A set of photocopied layouts are sent to me, and for the first time I see how the book is shaping up. The layouts show me where the designer wants the text and pictures to go. This is my chance to speak up and say if I like the look of the book, or not. Most times I’m very pleased with what I see, but sometimes I see things in the layouts I know have got to be changed.

For example, if I think I need more room to write about something, or if I think a picture is in the wrong place (or just plain wrong), then I say so, and the designer produces a new layout.

I’m not the only person who checks the page layouts – my editor does, too. She might see other things that need changing. Between the three of us – author, editor, designer – we finally come up with layouts that look just like the pages in the finished book.

Page layouts show everyone in the team how the book is starting to look. Changes are easy to make at layout stage.

Page layout drawn in pencil only. Spaces show
where the text is to fit. In the bottom left-hand
corner, I have asked for the human skull to be
changed to an animal skull.

The finished page. All text is in place. An animal
skull has been drawn instead of a human skull.