About Deja Huella

I am very excited to share the publication of my first book, which I have co-authored and designed. “Deja Huella!” is a comprehensive guide for developing non-fiction books, covering every aspect from conceptualization to publication, as well as the creation of an effective branding strategy for both the author and the book.

Collaborating with Vanessa Garduño (my partner at Branding for Writers), we persevered through the pandemic, a pregnancy (mine), and taking care of a baby (hers), pooling our knowledge and ideas to produce this labour of love and dedication. It is my sincere aspiration that “Deja Huella!” will assist professionals in sharing their valuable insights with the world by navigating them through the process.

I am very grateful to all the people who made this book possible 🙏 :
Marc Reklau, Alma Karla Sandoval, Lula Ballarino, Teresa Baró, Héctor Trinidad Quijada, Nohelis Ruíz, Leo Piccioli, Mónica Rodríguez, Mónica Mendoza, Mónica Galán Bravo, Mercedes Wullich, Andrés Pérez Ortega, David Díaz, Carolin von der Mosel & Vangelis Tsirikos.

Konstantina Gavala

On designing Deja Huella

Writing a book is always a challenging endeavour, but doing it while heavily pregnant added an extra layer of complexity. I finished my part of the writing of the book only a few days before giving birth, and the editing and design process was done mostly with my little baby daughter on my lap, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a test of patience, multitasking, and determination, but the result was worth it. 🙂

I wanted to create a unique and visually compelling book that would stand out on the shelves (real or digital) for its inside and out content. In order to ensure consistency and cohesion throughout the book and its marketing materials, I designed a brand style manual for the book, which included typography, colour palette, type of images, as well as the layout guidelines.

As you can observe in the document here below, we chose a clean and impactful colour palette consisting of black, white, and intense red for highlighting important images or text. We have also used red marginal lines to differentiate the workbook parts in the book. The typography selection includes three distinct typefaces, each serving a specific purpose: one for primary titles, another for chapter titles, and a third for plain text. To enhance the overall concept and style, halftone designs in black or red have been incorporated, adding visual interest and depth. Additionally, greyscale is utilized for photographs that are intended to remain in their original format.

The cover design reflects, I hope, the essence of the book, which is to help authors “leave their mark in the world”. After researching the competition and analysing the book’s target audience, we settled on a concept that incorporated bold typography and eye-catching colours to capture the attention of potential readers. For the same purpose, we chose a simple, yet powerful image of a hand (symbolizing any author, and, at the same time, the book itself) leaving a fingerprint on the “face” of the viewer/reader, who symbolizes anyone/the world. The composition is concluded by the use of lines and text, always following the brand style manual’s decisions.

Viewing the cover in comparison to other books of the niche in a crowded marketplace, it stands out for its uniqueness and originality. There are no pencils or pens, or even graphics of target achievement. Instead, the reader can appreciate a composition that places him/her at the centre of attention. The hand pointing/leaving a fingerprint works as a call-to-action image, much like the well-known US Army poster shown below (copying the idea was not intentional, it was probably due to a subconscious notion).

Finally, for the interior design of the book, I wanted to create a magazine-like, unique experience for the reader. To achieve this, I used countless layout designs, graphics, and “halftone” photographs, making it the longest and most complicated editorial project I have ever worked on.

Workbook “crea tu plan 360º”

Alongside the main book, we have published a downloadable workbook, followed by a print version available on Amazon. Crea tu Plan 360º is a resource for authors and professionals who want to effectively market their non-fiction books and personal brands. This workbook provides comprehensive guidance and practical templates to develop a successful marketing plan. It includes thought-provoking questionnaires, to help define the author’s ideal audience, set clear marketing objectives, and tailor promotion strategies to their unique needs.

The workbook has its own brand style manual, not very different from the original one, though. Since it is mainly a notebook featuring prompts, again the layouts have been created according to the use: questions, charts, space to paste images, etc.

Marketing materials

Following the publication, we have created a lot of different designs for marketing purposes, such as announcing the book’s presentation, etc. Here you can see some samples.

Languages and availability

Deja Huella was published on the 12th of April 2023 (you can get your copy in print or digital form here). Currently, the book is only available in Spanish, but we are already reckoning an English version. We believe this book will provide valuable guidance to writers and authors, regardless of their location and language.

Awards