Hi, I’m Nathaniel.

I’m a book designer, collage maker, photo taker, self-publisher, and a few other things in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

A Book Designer’s Notebook is my newsletter about books, design, and what I’m working on. It alternates between a particular, usually bookish topic, and “notebooks” that keep you up to date with my projects and what I am reading, watching and listening to.

Here’s a taste:

The Not the End of Your Life Book Club

Nathaniel Roy

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May 19

I don’t remember what they were talking about, but I remember the laughter, loud and conspiratorial, from the front seat of the car. “We’re friends now,” my mom said of my sister and herself. “When you’re older, maybe we can be friends, too.”

On July 15, 2022, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

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A New York Notebook

Nathaniel Roy

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May 31

Howdy, dear reader! This is A Book Designer’s Notebook, a newsletter in which I write occasional dispatches about what I’m writing, reading, and working on. What I’ve been up to To celebrate my 30th birthday, I took a solo trip to New York City. I don’t usually do anything big for my birthday, but 30 f…

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Making Freelance Finances Work

Nathaniel Roy

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Jun 9

Introducing Interview with a Book Designer: a new series from A Book Designer’s Notebook! Last month, I sat down with the wonderful and talented Jordan Wannemacher, an award-winning graphic designer in Brooklyn, New York. Previously a Senior Designer at Barnes and Noble, Rodale Books and Columbia University Press, she is also an occasional contributor to

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I’ve been a book designer since 2019—a graphic designer for longer—but I have been a reader my entire life and I have always loved to write. Each of these pieces of myself are woven together to form my creative practice—of which I hope this newsletter will be a manifestation.

What will I write about? Well, lots! Including, but not limited to: book design, publishing, book reviews, designer interviews, collage, photography, walking, and maybe a personal essay or two. And, of course, notebooks.

What do I read? Again, lots! I try to read broadly. I plan to share the books I am reading as well as any cool stuff I stumble across on Substack and across the internet at large.

What do I work on? In addition to being a freelance book designer, I work as a graphic designer for a public library where I design things like event posters, logos, movie posters for puppets, t-shirts, and award-winning books, among other things. I also have an ever-growing list of personal projects in various stages of completion.

This newsletter is for anyone interested in books, publishing, design, art, and anyone who happens to be curious about what I am up to (hi, mom!) If any of that sounds of interest to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing.

—Nathaniel