Book Design Made Simple Archives
A beloved and essential book design resource is closing—but its blog and video archives will remain accessible for book designers, authors, and publishers
Book Design Made Simple is closing
If you’re a book designer, you may have already heard the sad news: Book Design Made Simple, a widely respected book design resource founded by Fiona Raven and Glenna Collett, will officially close in October 2026. Along with the website, their co-authored book will no longer be available for purchase (so now’s your chance to snag a copy—it’s also half price!).
Book Design Made Simple Archives
Now, why am I making a whole post about this?
Well, if you’ve been in this little Hadley House for a while, you may remember my post Editorial Design Resources, where I included Book Design Made Simple as one of my book recommendations. There are few resources out there for the niche field of book design, and even fewer that are truly remarkable. Book Design Made Simple was one of the first books I read on book design, and it is a treasure trove of helpful information. I cannot express how grateful and excited I was to find such an all-encompassing resource!
Fiona and Glenna have taught me so much about book design. I have leaned on their book and blog posts many times for guidance, and sometimes I even send my clients to some of their posts (if they need help with their copyright page, for example).
I was so saddened by the news that the Book Design Made Simple site would be going away that I decided to send Fiona and Glenna a little message asking what they thought about moving their posts over to Substack. They loved the idea and generously allowed me to store their blog archives on Hadley House and their video archives on my YouTube channel!
So! You can now access the Book Design Made Simple archives (which includes blog posts and video tutorials on book design, InDesign, typesetting, and publishing) here:
Book Design Made Simple Archives (blog posts)
Book Design Made Simple Archives (videos)
This ensures that these book design resources remain accessible to the publishing community even after their site closes. I’m so so excited to have these posts and videos stay online (and to have them on my Substack/YouTube—what a privilege!).
Thank you, Fiona and Glenna!!
Teachers are some of the best people in the world, and Fiona and Glenna are amazing teachers! The information they provide in their book, blog, and videos is all so detailed and thoughtful. I am incredibly thankful that they’ve shared so much of their knowledge with us and have allowed me to host their archives. Whether you’re a book designer, author, editor, or publisher, I think you’ll find a lot of value in looking through them.
Thank you, Fiona and Glenna! All the best to you in your retirement ❤️
Resource of the Month
Trying something new and sharing one of my fav resources each month!
Accessible Publishing Learning Network (APLN)
Find tips, best practices, and the latest resources for all your accessible publishing needs. (Includes an amazing course by Laura Brady under “InDesign to EPUB.”)
News for You!
(Trying to limit the amount of news I throw at you. There’s too much to consume. Everything is overwhelming. I’m filtering things down to try and provide you with articles I’ve found to be the most beneficial.)
A Sense of Style: Why Every Publisher Needs an Alt Text Style Guide
What I’m Reading
Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book by Brian Wood (Adobe Press, 2023)
Adobe InDesign Classroom in a Book by Kelly Kordes Anton & Tina DeJarld (Adobe Press, 2022)
What I’m Listening To
◼️ Planet Uterus | Life (2022): ambient house
◼️ Leafar Legov | Mirror (2020): ambient house / downtempo
◼️ Pete Namlook & Gier Jenssen | The Fires of Ork (1993): space ambient / ambient techno / ambient house
Thank you for reading Hadley House!
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And, in case you missed it…
Need a designer or typesetter? Just want to pop in and say hi? I’d love to talk with you! You can email me at hadleynikolehendrix@gmail.com, or say hello on Instagram / LinkedIn. (^:
Hadley Hendrix is an Editorial Designer based in Chicago, specializing in publication design and typesetting. She works with publishers, magazines, and authors to design, layout, and typeset the covers and interiors of their publications.
I didn't know about this—so sad! That book helped me SO much. What a wonderful idea, Hadley.
This is incredible! Thanks so much for sharing Hadley!