Nostalgia Film 4
“I’ve never written a book before, so once it’s done you can’t quite contemplate how it’s going to look. But when I saw the proof designs by Darlene, I was simply blown away! Darlene managed to create an eye-catching, dynamic design which really makes the cover stand out. The way the whole book is laid out is fantastic. The whole process of getting the book together with Darlene was very smooth and very professional! Thank you.”
Many thanks again.
—David Whiteley, author, The Galaxy Britain Built
"Working with Darlene Swanson was a great experience. She is precise, imaginative, attentive to detail, and infinitely patient. Her book design conveyed exactly the elegant touch I was hoping for."
—James Stratton, author, Angie book
Darlene Swanson did an excellent job typesetting and designing the covers for I'll See You Again. When one book suddenly was turned into three volumes, she helped me choose appropriate photos that would accommodate the titles. She was open to suggestions on font and color for each book, making them look similar but unique. Everyone who has seen them has raved about how great they look.
—Maggie McCormick, author
I’ve had eight other books published with large publishing houses, but never felt their graphic designers were as passionate and as attentive to detail as Daniel Swanson and his wife Darlene. It felt like a real collaborative project working on this book cover with him. Daniel has a wealth of knowledge and creative ideas, but was equally willing to take onboard my suggestions to see if they’d work or not. There was a smooth and flowing back and forth e-mail correspondence between us to get this eye-catching jacket just right. Like a piece of clay, we worked it together to get it perfected. I look forward to working with him again in the near future.
I showed the cover to the head of Volvo Marketing, and he really liked it, as did another mate who is a designer, too. Great job, Dan.
Here's what my agent had to say:
"Well done, Jason. It is truly very strong and will stand out in the bookshelves. The back quotes 'pop' which is perfect."
And Darlene did a fantastic job on the interior.
Thanks again. It's been a real pleasure working with such professionals as your good selves!
—Jason O'Toole, author of Hollywood Irish
Having never had any experience of publishing a book before, I was expertly guided through the whole design process by the dream team of Dan and Darlene—who breathed life and soul into my writing through their wonderful designs.
Even though we were 4300 miles apart, they listened to and acted on all my suggestions to create a product which I am more than thrilled with and which looks beautiful. Their regular correspondence by email and by Skype was astounding and the diligence and skill they both showed was absolutely first-rate. I cannot recommend their services highly enough and I am proud at what they have created.
I am so grateful to both Dan and Darlene for their patience, their advice and more importantly their hard work to achieve something which exceeded even my own personal expectations. Thank you a million times over for making my writing come alive.
—Sebastian Lassandro
"As the published author of twenty books ranging from fiction to non-fiction, I have worked with a number of publishers and designers over the years. From the outset I was most impressed with Darlene. Her graphic and layout skills, attention to detail and overall professionalism and patience have made working with her a most rewarding and pleasant experience. To say that I am pleased with with the final result would be an understatement."
—Stone Wallace