Author Logos
The General Process:
Each client is unique, so each process varies slightly. Generally, it follows this outline:
- You fill out my web form with questions about “Logo Design.”
- I review your form and follow up with any questions. We discuss any specific deadlines you’re trying to meet to ensure ample time. Logo development typically takes around 2-3 weeks.
- I request examples of other logos you like. These can be other authors’ logos or logos from different industries. While I don’t want to copy other designs (we want your logo to be unique), this helps me grasp your style. After all, we want to love your new logo.
- I send a 50% retainer invoice to schedule your work.
- If you’re comfortable, I may start with rough sketches. Some people’s brains aren’t wired that way, and that’s perfectly fine! In such cases, I usually create three semi-finished designs for review.
- The process of narrowing down and revising begins. We may go back and forth a few times.
- Once we finalize the logo, I send the final invoice with the balance minus the retainer paid in Step 4. Meanwhile, I create logo versions and a branding information sheet.
Costs and Deliverables:
$800 (50% to get started, 50% when work is complete)
- Process Includes:
- Up to 3 rounds of sketches
- 3 logo concepts
- Up to 3 rounds of concept adjustments
- Finalization of one concept
- Logo Versions: Color and black and white (if appropriate)
- Logo Files: High-quality logo files for press (EPS/Vector, high resolution) and files for web and desktop applications (Microsoft Word, etc.). Note, if you ever need another file type down the road, just give me a call and I'll send it to you.
- Profile Logo: This logo fits into the square and circular spaces on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
- Branding Sheet: This includes any colors and fonts used, so you can reference them with other vendors in the future.
Scroll down to see case studies of some of the logos I've developed with a client.
Author Logo Samples
If you want to see additional samples of my work or other logos, you can follow this link.
Case Studies
Wobbly Creek
This client wanted to self-publish and desired a logo to put on business cards and banners for events. We started with a rough sketch her husband provided. The rough sketch included a "J" shape for the author's name, deer, and pine trees.
The original concepts had the logo surrounded by deer antlers. Eventually, we decided to change the "J" to a "W" and drop the surrounding antlers and use some small deer icons so it didn't distract from the main logo.
Jen Bair
Jen is a fantasy author that initially wanted a logo that heavily used her initials similarly to the way she signed her name (A "J" over a "B" that created a heart). We both loved the idea, but when trying to solidify it into a strong logo, it just wasn't working.
Eventually we explored other fantasy concepts and landed on a phoenix with a very stylized version of her name.
Greg Little
Greg was looking for a logo to use for all of his marketing materials and website.
We started out with a discussion on what he envisioned. This included colors and discussing his style of writing. We talked about his likes and dislikes. He provided some logos he liked so I'd have a good sense of what he was looking for.
I provided several rounds of concept sketches in a video format so I could explain my thought process. Eventually, we settled on the final logo, played with color, and ultimately decided on black and white.
