We love the book, and all the the comments on how beatifully it was done, thanks to you!

Joe & Linda H., Washington DC

The book is “perfect”, “The book exceeds our expectations”, are readers’ comments after reading What the Pear Tree Saw.

We came to John Bennett, book designer, to discuss our vision, saying we want an artistic book. He defines and adds much more than we imagine. John adds a silver colored pear tree illustration on the cover of our forest green book.

John and Peter’s photo expertise with old pictures adds drama, clarity and professional talent to our book. He leaves Bob, a Silver dreamer, in the family story teetering on the edge of an abyss in the Rocky Mountains. This illusion entails an old photo enhanced to make it come alive.

Artistic touches: pear images surprise, luxurious paper fills with memories; a green page of poetry separates chapters. A silver ribbon attached marker to convey a comfortable reading experience.

The perfect book did not just happen. Attention to every detail such as getting names and dates to compliment photos is not left to chance. It is a result of John’s conversations with family and additional research if necessary.

Without exception John astutely blends ideas for the best result. He meets deadlines, monitors every aspect of book design, coordinates printing and inspects the books upon printer’s delivery. We learn that books may be artistic as well as informative and inspirational.

John Bennett’s integrity is above any standard of business practices. He and his team are a delight to work with during the design phase of our family book, What the Pear Tree Saw. It is a joyful book by design.

Linda L., Lake Saint Louis, MO — writer

When I began my search for a person to design my memoir, “Expressions,” I was looking for someone who combined technical excellence with an appreciation of the essence of what I wanted to communicate.  John Bennett not only met my criteria, the book he designed surpassed my expectations.

As I look back on the process of transforming “Expressions” from a dream into reality what stands out is John’s approach to the project.  Most importantly, he was a sensitive listener.  His goal was to have his expertise support what I wanted to accomplish.  His ideas on how to do this were thoughtful, creative and always constructive.  The result is a book that is beautiful – the perfect gift I wanted to give my family and friends.

John was never a hired hand.  He was a collaborator, a partner in what was a joint enterprise.  His calm, soft-spoken approach to life helps make him a pleasure to work with.  I am grateful for John’s contribution to “Expressions,” and recommend him without reservation.

Dan M., San Francisco, CA — art collector

I am very pleased with the work of John and Peter Bennett. . . . With both cover and interior design, they helped me achieve the vision of what I wanted my book to be.

Linda R., O Fallon, IL — author

I spent two years, off and on, writing a manuscript. When I finished, I thought, “now what the hell do I do?” I went to a meeting of the St. Louis Publishers Association and sat down next to John Bennett. I introduced myself and asked, “What do you do?” He replied, “I’m a graphic designer.” I said, “You know, I don’t even know what that means.” He indicated, “I take manuscripts and make them into books.”

This began a very productive relationship for me. I worked with John over the next several months and he turned my neophyte manuscript into a book that I was able to self-publish. I had no idea of the myriad steps needed to edit, correct and reconsider text, etc., not to mention what/how to consider pictures, quotes, appendices, book cover and flaps and so forth. John coached me through the entire process in a very effective, iterative way. When this was completed he worked with a printer to produce the final book copy – with which I was very pleased. If I ever do another book, John will be my collaborator.

Glenn D., Webster Groves, MO — writer

I have seen many self-published family history books. Most have one author, large amounts of text, and a few photographs.

The book about my mother was going to be different. Although I was the primary author, 34 family members and friends also contributed their own stand-alone stories. Furthermore, I wanted to use 190 photos or illustrations. By the time I had finished weaving everything into a typed manuscript, I wondered what I had really created for my family. A masterpiece—or a monster?

Although I have decades of experience in the editorial field, and have even worked closely with graphic artists, I am not a book designer. I didn’t want friends and family members to feel obligated to read about my mother. I wanted them to be so visually stimulated that they would open Georgia on My Mind because it looked great.

Of all the decisions I made on this large project, my smartest decision was hiring John Bennett of Bennett Book Design in St. Louis. Before bidding on the job, John read the complete manuscript. He then understood that my mother was a formal, courteous, and elegant woman. He agreed with me that the book’s design shouldn’t be hip or casual, nor look like a scrapbook. We discussed at length the large number of co-author submissions, which could either enrich the book or confuse and annoy the readers. With some clever design elements, he successfully formatted these special texts in a way I couldn’t have visualized in a hundred years. John’s experience and skill in handling photos was also masterful. He scanned black-and-white prints from the 1930s and 40s, color transparencies from the 50s and 60s, and yellowed documents and newspaper clippings from seven decades. In his capable hands, he prepared these items to reproduce beautifully during the printing stage.

John Bennett is an accomplished book designer and took a great deal of personal pride in every page he created for me. He was patient, a good listener, and a trustworthy collaborator on this complex job. I also appreciated his knowledge of paper stock, ink, and printing processes, as well as which printer would be the best fit for my book. Georgia on My Mind was completed on schedule and on budget.

As delighted as I am with my book, the “proof” of the book’s value lies not with me but with the people who received it. Here are a few reactions:

• a niece, who lives a thousand miles from me and had never telephoned me, called within days of receiving the book. Chapter by chapter, she told me what she loved about the book.
• my sister, breathless with excitement, called me as soon as she slid the book out of its large envelope. All she had seen was the front cover. She hadn’t looked at the photos of herself inside or on the back cover. The front cover alone merited the phone call.
• a college roommate of my mother received the book, coincidentally, on her 92nd birthday. “Talk about a lift,” she wrote. “I show it to everyone who comes.”
• others said I never dreamed it would be so professional… I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. reading it… the organization is unparalleled… the pictures and text just flow… and layout is imaginative and exceptionally well done.

You won’t find my book in any bookstore. You don’t want to read about my family any more than I probably want to read about yours. But if my book were in a retail bookstore, you’d notice it. The cover is stunning. And if you flipped through a few pages you’d see for yourself that the design of Goergia on My Mind could compete with any biography on the shelf.

Aneeta B., Washington, MO — writer