Euan Monaghan - Designer
Specialising in fiction, memoir and poetry, I work directly with authors as well as for publishers like Melville House, Hodder and Zuleika.
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Overview
I am a British book designer based in the Netherlands. Since 2011, I have worked with a diverse group of publishers—including Melville House, Hodder, Zuleika, Hallmark Publishing, and the literacy charity First Story—as well as many talented independent authors.
I design both covers and the internals of books.
The covers I design are driven by clear typography and strong imagery. In the modern publishing world, every book needs to work equally well as a thumbnail on Amazon as on the shelves of your favourite indie bookstore. Research is one of my favourite parts of the whole process, so if your cover needs to fit the look of a particular genre, you can be sure it will do so, while at the same time standing out in all the right ways.
When designing inside pages, my focus is on clarity and readability. These qualities turn on the smallest of details, from the font used for page numbers to the letter spacing of small caps. Many of these details are received subconsciously by your readers—the book will simply feel good to read.
Each book I design employs styles throughout. This, together with a clear, efficient workflow, means all books designed for print can be smoothly converted into beautiful, flexible ebooks.
I am a member of the Independent Publishers Guild and AIGA, the professional association for design. In addition to my day-to-day book design work, I run Structo, a Stack Award-nominated literary magazine and its book-publishing arm, Structo Press.
I design both covers and the internals of books.
The covers I design are driven by clear typography and strong imagery. In the modern publishing world, every book needs to work equally well as a thumbnail on Amazon as on the shelves of your favourite indie bookstore. Research is one of my favourite parts of the whole process, so if your cover needs to fit the look of a particular genre, you can be sure it will do so, while at the same time standing out in all the right ways.
When designing inside pages, my focus is on clarity and readability. These qualities turn on the smallest of details, from the font used for page numbers to the letter spacing of small caps. Many of these details are received subconsciously by your readers—the book will simply feel good to read.
Each book I design employs styles throughout. This, together with a clear, efficient workflow, means all books designed for print can be smoothly converted into beautiful, flexible ebooks.
I am a member of the Independent Publishers Guild and AIGA, the professional association for design. In addition to my day-to-day book design work, I run Structo, a Stack Award-nominated literary magazine and its book-publishing arm, Structo Press.
Services
Languages
English
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Nature
Fiction
Fantasy
LGBTQ Fiction
Literary Fiction
Poetry
Science Fiction
Short Story
Certifications
- Member of AIGA
- Member of the Independent Publishers Guild
Work experience
Freelance book designer and typesetter
Self-employed
May, 2011
–
Present
(over 10 years)
Designing and typesetting books for various freelance publishing clients including—Melville House, Hallmark Publishing, Hodder, and Zuleika—as well as for First Story, a literacy charity serving low-income communities in the UK.
Art director
Structo Press
July, 2008
–
Present
(about 13 years)
Overall responsibility for the design and art direction of this three-time Stack Award-nominated literary magazine and small press.
Portfolio (13 selected works)
For a writer so reserved in what he saw into print, Juan Rulfo has had a disproportional influence on writers of literature, in Spanish and beyond, on a par with Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel Garca Mrquez. His single story collection, El Llano in flames, provides a pithy and moving expression of life in central and western Mexico in the decades following the Revolution. These stories have the ... read more
Habeas Data: Privacy vs. the Rise of Surveillance Tech
Cyrus Farivar
From Ars Technica senior business editor Cyrus Farivar, a critical and historic look at how 50 years of American privacy law is inadequate for the near-future of surveillanceShow me the data! Until the 21st century, just about all of our activities were private by default, public through effort; today anything that touches digital space has the potential (and likelihood) to remain somewhere on... read more
Coming out of the Black Country
Stanley Underhill
Towards the end of Stanley Underhill s autobiography, Coming Out of the Black Country, he quotes the advice that Polonius offers to his son, Laertes, in Shakespeare s Hamlet: 'above all, to thine own self be true. He could hardly have anticipated that this advice would precipitate in himself a lifetime of self-examination and searching and serve as a crucial leitmotif that would recur througho... read more
We Once Belonged to the Sea
Diriye Osman
Two women - a reclusive queer Somali artist and a gifted Iranian-Somali teenage punk. Both have survived extraordinary circumstances, and find unexpected solace, inspiration and friendship when their lives intersect. In a novel anchored by memory and loss, art-making and ambition, both women will have to learn how to make peace with their ghosts.Told with poeticism, moral acuity and a sense of... read more
There was Music
Grubb, J.D.
Unspoken
Amoah, Abena
On the Brink
Fox, Charles
Invisible
Fraser, Andrew
The Disciple
Mallon, Michael
The Leper in the Church: Stories From the Unseen
Craft, Lathan W
Follies: An Architectural Journey
Rory Fraser
Historic Affairs: The Muses of Sir Arthur Bryant
W. Sydney Robinson
Euan has 100 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Euan is a great person to work with. He's professional yet still willingly answers tedious questions, including questions that lack general interior/exterior design knowledge (or what some refer to as "stupid questions.") As a first-time author, and likely a one-time author, I really appreciated his patience. Euan also graciously made corrections to my book after we started working together. Ag...
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Hannah Jacobs, September 2021
Euan is a very professional guy and produces top quality book designs. He brought my book to life with a clear, cleverly thought out and eye catching style. He explains all the aspects of publishing a book in terms of what Amazon require in the file to be sent over to them. He explains it all and gives you a comfortable feeling that you are in safe hands. An absolute pleasure to work with and w...
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Gurbinder Singh, September 2021
Euan has worked on several aspects of my book project, including print interior design/typesetting and ebook production. He has been beyond brilliant to work with at every stage: Highly skilled and knowledgeable and able to adapt to my changing specs patiently and frequently ahead of deadline. Highly, highly recommend his work and will definitely work with him again on future projects.
Paul Carr, August 2021
It was a pleasure to work with Euan, who was punctual, responded well to my ideas and suggestions and was very flexible over dates and times when my project got delayed. I would highly recommend Euan for both the internal design and the book cover. Thanks so much.
Amelia Smith, August 2021
Euan has been absolutely terrific and I would not hesitate to recommend him. He is smart, collaborative, prompt, gives well considered advice and communicates constantly. The resulting interior layout for "Some Items May Have Shifted in Flight" is extremely polished and exceeds all my expectations. I will be using Euan again!
Richard Weston Smith, August 2021
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