reedsy book designer — Journal

Hi! I’m Nat! Nice to ‘digitally’ meet you. With it being the start of a new year, and it being my birthday (a time I usually take to reflect on where I’m at in life generally) I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce myself, properly, and tell you just a little bit about your friendly neighbourhood book designer…

Originally from the western prairies of Canada, I am currently finding my way around the industrial streets of Manchester. I love anything artsy, creative, indie, and industrial so Manchester just calls to me! Due to the pandemic, as some of you may know, unfortunately I am currently stuck in the ‘big smoke’ at the moment (travelling back to MCR every chance I get) BUT! As soon as those stars aline, I’ll be back home grabbing coffee at Foundation, and wandering the canals of Castlefield. Until then…

I've been art directing and designing eye-catching book covers across a range of genres, for nearly the past five years now, launching the ‘Miss Nat Mack’ Studio over a year ago. I absolutely love designing book covers, but I design other stuff too.

Before I became a book designer, I studied graphic design and upon obtaining my degree I went back to complete my Masters in Publishing with UAL in London. My love of books (and of reading!) is what pushes me to keep developing my skills as an artist. I care about the stories I design for – without them I would not be able to do what it is I do. Every great design, begins with an even better story.

When I’m not designing you can usually find me at a few of my favourite spots in Manchester with the future hubby (Northern Monk, Just Between Friends, Forbidden Planet, Home Sweet Home - just to name a few…), travelling anywhere and everywhere, and of course anything that involves my UK family. I am your stereotypical Canadian - I do put Maple Syrup on everything - so I try to get out on my Longboard to work off said Maple Syrup, have recently got back into Cosplay (next level of living in a Fantasy world achieved!) Rest of the time? Spent in a book store, naturally. Lol.

An interview with Miss Nat Mack:

Who is Nat?

A coffee-addicted bookworm, functioning (sort-of) with ADD and anxiety, whose identity (when not mistaken for Alison Hannigan) consists mostly of book design and reading with a splash of long-boarding, travelling, and cosplay thrown in, and who spends most of her time with her future-husband and her besties! (Am I too old to say besties? Lol.)

Why you so obsessed with me?

I absolutely loooooove coffee. It is definitely my life line. Running my own business I work some looooong hours, so I need it to keep me motivated. The caffeine of course helps. I’ve also become a bit of a coffee snob over the years. Yup, I’ve become one of those people. Hard-Lines is my favourite brewer at the moment, so you’ll definitely find me downing cup after cup of their coffee, but Starbucks? Um - not so much. Sorry, not sorry? Lol.

Bit of a depresh…

It’s taken me to my mid-thirties just to be able to talk about my ADD and Anxiety, and I am still learning how to talk about it (without embarrassment) and live with it day-to-day. And the first lockdown only emphasised for me just how important our mental-health is. Went through a bit of a depresh! As such, I am a strong advocate for treating your head and heart, the way you would the rest of your body. Everybody deserves the same comfort and support with mental health as they do their physical health.

Language Barriers

Moving to the UK from Canada on my own, hands down was the scariest and hardest thing I ever had to do - leaving behind my friends, my family, and my country. You may not guess it, but a decade later and the language barrier can still be confusing at times. And! I still can’t get decent Maple Syrup. *sigh*

Longboarding Dreams

I used to Skateboard when I was younger, but one session I fell off and broke my ankle. I’d like to say it was doing something cool… I mean, it was! I was doing a really cool trick and landed funny and broke my ankle. I swear… Lol. If you don’t know, when you break a joint it takes a longer amount of time than usual to heal. Having to go through weeks off my feet, and then months on crutches, it took me ages to get back on a board.

So swapping the Skateboard for a Longboard, I am getting back into it and, while slow moving, am loving it. Need to spend some more time in Spain and Portugal though - English weather does not make the best or most consistent of conditions to get out on the board.

An awfully big adventure

Oh travelling. The future-hubby and I are addicted so you can imagine how the last two years has been for us. We needs our freedom! There is nothing better than seeing new sights, learning about other cultures, and just being around people who are different! Life would be so boring if we were all the same. If we were all the same, and thought the same, imagine what kind of books we would have… the horror!

Books, Books, and more Books

So, no surprise here, I have a slight obsession with books. It’s one of the reasons I do what I do, and one of the reasons I love what I do. I get paid… to read!! I will read anything and everything if the writing is good, and I will never shy away from recommendations, so send ‘em my way! My favourite book? Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 100%.

If I could be anyone…

A Book Designer who likes to live in her books, and used to be a Costume Designer - Cosplay was just a natural progression. Only just got back into this during Lockdown, but after making the first set for Michael and I for Wales Comic Con (Firefly of course) I have SO many ideas for more. Another obsession incoming! Very much looking forward to NYCC this year.

Case of mistaken identity?

Ever since I was a teenager I have been referred to as Alison Hannigan’s doppelganger from How I Met Your Mother. I had red hair for years which obviously only added to this. Lol.

Why Book Design?

As with most people the original plan did not go… according to plan. Lol. I originally intended on being a costume designer. While I loved it, the hours were awful. I was working from 8 in the morning till 6 at night in the costume shop putting pieces together, fixing things, doing laundry, etc and then would be at the theatre from 6pm till maybe midnight, 1am for the show run and to tidy up and bring things back to the shop. I was working 7 days a week, all hours and the only family I had was my theatre family. It’s true when you work on a show that the people you work with are your life line - your friends, your family, your therapists, lol. I loved everybody I worked with and learned so much from them, but while I had such a passion for the theatre I wanted more. I wanted more experiences, more travel, time with other family and friends, and…spare time!

My cousin, Mackenzie Proudlove of BroBrick, pushed me to explore other areas of design and if it weren’t for him I probably wouldn’t be doing what it is I do now. He suggested looking into a graphic design path - everything I loved about design but allowed me to still focus on the other things I cared about.

An incredibly long and windy story later I landed on Book Design and will never, could never, look back. Book Design is me. It combines all my passions, all my quirks, and creativity all into one. I could not imagine doing anything else, and because of that, I genuinely put everything I can into my work. Each cover I work on leaves my studio with a little piece of me attached.

A coffee addicted designer, I create visually stunning Book Covers designed to reach your target market and capture your perfect audience. I care about the stories I design for - without them I would not be able to do what it is I do. I am SO glad you are here, and would love to be the Book Designer to bring your story to life!