BACKSPACE INK provides editorial, book design, project management, and consulting services for:

• Authors who want to self-publish their books

• Authors who need help preparing their manuscripts for submission to a publishing company

• Publishing companies that need help with their in-house book projects

• Anyone who needs editing and design services for their personal or professional projects

At BACKSPACE INK, our clients:

• Retain control throughout the production process and of the finished product.

• Own all electronic files we prepare for them.

• Pay us no compensation from the sale of books we help produce.

• Can receive training for any of the services we offer.

• Determine the level of service they want.

• Make the final decisions.

• Participate at a comfortable level—and we do the rest!

Joanne Shwed

The act of reading should result in a subliminal transition—from a printed word to a thought.

A reader should be transported to another place and time, understand the text easily, and feel the emotions the author has shared. A manuscript should always reflect the author’s voice and style.

We will uncover and refine each author’s important messages and bring them to life, much like a sculptor shaping a piece of clay and revealing the essence within it.

Miral Sattar, Lost in the Water: Flood Stories from Pakistan

Joanne designed a really great cover for me. I didn’t really have much of an idea when starting out. Joanne was patient and worked with me to flesh out my idea and made sure I got the cover that I wanted. With her guidance I got a really great design for a cover that I’m happy with.

Books for Sale

We have many books for sale, including crossword puzzles, poetry, art, and music.

My Writing

This section contains (very) short stories, essays, and other personal writing for your reading enjoyment.

Crossword Puzzle Demonstrations

At these events, we bring a large, blank crossword puzzle and, with the audience’s help, fill it in. It’s a lot of fun and intellectually stimulating for adults of all ages, especially seniors. Call 650.355.4640 to schedule a demonstration for your group!

TAE Gallery (pronounced “tie”) is an e-gallery of original artwork, photography, poetry, songs, and book arts by Thomas A. Ekkens. We hope you visit his site soon and attend an upcoming event.