Nashville book design for authors and publishers
GKS Creative designs book covers and interiors in Nashville, and has since 2007. We also prepare the press-ready files that keep a book from being rejected. Local authors get a designer in the same time zone who knows the printers you are submitting to.
Book design in a publishing town
Nashville is known for music, and it is also one of the most concentrated publishing cities in the country. Thomas Nelson, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is headquartered here. So is B&H Publishing Group. Vanderbilt University Press publishes out of West End. Ingram Content Group, whose presses print a large share of the world's independent books, sits about 20 miles southeast in La Vergne. Every October the Southern Festival of Books brings more than 25,000 readers to Bicentennial Mall, with Parnassus Books as the festival bookseller.
That matters for a practical reason. A designer working in this market sees the same printers, the same specifications and the same rejection notices week after week. Gwyn Flowers founded GKS Creative in Nashville in 2007, after nearly two decades in design, advertising and print production. GKS Creative has been here since, and the accumulated familiarity with how these books actually get made is the part that saves you a reprint.
What we design
Book cover design
Covers built to sell the book on a shelf at Parnassus and as a thumbnail on a retailer page, which are two different design problems. Full wrap for print, plus the ebook version.
Book interior design
Typesetting and page layout for fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and illustrated books, with the margins, gutters and running heads set to your printer's specification rather than to a word processor default.
Author brand and marketing
Series logos, imprint marks, ads, social graphics and 3D cover renders, so the book and the author look like the same project everywhere they appear.
Rejected print file repair
Your file came back from IngramSpark or KDP and the message did not explain much. We diagnose every fault, not just the named one, and return a compliant file. From $99.
Publishing and editorial
Trusted partners for editing, proofreading, coaching and print-on-demand setup, so a manuscript can go from draft to distributed without you assembling the team yourself.
Press-ready file preparation
PDF/X-1a export, CMYK conversion, embedded fonts, correct bleed and a spine calculated from your real page count and paper stock. The unglamorous work that decides whether a book prints.
Who we work with here
Nashville's writing community is broader than the music it is known for, and the design needs differ by corner of it.
- Independent authors publishing through IngramSpark and Amazon KDP, who need a cover that competes and a file that clears preflight on the first attempt.
- Faith and inspirational publishers, an unusually deep part of this market given the imprints headquartered in the city.
- Songwriters and music industry figures writing memoir, where the cover has to carry a recognizable personal brand.
- Small presses and imprints running a list, who need consistency across a series rather than one striking cover.
- Businesses and nonprofits publishing a book as a credibility piece rather than a revenue line.
Our work has been trusted by bestselling authors and by Pulitzer and Edgar winners. You can see the portfolio or read what clients say.
Areas served
Based in Nashville and working throughout Middle Tennessee, including Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Mount Juliet, Smyrna and La Vergne, as well as with authors across Tennessee and worldwide.
Projects run over email and video calls, so distance is never the constraint on getting a book made well.
Frequently asked questions
Is GKS Creative actually based in Nashville?
Yes. Gwyn Flowers founded GKS Creative in Nashville in 2007 and it has been based here ever since. We work with authors and publishers worldwide, and Nashville is home.
Do I have to be in Nashville to work with you?
No. Book design is file work, so the process runs the same whether you are in East Nashville or overseas. Projects run over email and video calls, with proofs to review at every stage.
How much does book design cost in Nashville?
Cover and interior projects are quoted individually, because a 90 page poetry collection and a 400 page illustrated history are not the same job. File Fix, our diagnosis and repair service for rejected print files, is priced openly and starts at $99. Send the details through the contact form and you will get a quote rather than a range.
Can you fix a book file IngramSpark rejected?
Yes, and it is worth knowing that Ingram Content Group, which runs both IngramSpark and Lightning Source, is headquartered about 20 miles from downtown Nashville in La Vergne. We diagnose every reason a file was refused rather than only the one the printer named, and return a compliant cover and interior. Diagnosis starts at $99.
Which areas around Nashville do you serve?
All of Middle Tennessee, including Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Mount Juliet, Smyrna and La Vergne, along with authors across Tennessee and worldwide.
Let's make your book look like it belongs on the shelf.
Nashville based, working worldwide. Tell us about the project and we'll be in touch.
Contact Us