POSTED: 7th JULY 2024

When it comes to writing—be it an article, a book, or even a series of novels—the font can be a vital component. As someone who is design-oriented in my thinking, I often ask authors what font they plan to use. It is surprising how many respond with a unified ignorance of this detail. To those outside the industry of typographical design, the decision can be quite daunting.

Font of Knowledge:

If an author does respond, knowing the font they wish to use, their answer can sometimes have the opposite problem. They might be heart-set on one font alone, often influenced by the successful advertising of other works in a similar genre. When someone points out, “Isn’t that the font of the ‘insert-name’ franchise?” it raises the question of whether they are merely trying to mimic the success of someone else. Often, they are unaware of this, and it is surprising how many make this error, if it can be called that.

So What Now?

As long as the font suits the book genre, they haven’t made a significant error. By selecting a font that resonates strongly with a genre, they are actually doing a great service to their work. However, the key is to select a font that shares many features with the well-known one but not enough to raise copyright concerns. Ideally, the font you choose should have the same impact as the known one but reside just outside the ‘identification zone’ of the other book’s branding. When people think of another book rather than the genre and focus of your book, the font has become too close.

Modern Day Fonts:

If you cannot afford a professional, the marvels of the modern day and the resources available online mean that anyone can become an expert in typography with very little effort. Numerous online sources offer free and paid fonts that you can easily download and install on your computer.

Be Mindful of Copyright:

Many websites allow you to download and install fonts easily. When you open Photoshop, for example, they are ready to use as you wish. Be mindful, however, that copyright laws apply to some of them. Some fonts are so similar that the designer might hardly notice, but don’t quote me on this. Some of the more well-recognized fonts, typical of fantasy covers, are extremely recognizable. If you’re going to use such a font on your book cover, you should be willing to pay the owner of the font. However, this can be avoided, as there are plenty of free fonts available. I’ve spent far longer than I’d like to admit scrolling through these font websites, driven by an endless desire for more fonts.

On the Outside and Within:

If you’ve worked hard to write a novel and gone through all the stages of planning and revising, you should not cut corners when it comes to typography. This applies to any aspect of your work of art. The cover and the fonts you use are probably the most important. However, consider the font used for the inside text as well. Will you have fancy numbers for each chapter, or a specific font for the names of each section? These are things to consider. The more effort you put in, when considering the choice, the more it will show, regardless of how many read it.

Use a ‘Lead-In’?

This technique dates back to ancient times, particularly the Romans and their method of documenting. You will have seen it even in contemporary books. It is when the first line of a chapter is written in a different, usually highly stylized, font. Originally, this was to emphasize the initiation of the text and display wealth and well-produced print. For modern books, it aids the reader in guiding them into the chapter. However, many works of fiction, especially fantasy novels, still use fanciful fonts to convey this.

Some Points to Consider (From the Experts and Me):

• Make the font of the main body of text easy for people to read—one that they are accustomed to.
• The cover is where the font should convey the genre—it is a sales tool.
• Unless designed by an expert, avoid using too many varying fonts.
• Don’t use a font that is too similar to a well-known and branded franchise.
• Use a font with subtle elements of well-known works.

Stay tuned for my next article on: which are the most used fonts?

Keywords: #font #writing #publishing #bookcovers #typography #self-publishing #psychology #reading