# The Book Designer

The Book Designer is a free blog for self-publishers about book design, interior layout, fonts and production, founded by Joel Friedlander.

- Canonical page: https://kdp123.com/t/the-book-designer/
- Official site: https://www.thebookdesigner.com
- Categories: Courses, Blogs & Channels
- Price: Free
- Platforms: web
- Outputs KDP-ready files: Not stated
- Touches your KDP account: Not stated
- Official Amazon product: No
- Last checked: 2026-11-09

## Summary

The Book Designer was started by book designer Joel Friedlander in 2009 and was bought by selfpublishing.com at the end of 2020, shortly before his death. It keeps an archive of his articles plus newer guides on trim sizes, margins, fonts and covers that apply to KDP print books. It is now owned by Chandler Bolt's selfpublishing.com (Self-Publishing School) and promotes that company's training and programs, so it is no longer an independent voice.

## Pros

- Detailed archive on interior design and print production
- Free templates and guides on layout and fonts

## Cons

- Owned by selfpublishing.com and funnels readers to its paid programs
- Newer posts drift into general content beyond book design

## Alternatives

- [Self-Publishing School](https://kdp123.com/t/self-publishing-school/)
- [Creativindie](https://kdp123.com/t/creativindie/)
- [Reedsy Blog](https://kdp123.com/t/reedsy-blog/)

## Sources

- https://www.thebookdesigner.com/about/
- https://www.thebookdesigner.com/