A cover like this certainly makes you wonder what's inside; and I mean that in a bad way...

When you’ve been doing something for as long as I’ve been a publisher — 35 years and counting — you get to know a few things.

Like what a decently designed book interior should look like.

I can usually spot a self-published book — at least one that’s been “designed” by the author — a mile away. Aside from all the whacky covers out there that make the task of spotting an amateur’s work so easy my dog Scout could probably do it, there are some recurring, fundamental errors self-publishing authors make when formatting their books’ pages that leap out at anyone who knows what a professionally designed book should look like, as well.

Here’s a terrific — and brief — video by pro book designer Joel Friedlander, talking with BookBaby president Brian Felsen, that highlights a few of the obvious design errors to watch out for if you’ve decided to design and format your next book yourself.