Rachel Reiss

Rachel Reiss - Designer

New York, United States

I'm a freelance book interior designer and typesetter with years of experience in the publishing industry.

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Overview

I have years of experience in the publishing industry, designing and typesetting books for both individual clients and for top publishing houses large and small, such as Bantam-Dell, Bloomsbury/Walker, and Doubleday/Broadway. The titles I have designed cover a wide range of subjects in both fiction and non-fiction, including suspense, science fiction, and serious fiction as well as business, history, theater, music, reference, cookbooks, textbooks, how-to, current affairs, science, and biography.
Languages
English
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Health & Wellbeing
History
Religion & Spirituality
Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Fantasy
Mystery & Crime

Work experience

Freelance book interior designer

Self-employed
February, 2002 – Present (about 21 years)

As a freelancer, I have designed (and written up design specifications for) book interiors and/or done typesetting for numerous book publishers, including (among others) Bantam-Dell, Barricade Books, Bloomsbury/Walker, Cambridge University Press, Camino Books, Doubleday/Broadway, Fairchild Books, Holmes & Meier, Intrepid Traveler, Kensington, Northwestern University Press, Other Press, Peter Lang, Rodale, Smith & Kraus, and St. Martin’s. The titles cover a wide range of subjects in both fiction and non- fiction, including suspense, science fiction, and serious fiction as well as business, history, theater, music, reference, cookbooks, how-to, current affairs, and biography. A number of titles were illustrated, either including photo inserts (some grayscale, some four-color), or illustrated throughout.

Designer

Bantam-Dell Publishing Group
July, 2001 – January, 2002 (6 months)

While at Bantam Dell, I designed, wrote up design specifications, and oversaw the composition of more than thirty titles. I also hired and coordinated the work of freelance illustrators as projects required, and selected case materials and designed and typeset the spine dies for hardcover titles.

Portfolio (13 selected works)

Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing

Megan Smolenyak

You've heard of the Dog Whisperer? Meet the Ancestor Rescuer. Part forensic scientist, part master sleuth, Megan Smolenyak has solved some of America's oldest and most fascinating genealogical mysteries. You've read the headlines; now get the inside story as the "Indiana Jones of genealogy" reveals how she cracked her news-making cases, became the face of this increasingly popular field--and r... read more

You've heard of the Dog Whisperer? Meet the Ancestor Rescuer. Part forensic scientist, part master sleuth, Megan Smolenyak has solved some of America's oldest and most fascinating genealogical mysteries. You've read the headlines; now get the inside story as the "Indiana Jones of genealogy" reveals how she cracked her news-making cases, became the face of this increasingly popular field--and r... read more

A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas

Warren Berger

To get the best answer―in business, in life―you have to ask the best possible question. Innovation expert Warren Berger shows that ability is both an art and a science.It may be the most underappreciated tool at our disposal, one we learn to use well in infancy―and then abandon as we grow older. Critical to learning, innovation, success, even to happiness―yet often discouraged in our schools a... read more

To get the best answer―in business, in life―you have to ask the best possible question. Innovation expert Warren Berger shows that ability is both an art and a science.It may be the most underappreciated tool at our disposal, one we learn to use well in infancy―and then abandon as we grow older. Critical to learning, innovation, success, even to happiness―yet often discouraged in our schools a... read more

Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All Major League Ballparks

Philip Lowry

Green Cathedrals is a celebration of the sport of baseball, through the lens of its ballparks—the “fields of dreams” of players and fans alike. In all, some 405 ballparks have, over time, hosted a Major League or Negro League game, and each one of them is given its due, from hard statistics about dimensions to nostalgic and current photographs, to anecdotes that will inspire the memories of fa... read more

Green Cathedrals is a celebration of the sport of baseball, through the lens of its ballparks—the “fields of dreams” of players and fans alike. In all, some 405 ballparks have, over time, hosted a Major League or Negro League game, and each one of them is given its due, from hard statistics about dimensions to nostalgic and current photographs, to anecdotes that will inspire the memories of fa... read more

Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities

Craig Steven Wilder

A 2006 report commissioned by Brown University revealed that institution's complex and contested involvement in slavery-setting off a controversy that leapt from the ivory tower to make headlines across the country. But Brown's troubling past was far from unique. In Ebony and Ivy, Craig Steven Wilder, a rising star in the profession of history, lays bare uncomfortable truths about race, slaver... read more

A 2006 report commissioned by Brown University revealed that institution's complex and contested involvement in slavery-setting off a controversy that leapt from the ivory tower to make headlines across the country. But Brown's troubling past was far from unique. In Ebony and Ivy, Craig Steven Wilder, a rising star in the profession of history, lays bare uncomfortable truths about race, slaver... read more

Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking

Stanley Ginsberg, Norman Berg

Winner of the IACP's 2012 Jane Grigson Award for "distinguished scholarship in the quality of its research and presentation."Traditional Eastern European Jewish baking, along with the culture in which it evolved, is rapidly disappearing. Younger generations of American Jews are becoming increasingly assimilated into mainstream society. Small, family-run Jewish bakeries that once lay at the hea... read more

Winner of the IACP's 2012 Jane Grigson Award for "distinguished scholarship in the quality of its research and presentation."Traditional Eastern European Jewish baking, along with the culture in which it evolved, is rapidly disappearing. Younger generations of American Jews are becoming increasingly assimilated into mainstream society. Small, family-run Jewish bakeries that once lay at the hea... read more

Quality Assurance for Textiles and Apparel

Sara J. Kadolph

This text is based on the premise that quality is built into any product from conception to delivery to the ultimate consumer. Kadolph, a highly respected authority on textiles, recognizes the specific needs and expectations of a target market and the unique characteristics and interactions inherent in a finished fabric. The information enables students and professionals to determine the quali... read more

This text is based on the premise that quality is built into any product from conception to delivery to the ultimate consumer. Kadolph, a highly respected authority on textiles, recognizes the specific needs and expectations of a target market and the unique characteristics and interactions inherent in a finished fabric. The information enables students and professionals to determine the quali... read more

Up Periscope Yellow: The Making of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine

Al Brodax, The Beatles

(Limelight). Al Brodax was the producer and co-author of the ground-breaking animated film, Yellow Submarine . In this book he recalls a frenzied, madcap escapade that came to be reflected in an enduring piece of screen history. In addition to Al and The Beatles, the "cast" included more than a dozen animators, platoons of inkers, background artists, soundmen, cameramen, and various essential ... read more

(Limelight). Al Brodax was the producer and co-author of the ground-breaking animated film, Yellow Submarine . In this book he recalls a frenzied, madcap escapade that came to be reflected in an enduring piece of screen history. In addition to Al and The Beatles, the "cast" included more than a dozen animators, platoons of inkers, background artists, soundmen, cameramen, and various essential ... read more

Sydney On Fire

Cary, B. B.

Rachel has 3 reviews

Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality

Nicholas Anthony
Rachel Reiss is extraordinarily professional, and it is a pleasure to work with her. I am so glad to have had this opportunity, and look forward to more.

Nicholas Anthony, September 2019


Christian Hanson
This was my first time using Reedsy. I was a little skeptical about using the platform, as I needed a quality design for my book without breaking the bank. Needless to say, I am thrilled with the result! From start to finish, Rachel was a pleasure to work with. She delivered a clean, polished design, and worked closely with me to ensure each detail was exactly what I wanted. I've heard great...
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Christian Hanson, February 2018

Rachel Reiss
I'm delighted that you are getting good feedback! Best of luck with the project--it's very worthwhile and I think it can do a lot of good.

Reply from Rachel Reiss


Lizzy Swick
Rachel hit it out of the ballpark! She is professional, and easy to work with. Her discerning ability to read between the lines and intuitively understand the vision I had for my project astounded me with such relief and gratitude! I had previously wasted large sums of money and time trying to explain my concept and Rachel got it immediately. It was like she was in my head! So your time wi...
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Lizzy Swick, February 2017

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