And Fun With Fonts!

One of the many reasons that authors choose to self-publish is the control you retain over the appearance of your book. Certainly, the cover has a big impact on setting the reader’s expectations. Mood, period, and subject can all be communicated through more than just words. Even without graphics, we can communicate all these characteristics with the use of appropriate fonts.

One is =lirty and sweet, while the other may leave you concerned for your safety.

There are several characteristics of fonts that can impact how your reader perceives your message. Let’s look at different classi=ications of fonts: Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Decorative. These are the four primary classi=ications. There are many subcategories for each of these classi=ications, so if you really want to geek out, Fonts.com has an excellent primer to dive into.

By: Tamara Cribley

Fonts like Garamond, Baskerville, Trajan, and Bodoni Classic are all serif fonts. Serifs are the slight projections at the terminations of letterforms. In the context of display fonts, (see example on =irst page) they tend to convey tradition. They might indicate a historic period or an academic in=luence. They’re structured, familiar, and easy to read. For body fonts, most novels use serif fonts.

By far the largest category, decorative fonts, can take on most any shape. Often, they are the most literal representation of a theme. Think about "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The font that was chosen replicated the handwriting of a child. It can be a very effective tool. However, decorative fonts are most impactful when used sparingly. They work well to emphasize a particular period or theme.

Arial, Helvetica, Gotham, and Calibri are examples of sans serif fonts. ‘Sans’ is French, meaning ‘without’. These fonts are without serifs. In everyday life, this class is found heavily in digital applications: websites, smart phone interfaces, etc. They tend to feel a bit more modern, and rely heavily on weight and sometimes angle to communicate mood.

In large blocks, they can become challenging to read. They often use unconventional spacing or letter forms which can contribute to eye fatigue and dif=iculty deciphering letters and words at small sizes. They can work exceptionally well when paired with a complimentary font to emphasize a particular word or phrase.

Now that we have the classi=ications down, let’s talk about characteristics that when combined with a font, convey additional information.

Script fonts can vary greatly in mood, period, and style. They can replicate early 17th Century writing or modern-day cursive (Is cursive still modern??). Like sans serif fonts, weight can play a part in conveying your message. The Edwardian Script on the left is formal with embellishments. It can convey a sense of history, wealth, and stature, while the SignPainter font on the right is much more informal.

Weight – The heavier or darker the font, the more impact it has. Think about thrillers that use heavy, sans serif fonts. They are bold and dominate the page. They’re also frequently condensed (narrow), creating visual tension for the reader.

Angle – The direction and degree that a font leans— either when italicized, or modi=ied for impact—can indicate speed or movement.

Embellishments & Glyphs – Many pro fonts contain glyphs, alternate letterforms that have different styling or embellishments (like swashes). Desire Pro for example (below), has a whole host of alternative glyphs that can be fun to use. Many pro fonts have at least a few different options. If these kinds of embellishments are desirable for you, when considering fonts, look at the full glyph set to see what options are available. These fonts can be pricey, but sometimes are quite worth the investment, especially if you intend to use them for a full series or in complementary marketing assets.

work well in paragraph form. They should generally be used sparingly, for emphasis, and it’s important to consider tracking (space between letters) and leading (the space between lines). Spacing can impact readability.

Not all fonts read exactly as you intend them. Just google “Bad Font Choices” and you’ll see some excellent (and unintentionally offensive) examples of fonts that might be technically correct but which look like different words because the stylized letter shapes are similar to other letters.

Color – There’s a great deal of research on the psychology of color and its in=luence on buying habits. Red for example creates a sense of urgency. Greens are often associated with health and calmness. While you could easily be sidetracked by doing research about the best colors to use, color is often something we have an innate sense for. When considering different colors, ask yourself if they evoke the mood that you’re hoping to achieve, and do they match the genre of the book. Now, let’s talk about some cautions with display fonts. As mentioned previously, they work well for titles and sometimes subtitles. Decorative and Script fonts rarely

An often overlooked, but incredibly important consideration for Indie authors, is licensing for commercial use. Most authors are familiar with licensing images for commercial use. Fonts are also intellectual property and may require a license for commercial use. Some fonts are considered freeware, like the fonts that are preinstalled on your computer or with software you pay for, like Microsoft Word. If your license to the software isn’t a student version or only available for non-commercial use, those fonts can generally be used without an additional license. Other fonts, however, may require a fee for commercial use and it’s important to know which applications are permitted. Fonts can generally be licensed for print, eBooks, or websites. Sometimes a license will cover some or all of these uses, or you may need to upgrade your license to include additional applications. Many fonts include various styles (bold, italics, black, condensed, etc.). You often have the option to license individual styles or entire font families. Fonts with a vast library of alternate glyphs can be very expensive, but fear not, there are also free fonts available for commercial use.

When I say that there are free options for commercially licensed fonts, I do not mean that you should search the font you want by name and =ind a free download. There are many sites with pirated fonts. Always go to reputable sites that very clearly state speci=ic licensing. Many type foundries also offer a handful of free fonts for download. Be sure to review licenses to ensure they include a commercial license for your speci=ic needs. While there are several sites that list free commercially licensed fonts (read the =ine print!), FontSquirrel.com is one of my favorite resources. License types are clearly identi=ied, and are a wide variety of styles. As an Indie author, free, professional resources are always appreciated. Go have fun with fonts! Don’t forget to run them by fans, beta readers, and friends and family to make be sure your font choice doesn’t make one word appear as an unintended alternative.

You’re invited to join the Professional Indie Publishing Roundtable. If you’d like to be part of the conversation with industry pros and other independent authors, join me for periodic virtual meetings. Be part of the conversation, ask questions, and share your experiences, challenges, and successes. Visit www.DeliberatePage.com/ Roundtable to sign up for meeting access details and information.