I have been putting squiggly black marks on paper for a long time. I was probably nine or ten when I got a toy printing press as a present. I started reading everything I could about type and printing, which I found—and still find—endlessly fascinating.
In ninth grade (1959 if you’re keeping track), my English class, taught by Miss Kirk, was responsible for producing the junior high newspaper. My role was chief copy editor. I also got to take the rapid transit downtown and walk the dummy over to the printer on West 3rd Street, where the smell of printer’s ink (the old carcinogenic kind) imprinted itself on my impressionable mind.
So I’ve been hooked for a long time.
Okay, that was a long time ago, but I’ve been editing one thing or another ever since, throughout a varied career (copywriter, computer programmer, bread baker, organic farmer, printer, among other things).
And I’ve been studying and practicing typography ever since, too. Anyone can buy software to put squiggly marks on a page. The art is in knowing where to put them.
I stay up to date through conferences, organizations, and online communities, where I both partake of continuing education and provide it to colleagues. So I’m well connected to a wide variety of experts in all aspects of book publishing.
The benefit to you is that I actually do know what I’m doing, which puts me in the best position to help you as you go through the process of producing a book.
I started Dick Margulis Creative Services in 2004 and have been helping people like you ever since. Feel free to contact me to discuss your needs.