Morgan Krehbiel - Designer
Experienced book designer with seven years of in-house art direction and production management experience.
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Overview
I'm a book designer with seven years of in-house experience at an independent publisher, where I designed all kinds of books from cover to cover, with a specialty in narrative nonfiction, cookbooks, coffee-table books, and textbooks. Because I have managed the entire production process, from manuscript delivery through printing and warehousing, I take a holistic approach to my work and can help you create an entirely cohesive book.
I prefer to work collaboratively, and draw from my broad experience to meet my clients wherever they are in the process. My design philosophy is to work from the perspective of the reader, balancing creativity and aesthetics with function and accessibility. Whether you are just starting out and are looking for a guide and partner to help you throughout the publishing process, or just need someone to add a bit of polish and take your project across the finish line, I am here to help connect the dots and bring the best version of your book to life.
I've worked with a broad range of clients, from independent authors to traditional publishers to associations and other organizations, all with varying degrees of publishing experience:
I prefer to work collaboratively, and draw from my broad experience to meet my clients wherever they are in the process. My design philosophy is to work from the perspective of the reader, balancing creativity and aesthetics with function and accessibility. Whether you are just starting out and are looking for a guide and partner to help you throughout the publishing process, or just need someone to add a bit of polish and take your project across the finish line, I am here to help connect the dots and bring the best version of your book to life.
I've worked with a broad range of clients, from independent authors to traditional publishers to associations and other organizations, all with varying degrees of publishing experience:
"Morgan was recommended to me by a colleague, and we were immediately dazzled by her attention to detail. We have worked with Morgan for a few years now, and we often return to her specifically because she delivers such impressive results. Each time, she has delivered high-quality designs, and she uses a level of professionalism that continues to endear her to us and make her one of the first people we think of when a new project comes up." —Erin Fagan Faley, Manager of Production and Digital Content Development, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
"I have worked with Morgan as both a professional editor and as an author. She is, of course, a font of artistic talent, but she is also a creative problem-solver and a thoughtful collaborator. In the office, I've watched her stretch an indie-publishing budget into something visually effective time and time again. Her ability to efficiently manage unexpected obstacles and evolving strategies is unmatched." —Jessica Easto, author of Craft Coffee: A Manual
Services
Languages
English
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Education & Reference
True Crime
Work experience
Founder
Self-employed
May, 2019
–
Present
(over 2 years)
Art Director and Associate Publisher
Agate Publishing
September, 2018
–
May, 2019
(8 months)
Planning and acquisitions: work closely with publisher and senior editor to evaluate and develop projects, with a particular focus on establishing and maintaining budgets, schedules, and design and production strategies for an annual list of 12-15 titles. Oversee scheduling of all titles and maintain master calendar for all projects in development. With senior editor, craft core messages and marketing strategies for all frontlist titles and set marketing and publicity goals. Assist publisher in special initiatives to analyze, strengthen, and grow the program.
Process management: Manage workflow of entire publishing program, from acquisitions through publication and ongoing inventory monitoring, and shape procedures and standards to ensure that projects are produced on time and on budget.
Art direction and design: Conceptualize original book packaging for all titles, including cover design, format, and production specifications. Present designs and concepts to internal teams and external partners. Design and produce interiors, from manuscript to bound book, hiring freelancers as needed. Complete all production and prepress work and ensure files meet printer specifications.
Print buying: Solicit manufacturing estimates, select vendors, and negotiate pricing and terms. Work closely with printers and other vendors to ensure timely delivery of all titles to distributor warehouse. Review and approve all paperwork and invoices related to design and production.
Inventory and reprints: Oversee an active reprint program (print, short run, and print on demand), regularly monitoring inventory across all warehouses and retail channels. Analyze rate of movement and negotiate pricing/scheduling for delivery of new inventory.
Design and Production Manager
Agate Publishing
August, 2015
–
September, 2018
(about 3 years)
Create, maintain, and troubleshoot schedules from acquisition through publication for all trade titles (typically 24 per year), ensuring all aspects of the editorial, production, and marketing efforts are on target
Monitor workflows across the publishing team and implement new practices as needed to increase efficiency and maintain budgets
Set seasonal title list and facilitate publishing team seasonal launch and weekly status meetings
Work closely with Publisher and Managing Editor to evaluate proposals and set acquisitions goals and budgets
Lead development of design-focused projects, including collaborations with the Chicago Tribune and in-house gift packages
Conceptualize original book packaging for all Agate titles, directing overall look and feel and executing cover designs in collaboration with authors, editors, and sales team
Design interiors of all books and complete all production work, including typesetting, entering corrections, reviewing final files for accuracy, and approving printer proofs
Hire and evaluate freelancers, illustrators, and photographers as needed
Manage print-buying for all new titles and reprints, working directly with printers to evaluate bids and ensure timely delivery of all print runs
Production Designer
Agate Publishing
September, 2012
–
August, 2015
(almost 3 years)
Design and typeset trade books, including cookbooks, coffee-table books, and paperback fiction and nonfiction. Prepare files for production, ensuring projects are completed on time and per printer specifications; maintain archive of all production files. Train and manage a Production Assistant, Production Intern, and various contractors, tracking schedules and workflow so that deadlines are met. Create print and digital marketing collateral including catalogs, advertisements, and booklets.
Portfolio (10 selected works)
Craft beer is the new seasonal ingredient.From Jacquelyn Dodd―the woman behind the award-winning website The Beeroness—comes Lush, a celebration of fruit, vegetables, and craft beer. After all, beer is as seasonal as produce; its ingredients come from the soil and are harvested at peak freshness, just like the offerings at your local farmers’ market. It’s no surprise that the flavors of season... read more
Most people are familiar with classic Italian pesto, a green sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and olive oil. But Leslie Lennox, founder of the award-winning artisanal pesto company Hope’s Gardens, shows us that pesto need not be limited to its original ingredients―and that creative pestos can serve as building blocks for all manner of flavorful dishes, just ... read more
Burn the Place: A Memoir
Iliana Regan
A singular, powerfully expressive debut memoir that traces one chef’s struggle to find her place and what happens once she does.Burn the Place is a galvanizing memoir that chronicles Iliana Regan’s journey from foraging on the family farm to running her Michelin-starred restaurant, Elizabeth. Her story is raw like that first bite of wild onion, alive with startling imagery, and told with uncom... read more
State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation
Melissa Isaacson
Set against a backdrop of social change during the 1970s, State is a compelling first-person account of what it was like to live through both traditional gender discrimination in sports and the joy of the very first days of equality—or at least the closest that one high school girls’ basketball team ever came to it.In 1975, freshman Melissa Isaacson—along with a group of other girls who’d spen... read more
An unforgettable memoir about a mixed-race Jewish woman who, after fifteen years of estrangement from her racist great-aunt, helps bring her home when Alzheimer’s strikes In 1970, three-day-old Marra B. Gad was adopted by a white Jewish family in Chicago. For her parents, it was love at first sight—but they quickly realized the world wasn’t ready for a family like theirs. Marra’s biological mo... read more
The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Cubs: A Decade-By-Decade History
Chicago Tribune Staff
The Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago Cubs is a decade-by-decade look at one of baseball’s most beloved if hard-luck teams, starting with the franchise’s beginnings in 1876 as the Chicago White Stockings and ending with the triumphant 2016 World Series championship.For more than a century, the Chicago Tribune has documented every Cubs season through original reporting, photography, and box s... read more
This updated edition of Anupy Singla’s bestselling debut cookbook includes 15 additional Indian recipes developed specifically for the slow cooker. Since its original publication in 2010, The Indian Slow Cooker has become a touchstone primer for everyone seeking an accessible entry point to cooking authentic, healthy Indian fare at home. Taking full advantage of the ease and convenience of the... read more
Grant Park
Leonard Pitts Jr.
"A novel as significant as it is engrossing." —Booklist, starred reviewGrant Park is a page-turning and provocative look at black and white relations in contemporary America, blending the absurd and the poignant in a powerfully well-crafted narrative that showcases Pitts's gift for telling emotionally wrenching stories.Grant Park begins in 1968, with Martin Luther King's final days in Memphis.... read more
Craft Coffee: A Manual: Brewing a Better Cup at Home
Jessica Easto
Named a top food & drink book of 2017 by Food Network, Wired, Sprudge, and Booklist.This comprehensive but accessible handbook is for the average coffee lover who wants to make better coffee at home. Unlike other coffee books, this one focuses exclusively on coffee—not espresso—and explores multiple pour-over, immersion, and cold-brew techniques on 10 different devices.Thanks to a small but gr... read more
The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from around the Globe
Jacqueline Chio-Lauri
“An engrossing, page-turner of a cookbook.” —Brian McGinn, Emmy-nominated director and executive producer, Chef’s TableYou may not realize that Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group living in the United States, especially when you compare the number of, say, Japanese, Thai, and Korean restaurants to Filipino ones. There’s a lot of speculation about why Filipino food ha... read more
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