.com here.

Moris spread the word to his friends and family about the release of Maman, but wanted to expand the reach of his story. Columbus Publishing Lab provided marketing services to Moris following the release of his book to help get Maman into the hands of more readers.

Throughout the entire publishing process Moris had a dedicated point of contact for questions and updates. Calls were answered or returned, emails were read and promptly answered, and a close-knit team who actually cared about his book brought the project to fruition.

If you’re interested in making your book project a reality, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We’re happy to sit down with you for a free consultation, or answer your questions via email/phone.

Call Me Bud — Custom Publishing Package

June 26, 2017Cover Design, Design Services, Interior Design, Self-Publishing Packages Portfolio, Services Portfolio, Standard Cover DesignEmily Hitchcock - Columbus Publishing Lab COO

Often when we publish books it’s because authors are trying to reach larger audiences–sharing their story with the world. But sometimes the smaller the audience the more profound the impact.

Such was the case with Call Me Bud, the memoir of 95-year-old WWII veteran Bud Embree.

Sharon Embree, Bud’s daughter-in-law, contacted us about publishing the memoir she had compiled from Bud’s writings over the years, along with photographs and documents from Bud’s time as an artillery pilot in WWII.

The completed book was to be presented to Bud as a surprise at his upcoming birthday party. With this deadline on our radar, we got to work.

Our interior designer took the materials provided by Sharon and created a custom aesthetic, separating the memoir into chapters by dates in Bud’s life. We kept the design simple and readable, while incorporating design elements that reflected Bud’s service in the air force.

After the text had been professionally laid out, we created a gallery of photos and documents at the end of the book, sharpening the images as needed to make them stand out in print.

Our cover designer took several of the photos taken during the time of Bud’s service (including a dashing photo of Bud in uniform), combining them into a custom cover design.

After Sharon was completely happy with the final files, we uploaded the book to the printer and shipped the book copies off in time for Bud’s birthday surprise, ready to be handed down to grandchildren and to generations still to come.

“I wrote this down so that my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would learn about the Great Depression and World War II, and so they could come to understand my life a little better.”

–Bud Embree, Call Me Bud

From books designed to reach the masses, to those special projects that mean the most to just a few, Columbus Publishing Lab handles each project with care, attention to detail and personalized service that shows in the final product. If you have a book project on the shelf, large or small, we invite you to contact us.

Hockey Daze — Proving Press

May 13, 2017Copy Editing, Distribution Services, Editing Services, Interior Design, Proofreading, Proving Press, Self-Publishing Packages Portfolio, The SolutionEmily Hitchcock - Columbus Publishing Lab COO

Rolf Remlinger is a funny guy who loves hockey. For the past 25+ years he’s been illustrating the humor he finds on the ice, delighting sports fans with hockey comics in the style of Gary Larson. His work has been featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Hockey Ink, Hockey Stop and Michigan Hockey.

When Rolf came to Columbus Publishing Lab he had a stack of paper comics succumbing to the ravages of time. To accompany these he also had a host of extras: press passes, article clips and insider hockey knowledge. Rather than let his work be lost to fading ink and yellowing paper, we were ready to preserve his collection forever by publishing Hockey Daze.

After an initial consultation, Rolf decided the Solution Package best fit his needs. Our first step was to copy edit the text that accompanied Rolf’s comics, correcting errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation, as well as standardizing it to a style guide.

Learn more about our self-publishing packages here.

After the text had been professionally edited, the bulk of our work went into arranging the materials Rolf had provided in a fun, readable way. Our interior book designer matched each comic with a caption containing behind-the-scenes information about its creation, and added fun details like extra pen-and-ink illustrations, copies of press passes and articles Rolf had accumulated over the years.

After the interior files had been created, a proofreader combed through the book files, catching any last errors in the text or layout. We also created an e-book version of the book, designed specifically to be readable across all major e-book platforms.

Rolf provided his own cover design, and our team added the final elements like the barcode and book description, while ensuring the cover was formatted correctly for print.

As soon as Rolf was completely happy with the final files, we distributed Hockey Daze in paperback and e-book formats to all major retailers. Rolf collects a check, and we handle all the hard work. The convenience of our distribution services gets Hockey Daze in the hands of hockey fans without the need for Rolf to miss a single game.

Find Hockey Daze for sale here.

Our distribution services also include setup with our printer. Rolf can purchase books in any quantity from us at a significant discount off the list price, which allows him to offer special signed copies to friends and family, and through his existing website.

Throughout the entire publishing process, Rolf had a dedicated point of contact for questions and updates. He never had to wonder if his emails were being read, and a friendly Ohioan was available to take his calls every time.

We produce great books of all kinds. Will yours be next?