Phillip Gessert

Phillip Gessert – Designer

Over ten years experience in typesetting and formatting books for print and ebook, with hands-on experience in press environments.

Overview

I’m a book designer, typesetter and print/ebook formatter in Madison, WI. I began building books full time in 2011, and am especially passionate about page typography. I pride myself on building books to the highest standard of quality, both aesthetically and functionally.

I provide fully validated ePub files, suitable for publishing on the Kindle Store and other retailers. All ebooks are created using hand-coded HTML & CSS, and take the unique considerations for different devices into account. The books are built to be flexible and render predictably across a range of e-readers. And I use traditional and classical typographical principles to give the books an appealing look.

I also provide PDF files suitable for print. I’m happy to build to KDP or Ingram Spark specifications, or simply build to industry-standard print-readiness. I use my prepress experience to preflight and prepare PDF files that most any print service provider would be delighted to receive.

Why Choose Me?

Value. I pride myself in finding high-quality, low cost solutions to common design problems. I aim to find a good nexus between beauty and price. This means I am not the cheapest book designer, but I do deliver the best bang for your buck.

Quality. I do not treat your book as a rote technical task. I am a designer, first and foremost, and strive to create tasteful and elegant designs.

Honesty. I aim to be candid and frank with you about your project, alert you to potential issues as quickly as I can, and never obscure anything about the process. This means I immediately alert you to anything that could possibly affect your project. There may be occasional false alarms, but I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

Tenacity. I work tirelessly to correct any issues you may encounter. If you have any sort of problem with your files, at any time, I will do my level best to help.

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Please note that I'll typically ask to review a copy of your manuscript in order to prepare your quote. It is used only to get a count on various formatting elements and to assess scope. Feel free to send it in MS Word format with your quote request!

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"Phillip is a pure delight to work with. He’s meticulous, professional, punctual, and highly capable. He’s met my exacting demands time and time again, even when under pressure of timeline and budget. He’s my only choice when it comes to laying out a book, and I plan on using him for many more projects to come."

--Ben Dutter, Sigil Stone Publishing

"Phillip and I have worked together for a few years now and with each project he has devoted himself to the task and will not quit until the job is done to satisfaction. Very personable and detailed-oriented, I recommend him highly!"

--Kwasi Konadu, Diasporic Africa Press
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Business & Management Education & Reference History
Fiction
Cultural & Ethnic Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Science Fiction
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Dec, 2011 — Present

I design custom interiors for indie and self-published authors, suitable for Createspace, IngramSpark, Kindle, and others.

Data Print

Dec, 2007 — Dec, 2011 (about 4 years)

Graphic design and prepress.

Portfolio

"One of the most exciting debuts of 2016," --Richard Peabody, Editor GargoyleA novel in montage, Eisenstein’s Monster is a wild romp through the terrains of our consciousness. A man with terminal cancer in the language centers of his brain meets a young woman ... read more
After your spouse dies, how do you go forward? This beautifully-written memoir faces the realities of a loved one dying.Following a long fight with breast cancer, Tracy's death ended their 13-year marriage. In the months after his loss, Frederick Marx wrote ab... read more
"This is a great book. Any parent, teacher, grandparent, or anyone else who wants to learn about learning differences, run, right now and buy this book. Concise, yet comprehensive; reader-friendly yet not dumbed down; upbeat and positive, yet inclusive of the ... read more
THE GODS WHO CHOSE US (hard science-fiction) is a reimagining of global mythology from a science fiction perspective. Various established mythos have been transformed into unique civilizations that interact with one another, with the story centered on characte... read more
Are you struggling with decisions regarding social media and smartphone access for your child? The middle school and teen years are now more challenging than ever. Bullying and suicide are on the rise – an increase that has been linked to social media and smar... read more
Unlock the key to building successful businesses in challenging international markets.Why do so many investors fail in frontier and emerging markets? How can entrepreneurs increase their odds of success in developing economies?In The Culture Key, Curt Laird ex... read more
AngelFire

Luke V.

Fairytales, we’ve all been told them.Witches and warlocks,Vampires and werewolves. Myths made to keep you awake at night. Children stories.But what about the stories we’re not told?What about the stories that are still being written? The real danger that lurks... read more
Discover what dreams are made of . . .Ten-year-old twins Ashlynne and Julian share a special ability: the power to enter each other's dreams. They call it 'sharing' dreams. It's usually a great time; playing together in a dream is way more fun than playing in ... read more
Fake news. Alternative facts. Ideological agendas. How do you tell the difference between true and false? How do you know what it all means? In Actually, It's Not Easy, novices and experts alike can grow their ability to understand complex topics in today's wo... read more
The breakup of his San Francisco rock band is a hard shove that has Jim Shalabon struggling to stay on his feet. What he needs is balance. What he gets is an earthquake. His best friend and former band mate is found dead in a London alley. Unable to make sense... read more
An anthology of writing by members of the Maryland Writers' Association's Teen Writing Clubs.
A rural community in southeast Tennessee is tested when a teenage girl goes missing. Deputy Galloway suspects his girlfriend's husband of foul play and launches an investigation.Nestled in the nearby Smoky Mountains, a bluegrass tavern may hold clues to the te... read more
Admit it. You dont have much time. You love God, but sometimes your prayer life is virtually nonexistent. Guilt keeps you away from it even longer. And that distance leaves you feeling spiritually disconnected from God. It s okay you re safe here. Too Busy, To... read more
A body is no match for an idea. Esteemed NYC anchorwoman, Margi Hall, spends her days reporting on the lives—and lies—of others. When the studio cameras show her imperfections, she seeks out a scientist who extolls his secret technology using nanobot implants.... read more
A string of shattering experiences results in Tara, putting her ambitions aside to marry her college sweetheart at twenty-five. She wakes up as a wife, numbingly empty, but for the next nine years convinces herself: marriage is about compromising. Meeting Aadi... read more
Times have changed and it's harder than ever to build influence. The world is getting better at ignoring you and your message is being smothered by all the noise.That's why influence is no longer about convincing people, but rather, connecting with them. In to... read more
Frances experiences three major life changes that led her to new-found freedoms allowing her to explore the Spectrum that makes up life. Frances did all society expected her to do: Married a handsome, sexy man, secured a high-powered corporate job, and honored... read more
Betrayed, Carmen saw her life come crashing down. Her world would never be the same. But in the midst of chaos and suffering, she discovered her most powerful ally… “I am Carmen Agnes Sirota. If you had told me one day I would write a story like Remember Me, I... read more
We see it everywhere: at the park, in restaurants, and inside our homes and cars—kids connected to handheld devices and disconnected from the world around them. According to the latest research, the average thirteen-year-old spends eight hours per day, seven d... read more
It is no secret that modern knowledge has become specialised into increasingly narrower ‘silos’. While this has had its advantages, more are becoming aware that important connections are being neglected.What if our universe does not care to comply with the sep... read more
The Black Terrorist is a fictional account built around the true, extraordinary, but little-known story of Addi Bâ. Addi Bâ was born in Guinea about 1916, brought to France in the late 1930s, and became a riflemen in the Twelfth Regiment de Tirailleurs Sénégal... read more
Cole McBride makes a chilling discovery while investigating a mysterious disease causing the deaths of endangered mountain gorillas in war-torn central Africa. When a humanitarian aid hospital nearby diagnoses a disturbingly similar human case, the former Spec... read more
Deep down, Robert Goldner knows he's a mistake. His mother told him so when he was just five years old. But he never found the courage to ask just what she meant before she was murdered under mysterious circumstances on his eleventh birthday. Now, on the eve o... read more
The true story of two teenagers who were determined to ascend some of Colorado's tallest peaks. A broken down car turned it into an adventure they hadn't anticipated.

Phillip has 178 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Lynn J.

Lynn J.

Sep, 2023

A competent professional who delivers
PD W.

PD W.

Sep, 2023

Mr. Gessert produced Kindle and Amazon-ready formatted interiors for my book, "Remedy for Innocence," in a timely manner. I was well impressed with the quality of his work (his initial submissions required no follow-up) and, if needed in the future, will again utilize his services.
Spoonbridge P.

Spoonbridge P.

Aug, 2023

Phillip was absolutely wonderful to work with. The project was delivered on time, he completed all of our revisions exactly as requested, and the final ebook looks great.
Jo B.

Jo B.

Aug, 2023

Phillip came to my rescue when I was having difficulty formatting my manuscript. He knew exactly what was needed and I am pleased with the finished product. He is responsive, professional, and knowledgeable. I would use him again.
Jeremy O.

Jeremy O.

Aug, 2023

Philip is great to work with and his layouts are top notch. He did the original layout form my novel a few years ago and I wanted to make a revision. One of the amazing benefits of using his service, is that he gives you back a "for edits" document to update your manuscript at a very reasonable rate. Just a great service that goes above and beyond. I put my heart and soul into the project a...
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