"Vicky Vaughn Shea is extremely creative, collaborative, detail-oriented, and positive. She blends more than 25 years of award-winning professional experience with fresh perspectives, ideas, and an unfailing and enthusiastic desire to do her very best. . . . If Vicky is involved with something, it always turns out far greater than anyone could have imagined.”
John Trent, author and award-winning Nevada journalist
"Vicky brings more than design know-how and best practices to her work—she brings a well-rounded understanding of the project’s topic, its potential for historical callbacks that stand the test of time, and an elegance that enhances the words on the page."
Brad Lyons, President and Publisher at Chalice Media Group
“Vicky Vaughn Shea is a design partner who intuitively understands storytelling, craftsmanship, and collaboration. She doesn’t just lay out words and images—she gives them life. Our recent work together on Second Sunrise and It Happened at the Palace are shining examples of her skill and sensitivity, and it’s this kind of collaboration that turns a book into a memorable object.”
Vanessa Campos, cofounder, Broad Book Group

Vicky Vaughn Shea has designed and laid out hundreds of books over the past 25 years. Although Vicky specializes in designing nonfiction corporate history books, she has also designed cookbooks, guidebooks, gardening and home improvement books, travel books, gift books, and children’s books. Many corporate history books that Vicky designed were written by Russ Banham and/or edited by Betsy Holt, including the anniversary histories of Harvard Business School, Belden, Progress Rail, and Mississippi Power Company. Her work has won numerous IBPA Book Awards and a PubWest Design award. Vicky regularly attends publishing conferences and Adobe Max/Creative Pro to stay current in design trends and publishing software. 

Vicky oversees all aspects of design, layout, and printing, including working with the printer on pricing and production. She has extensive experience with the printing process. Vicky can manage complex color printing and troubleshoot production issues, maintaining a high level of detail while working directly with the printers to ensure the best quality books are produced. She does this through file management, color correcting images, and preflight file preparation. She is often on press—both in the US and overseas—to review and approve the first printed sheets of the book to verify that the colors, layout, and overall appearance match the approved proofs. This crucial step allows for adjustments before the full print run begins, preventing costly errors and potentially saving time and money.

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