Colleen Sheehan - Designer
Middle West of the United States
I'm Colleen and I do only one thing: print design, typesetting, & ebook formatting. Why? I have an indisputable love affair…with type.
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Overview
Hi! My name is Colleen and I'm a book interior designer and typesetter!
And that's it. Because that's my specialty. Some have called me a wizard. A legend. A weirdo. But I'm here to say, I am none of those things. I'm simply a professional who has dedicated her entire work life to one thing: the pursuit of the perfectly typeset page.
What does this mean for you? It means I'm passionate about crafting creative, well-balanced pages with an eye for the traditionally typeset ideals established by hundreds of years of typesetting. I'm efficient. I'm thorough. I'm affordable and I'm fast. My regular turnaround time is 3-5 days for a full custom fiction interior with line-by-line typesetting.
I'm familiar with fonts and their history. I'm sensitive to the interior branding of a book with its cover and within a series, because I believe book covers may be the door to a great story, but the interior is coming home. The memory of past books come to life as they touch the page with a design that matches so comfortably with the books before it.
Let me design your book's home interior to give your readers the most comfortable and attractive reading experience possible. This is ampersand book interiors because you and your reader's experience should be an 'and,' not an 'or'.
And that's it. Because that's my specialty. Some have called me a wizard. A legend. A weirdo. But I'm here to say, I am none of those things. I'm simply a professional who has dedicated her entire work life to one thing: the pursuit of the perfectly typeset page.
What does this mean for you? It means I'm passionate about crafting creative, well-balanced pages with an eye for the traditionally typeset ideals established by hundreds of years of typesetting. I'm efficient. I'm thorough. I'm affordable and I'm fast. My regular turnaround time is 3-5 days for a full custom fiction interior with line-by-line typesetting.
I'm familiar with fonts and their history. I'm sensitive to the interior branding of a book with its cover and within a series, because I believe book covers may be the door to a great story, but the interior is coming home. The memory of past books come to life as they touch the page with a design that matches so comfortably with the books before it.
Let me design your book's home interior to give your readers the most comfortable and attractive reading experience possible. This is ampersand book interiors because you and your reader's experience should be an 'and,' not an 'or'.
Services
Languages
English
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Anthologies
Classics
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
LGBTQ (Fiction)
Science Fiction
Women's Fiction
Non-Fiction
History
Religion & Spirituality
Work experience
Book Interior Designer & Typesetter
Self-employed
September, 2014
–
Present
(over 6 years)
Thanks for the fast turnaround last week, Colleen. And at such a late hour during Christmas break. Awesome work.
If anyone wants to see what I'm talking about, look at the Look Inside of my latest, Rising Fury.
—Wayne Stinnett, Author
Just wanted to chime in that Colleen does a wonderful job, and I'll always ask her to format my novels. She's fast yet incredibly detail oriented, and with both of my books with the help of images gave them a very distinct, professional feel. If you want to make your interior stand out, and convert more of those readers who click on the Look Inside, she's a fantastic choice.
—Alec Hutson, Author
When you hire someone to design your book interior, design a cover or do anything else to make your book a reality, the very best thing you can hope for is that the designer will truly 'get you.'
Colleen not only 'got me' but was able to turn her understanding of my writing into beautiful and accurate visual representations. Colleen has done the logo for my publishing imprint, designed the interior, and helped me to stay as sane as possible during the process.
I spent twenty years in marketing before turning to writing full time and I feel pretty confident in saying that Colleen is worth ten times her rates and will soon be charging that. I'll be saving my pennies, because I wouldn't let anyone else touch my books.
—Dawn McKenna, Author
Another happy customer here - Colleen is great to work with. Cheerful, professional, happy to accommodate weird and detailed requests, and very willing to go the extra yard to make sure the final product is professional. If you're looking for top-notch interior design, look no further.
—Phil Tucker, Author
Colleen did a wonderful job on a paperback interior for a three novel, four-story collection that totaled almost a quarter million words and 200+ chapters. Despite this unwieldiness, she got the page count down from 1,100 pages (!) to under the Createspace limit (less than 828) without losing any readability. It reads great, and of course looks super-pro. She's also super friendly, responds to emails fast, and really goes above and beyond with small touches and little flourishes that bring the interior to life. Amazing formatting work, as usual, and highly recommended.
—DN Erickson, Author
I have to add my two cents on what a FANTASTIC JOB Colleen did with my emergency formatting! I had gotten back the formatting from another formatter, and was disappointed with the work that had a lot of issues and redos. I needed to see if a Plan B could do a better job. So, I sent a message to Colleen.
Not only could she do a better job, she could do it in a few hours, and for cheaper. She did the entire Createspace interior and ebook designs in a few hours. OMG! I had releasedates and preorder dates set. So, it had to be done that day. She was amazing to work with and was able to help me out. She now has become my Plan A.
—Marilyn Vix, Author
If anyone is interested in a peak at some great interior formatting, have a gander at my Ranger Rising book's Look Inside on Amazon. Colleen did all of that and then some. Flawless, elegant, and definitely something worth investing in. She customized the map I provided and even made me my own logo for my publishing arm (You know I'm a huge, one man publishing company, LOL). When I needed a quick update, she was responsive and quick. I'll leave it at that and let the book's interior do the talking.
—Salvador Mercer, Author
Colleen was exceptionally easy to work with and went above and beyond to ensure I was more than pleased with the finished product.
I'm a picky individual with a very detail oriented eye. It was a joy to work with a interior designer who shares my attention to detail.
Colleen was responsive and professional. Thanks to her skill and dedication, I have a beautiful book.
—A. Z. Anthony, Author
I found working with Colleen to be a delight, and she has a great sense of book design. Very happy with her designs, layout and typography. She is prompt and stays in contact. She's a no-worries designer!
— Giles Becker, Author
Colleen Sheehan is simply the best!
I needed an interior design for my second novel. I looked at the most professional offers out there and was always dissatisfied. They offer "samples" that didn't exactly please me, they would not meet the style of the book, the character. I wrote to Colleen. Not only did she reply right away, but she said she was going to do the job on the 24th.
And boy if she did, and how great it was. She even noticed what I had missed! The style was perfect. I gave her a few ideas, and she exceeded my expectations. Plus, it was such a joy working with her. Always in a great mood, even under pressure. She's so passionate about her job, understands and knows it tremendously. When you work with her, you don't have to worry about a thing. She's intellectually honest, an artist, a master at what she does. Truly, highly, very, strongly recommended! Thanks, Colleen Sheehan!
— Simona Grossi, Author
Portfolio (30 selected works)
An Army Empowered by Death. A Hero Empowered By Life.--One thousand years ago, an apocalypse cracked the foundations of the world. From the ruins came the Vadryn, and the promise of suffering beyond death. Korsten is an enthraller, a demon-hunting priest with a dubious blessing; to perceive and attract demons. When an army vanishes into the misty depths of the northern woods, immediately follo... read more
Coral branches rarely wear a wristwatch. That was Jesse McDermitt’s first thought when he found a partially denuded human arm, teeming with crab, lobster, and fish life, during his morning ocean swim.The discovery of a drifting mega-yacht the following day while fishing the Gulf Stream, causes quite a stir among the many alphabet agencies of the federal government, not to mention one shaggy ca... read more
Why would anyone in their right mind choose to walk 500 miles across a far-away country over mountain ranges, dark forests, and barren lands, through rains, searing sun, and a white-out blizzard with nothing but hemorrhaging tendons, severe blisters, and daily aches and pains to show for it? As Steve Watkins considered the question for himself and posed it to a fellow pilgrim on the trail one ... read more
An Exaltation of Larks (Venery)
Suanne Laqueur
GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the 2017 WRITER'S DIGEST BOOK AWARDS"I only wish other writers had Laqueur's kind of talent. This precise and vivid word choice..."--Panel Judge #65September 11, 1973: Eleven-year-old Alejandro Penda watches from his apartment window as Santiago, Chile falls to a military coup, destroying his family and his childhood. Arriving alone in America, he's taken in by the Larks:... read more
Inspired by the rising chaos in Sheng Fan, Xu Liang, mystic and officer of the Imperial Court, leaves his homeland for the barbarian outer lands in search of four magical blades to unite with two sacred weapons already in the possession of the Empire.His plan is to bring all of the blades together and return them to Sheng Fan's Empress as a symbol of unity that will bolster the people's faith ... read more
Raventide: Fifth Anniversary Edition
T a Miles
"Agatha Christie meets Lovecraftian Occult in this tale of mystery, horror, and murder." Some secrets are better left forgotten... Drayden Torvannes has made a career out of uncovering secrets of the past. When he receives a peculiar summons to one of the more elite houses in the city of Vindra, he is prepared to take on a new research assignment for a modest fee and more experience to his car... read more
When Jesse McDermitt retires from the Marine Corps at age 37, he has no idea what he will do for the rest of his life. He only knows he doesn't want to spend the coming winter anywhere cold. His greatest skill is killing people from up to a mile away and he knows there aren't many job opportunities in the civilian world for that.However, he also knows his way around boats and has an old friend... read more
Everyone has a story to tell. Whether it’s a memoir of an exciting life, or fictional characters in your head trying to get out. Perhaps you’ve thought it might be cool to write a book, but always believed it was beyond your reach and ability. It’s not. To be more precise, it doesn’t have to be. All you lack is the motivation to get started, the tenacity to stay with it, and the expertise to g... read more
Lycan Moon: An Urban Fairy Tale (Lycan Evolution) (Volume 1)
Rick Gualtieri, Ruby Cruz
Rowan Sinclair has trained for a life in the shadows. As a member of the Guild, she's vowed to mercilessly hunt werewolves or die trying. But when one approaches her, claiming to know her missing father's fate, she decides to do the unthinkable - work with one of the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy.Dean Mason is a man living with a curse, doing whatever he can to keep the beast inside fro... read more
Lost Lore: A Fantasy Anthology
Ben Galley, Dyrk Ashton, David Benem, T L Greylock, Alec Hutson, Steven Kelliher, Michael R. Miller, Benedict Patrick, Phil Tucker, Timandra Whitecastle, J. P. Ashman, Jeffrey Hall, Laura M. Hughes, Bryce O'Connor, Mike Shel
Kindle eBooks #1 Bestseller in three categories:-Anthologies & Short Stories-Mythology-Fairy TalesForward by Mark Lawrence, bestselling author of Prince of Thorns and Red Sister.Hidden pasts. Secrets untold. Legends half-remembered. Fifteen fantasy writers gather to bring fifteen tales to life, each one a unique glimpse into a wholly original world.On the Emerald Road, a dead Sage triggers a b... read more
Midnite's Daughter (Midnight Girl) (Volume 1)
Rick Gualtieri
A Child of Two Worlds - Belonging to Neither, Dangerous to Both. All Kisaki really wants is to belong *somewhere*, but there are few places half demons can safely call home. Raised in isolation within the celestial palace, she longs to escape and explore the strange planet below - Earth. So when an opportunity presents itself, she takes it, inadvertently stealing her mother’s greatest treasure... read more
The third book in the new epic fantasy series readers are comparing to David Gemmell and Raymond E. Feist.Lady Iskra and her followers have survived the onslaught of demons, forged powerful alliances, and are finally ready to wreck righteous vengeance on the Ascendant Empire. Yet even as they begin their endgame, a new danger arises that threatens to annihilate everything in its path, heretic ... read more
There Is Something About Edgefield: Shining a Light on the Black Community through History, Genealogy & Genetic DNA
Edna Gail Bush, Natonne Elaine Kemp
Through the stories of their ancestors Bush and Kemp take us on a compelling journey through African American history into the hearts of individual lives. In tracing their ancestral roots, these family historians discover their connections to some of the South’s most powerful men, both famous and forgotten. The community at the heart of this historical study is Edgefield, South Carolina, yet t... read more
The Warlock and the Wolf (The Naturalist Book 1)
Marianne Fox
Mina stands up for animals. But can she stand up to her parents’ murderer?"Uncannily believable" —Historical Novel SocietyBrave orphan Mina dreams of becoming a great scientist, even though she's just a beginner. But when her parents’ killer escapes from prison and threatens to kill again, she must make the terrifying leap from apprentice to master sooner than planned—if she wants to survive.B... read more
Earthborn: Book 1 Of The Earthborn
Adair Hart
Don’t discount those from EarthTwo years of freelancing in the galactic bounty system has taken its toll on Blake Brown, a four-hundred-plus-year-old vampire exiled from Earth. Along with his partner in crime, Seth Williams, Blake decides to call it quits. However, a new opportunity arises, one that comes from the highest authority of Fredoria, the home world of human refugees that were abduct... read more
Thoughts can take on physical form.Dr. Albert Snowden and his niece, Emily, never thought they would be able to travel through space and time. Or out of the timeline. Or out of the universe. Or even out of the plane that houses universes.Yet that is where they find themselves while exploring the origin of Evaran, the mysterious being who rescued them from an alien abduction six months ago. Hav... read more
Lake Morality (The Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series Book 8)
Dawn Lee McKenna
People get up to all kinds of mischief out at Lake Morality.When Kristen Morgan abandoned her baby girl in a locked car, Lt. Maggie Redmond was angry. Though the baby was uninjured, things could have been much worse.When the mother’s body is found two days later, in a lake far outside town on the road to the county prison, Maggie suddenly has more than child endangerment or a missing person on... read more
The Gender Game (Volume 1)
Bella Forrest
For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergentcomes a story like no other...A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender.Women rule the East. Men rule the West.Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus.Ever since the disappearance of her beloved younger brother, Violet's life has been consumed by an anger she struggles to control. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now... read more
Compound Interest, according to conventional wisdom, possesses seemingly magical powers to build wealth. For the vast majority of us, however, the magic becomes a shattering disappointment because we simply don’t understand how wealth building really works. Will Duffy clearly separates the fantasy from reality by laying out ten financial truths that enable us to build and protect our wealth. “... read more
A Mortal Song
Megan Crewe
Sora's life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie. Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a ... read more
Rock and Soul: Thomas McClary Founder of The Commodores
Thomas McClary, Ardre Orie
Riveting, rousing, and outright inspiring, Rock & Soul is an intimate portrait of the legendary Thomas McClary, founder of the world-renowned musical group The Commodores and creator of what many refer to as the signature sound. The Civil Rights Movement provided the ultimate backdrop that thrusted McClary into an early life of activism and historical triumphs as the first black student to int... read more
The Exquisite Corpse (The Demon Series Book 3)
David Wilson
Northampton County, like so many rural areas, is still strongly ruled by Bible-believing Christians. One of the benefits of rural life has always been that the corrupting influence of the big city, with its humanists and moral relativism, was far enough removed that it tends not to taint their society. Satan finds it easy to make inroads in metropolitan areas. There, he has the pseudo-intellig... read more
The Man I Love (The Fish Tales Book 1)
Suanne Laqueur
"Like it or not, she made you the man you are. And you never got over her. You just left."April 19, 1992: A man with a gun walks into a university theater, intent on stopping the show. Erik "Fish" Fiskare watches from the lighting booth as his life is instantly and irrevocably changed.Spanning fifteen years, The Man I Love explores how a single act of violence reverberates through a circle of ... read more
The Size of the World
Ivana Skye
There are seven Seas, and Theia will cross them all. There is the Darkness beyond the Seventh Sea, and Theia will reach it.But, in the Second Land, there is also Tellus. And soon Tellus is not only offering her skills as a guide to Theia, but following her out of her city … and kissing her.Now this journey belongs to both of them. And soon they may belong to each other.
The Butcher's Boy
Duncan Jefferson
Abused and orphaned at thirteen, red-haired Rosso flees his Venetian village with only the clothes on hisback and his brother’s bitter threats in his ears. He becomes one of the hundreds of shadowy figures roaming the medieval Italian countryside, threatened by warring kingdoms, deadly plagues, and often one another.But Rosso is not one to give in to suffering or fear, and his new, independent... read more
The Manticore's Soiree
Alec Hutson
Fourteen tales of speculative fiction from the author of The Crimson Queen. Beneath the demon-haunted ruins of Nes Vaneth a priest of the old ways confronts his darkest fears… A young hacker risks everything to rescue the mind of her friend from the clutches of a malicious AI… On a moon of Mars the guardian of humanity awakens to find the solar system in peril… And a dilettante invites a manti... read more
The Crimson Queen
Alec Hutson
2016 Ink & Insights Competition - Judges' Favorite Long ago the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar the paladins of... read more
It's 1929, and Ticky Maltravers is the toast of London high society, adored by everyone—or so it seems, until somebody poisons him over dinner. Now it turns out that numerous people with secrets to hide had every reason to wish him dead. But which of them murdered him? For Freddy Pilkington-Soames, newspaper reporter and man-about-town, the question hits a little too close to home, thanks to a... read more
The Kings (The Dragon Kings) (Volume 5)
Kimberly Loth
At the end of the war….Only one king will survive. Sid, Val, and Skye plunge right into the middle of the war anyway, risking everything to save the dragon races.But then the war takes a terrible twist. The White Witch turns her attention to human cities and slaughters hundreds of thousands. With the arctic and canyon dragons bearing down on the rest of the dragons and humans coming after them... read more
The Magic Mala (pronounced mah-lah) is the story of Robby Robertson, a down-on-his-luck writer who realizes that he doesn’t know as much about life as he once believed. His desperate financial circumstances lead him to open his mind to new ways of living. After finding some mala beads, Robby is taken on a magical journey that teaches him the secrets to personal manifestation and happiness. An ... read more
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