Stacy Wakefield Forte

Stacy Wakefield Forte – Designer

Enthusiastic designer of illustrated books including cooking, craft, gardening, how-to, art, photo and architecture.

Overview

I love creating complicated book interiors with complex type heirarchy and lots of images, charts, sidebars and tables. I love doing layout. I have designed dozens of books, giving each a unique and special look of its own that is appropriate to its content. I studied book design at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in the Netherlands. In my portfolio you will see books I have designed and produced for Artbook|D.A.P., The Taunton Press, Storey Publishing, Fairwinds Press, David Zwirner Books, Rockport Press, Creative Publishing International, Vice Media, Rizzoli, Metropolis Books, and the Timber Press, among others. Available for freelance projects.

Please note: My rates reflect the fact that I work mainly for trade publishing companies and have many years of professional experience. My rates are on the high end for Reedsy. If you are producing a small-run book on a tight budget, I won't be the right designer for you. If you want top notch professional quality, a designer who can confidently lead you through every detail of book production, and have a budget that allows for fair, market-rate fees, please get in touch! I also only work on print projects, not anything that is exclusively digital.
Services
Non-Fiction
Architecture Calendars Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits DIY & Crafts Photography Travel
Languages
English

Work experience

Akashic Books

Dec, 2010 — Present

I have designed many covers for this publisher of Literary Fiction. I source imagery and collaborate with the editors and authors.

Taunton Press

Dec, 2008 — Present

I have designed many covers and interiors for this great publisher, including cook books, how-to, carpentry, gardening, sewing and craft titles. Titles I've worked on include Scraps by Vera Vandenbosch; Fresh From the Farm by Susie Middleton; The Unplugged Workshop by Tom Fidgen; Cook Fresh Year Round by the Editors of Fine Cooking; and The Stanley Home Repair series.

Vice Media

Dec, 2005 — Dec, 2012 (about 7 years)

I designed many books for Vice over the years, including Skins & Punks by Gavin Watson; Reincarnated by Snoop Dogg; Neu Sex by Sasha Grey; Dear Diary by Leslie Arfin; Skinema by Chris Nieratko; News, Nudity & Nonsense; The Vice Guide to Travel; Fashion Cats; and The Vice Photo Book.

D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers

Dec, 2004 — Present

I design and produce the 200 page bi-annual catalogue for this prestigious art book distributor and publisher.

Stacy

Dec, 2004 — Present

I have designed many art monographs, architecture and art books, craft and cookbooks, and covers for novels for publishers including The Guggenheim Museum, Penguin Random House, Metropolis Books, David Zwirner books, PowerHouse Books, Timber Press, Storey Publishing, and many more.

Diverse artists, arts groups & galleries

Dec, 2004 — Present

I have worked with artists including Tracey Moffatt, Donald Baechler & Wes Lang, Allyson Vieira, Fritz Haeg, The Brooklyn Museum, Performa Arts, Peter Halley and Bruce Kurland to produce art monographs, catalogues and Artists' Books. In these cases, finding special materials, the best binding and packaging solutions, and excellent, affordable printers is as crucial as great design.

Artforum

Dec, 2002 — Dec, 2004 (about 2 years)

Index Magazine

Dec, 1999 — Dec, 2002 (about 3 years)

SmartMoney Magazine

Dec, 1998 — Dec, 1999 (about 1 year)

Village Voice

Dec, 1995 — Dec, 1998 (about 3 years)

Evil Twin Publications

Dec, 1993 — Dec, 2009 (about 16 years)

I started Evil Twin Publications in the 1990s as a forum for personal zines and small art books. Over time, I developed and produced book packages for larger publishers, including I Hope You Are All Happy Now by Nicholas Zinner (2005) for St. Martins Press; Catholic No.1 Cats by Jesse Pearson & Glynnis McDaris (2004) and Show Dogs: A Photographic Breed Guide by Kate Lacey (2010) for ARTBOOK | D.A.P.; and Please Take Me Off the Guest List by Nick Zinner, Zachary Lipez & Stacy Wakefield (2010) for Akashic Books.

Portfolio

Chasing Eden: Design Inspiration from the Gardens at Hortulus Farm

Staub, J.

Spirit of Place: The Making of a New England Garden

Noble, B.

Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond: A Fun and Flavorful Guide to Fermenting Your Own Probiotic Beverages at Home

Lewin, A.

The Naturalist's Notebook: An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal for Tracking Changes in the Natural World around You

Wheelwright, N.

Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power

Godfrey, M.

Cane Warriors

Wheatle, A.

The Third Squad

Kumar, V.

Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools

Christiana, A.

CookFresh Year-Round: Seasonal Recipes from Fine Cooking

Editors o.

Ryan McGinley

Ryan M.

Contents: Illustration and handwritten text. follow to the spot which would give each poet a unique sound. So after the posts had been raised and some time had passed, one didn't have to look at the fence to determine where the sound of the bird was coming fro... read more
Quilt Love: Simple Quilts to Stitch and Treasure

Cassandra E.

Every quilt tells a story. But when scraps from personal items are incorporated--a baby blanket, a vintage T-shirt, Dad's favorite tie--that quilt becomes a cherished keepsake. "Quilt Love "offers today's quilters a modern twist on free-form, scrap, and patchw... read more
Segmented Turning: Design*Techniques*Projects

Dennis K.

Segmented turning―turning an object from a glued-up blank--allows turners to design and create patterns and visual effects in turned pieces. In addition to design skills, segmented turning demands precise woodworking and turning skills. In Segmented Turning, p... read more
Nudity Today

Nudity Today explores the nude photography of ten young artists roughly between the ages of 20 and 30, including Tim Barber, Jerry Hsu, Sandy Kim, Maggie Lee, Nicole Lesser and Jordan Bennett. It examines the new moods and outlooks in photography engendered by... read more
Skins & Punks: Lost Archives, 1978-1985

Gavin W.

“The world Watson depicts is so skillfully captured, giving an undeniable pull to these pictures….” —FHM What started off as a small collection of photographs the 14-year-old Gavin Watson would take of his family and friends in Wycombe, middle England, in the ... read more
Scraps: Stylish Stash Fabric Crafts to Stitch

Vera V.

From stash to treasure. Scraps: Stylish Stash Fabric Crafts to Stitch! is bursting with fashionable, fantastic and unique projects to make, share or keep from fabric scraps–30 in all–for jewelry, accessories and home décor. Create gorgeous projects from your h... read more
Show Dogs: A Photographic Breed Guide

The American Kennel Club recognizes over 160 breeds of dogs in seven categories: Hound, Working, Sporting, Non-sporting, Terrier, Toy and Herding. Thousands of Americans own purebred show dogs, and year round, local kennel clubs host events at which judges eva... read more
Snoop Dogg: Reincarnated by Snoop Dogg (2013) Hardcover

The Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop

Tom F.

Unplugged – no power tools needed! For the growing number of woodworkers who are opting out of power tools and returning to hand tools, The Unplugged Woodshop is a refreshing concept and a welcome change. Written by custom furniture maker and hand tool expert ... read more
Fresh from the Farm: A Year of Recipes and Stories

Susie M.

More than a cookbook...it’s also the story of how a farm came to be. Written by the “Queen of Fresh” Susie Middleton, Fresh from the Farm goes beyond traditional “fresh” cookbooks by sharing the engaging tale of one woman’s quest for a simpler life. In between... read more

Stacy has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Elisabeth P.

Elisabeth P.

May, 2022

Stacy was very professional and helpful on the book project we worked on. Her advise and recommendations were very useful in ensuring the project was a success. The quality of her work was to the highest standard. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Stacy and look forward to working with her again on my next few projects.
Chris M.

Chris M.

Dec, 2017

Stacy did a superb job handling the design / layout for my book GORHAM SPOONS: STERLING SOUVENIRS FROM A BYGONE ERA. Check out the final product on Amazon.com. I've had nothing short of rave reviews from my customers so far and I credit much of that to Stacy's fine work. She patiently handle all the myriad problems that confronted her in putting my book together, and there certainly was much...
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