The making of the fourth edition of Diary of a Maniac Designer by Yana Frank

Critically looking at the compact composing of the third edition and deciding to go back to the Tschichold-inspired spacious composing of the second edition. Increasing leading, introducing errata, typesetting everything with Artemius, scattering the tiniest author’s drawings and doodles here and there on the margins.

At first we don’t want to change the dust jacket much—maybe use different tree branches, add a tiny avatar to the spine, an age restriction sign and the edition number—all the small things.

We don’t want to use a new endpaper either, we’d rather use the one from the first and second editions.

But the art-director convinces the author to draw a new picture for the title, as well as a new endpaper. Quick and easy, no fuss—New Year is almost here!

The endpaper came out really cool! But the title picture looks unstable, we’d rather have it redrawn. Talking to the art director, slapping together a sketch in Photoshop and sending it to the author to support our request.

Author: No can do, too much on my plate with all this New Year craziness. You’ll have to make do without me. I have no objections to your proposals.

Finalizing the title picture on our own and adding color pencils to the sides of the edition number. The dust jacket is ready.

Chief typesetter: Well, we’ll have to update the branches on the binding as well then.

Finding a suitable nondescript sapling among the author’s illustrations and growing it into a full-fledged branchy decoration.

To the press!