Q&A with Charles Apple for Visual Editors: The classroom of visual journalism:

As a working designer, how do you make time to work on an outside project like this? Did you run into severe lifestyle-balance problems?
I had no idea what kind of time would be involved authoring a book. From research and writing to contract, editing, and production, the project took four years ’Äî the same amount of time it took to fight the Civil War! In the beginning, I carved out two hours each morning, Tuesday through Friday, for writing. On Monday mornings I spent four hours researching at the National Archives and the Library of Congress. I stuck to this schedule for the entire project. For balance, I made two major changes. First, I left my job as an art director at Knight Ridder/Tribune, where I worked very long hours, for a senior designer position at usatoday.com, which allowed me a regular schedule. Second, I stopped accepting freelance work.

Were your editors supportive of the project? Or did you have to 'talk them into it'?
I did not ask permission, or enlist the support, of my editors. The project was unrelated to my professional work, and so I kept them separate.

What advantages did being a visual journalist give you over other first-time authors (assuming, of course, this is your first book).
This is my first book, and my background as a visual journalist was most helpful in the conceptual phase. From early on, I knew I wanted to bring together photographic portraits of common soldiers and brief narratives centered on their Civil War experience. I believe my awareness as an artist and journalist, and especially my work with infographics and online multimedia, helped me to appreciate the powerful combination of images and text, and to think of these elements as equal players when planning the book. By the way, I think the hardest part of the entire process was coming to grips that I would not be involved in the design of the book ’Äî that is, other than submitting a two-page vision statement and having an opportunity to comment on the inside page design. I was really worried about how the book jacket in particular would turn out. All of the time I spent worrying was wasted! They did a fantastic job ’Äî their knowledge of book design is far beyond mine.

A project like this certainly shows you're not -- in the words of some folks -- "just a visuals guy." How did you become a such well-rounded journalist?
Well, I’Äôve always had deep respect for the written word. When you are working with researchers, reporters and editors every day, I guess it just sort of rubs off on you. Also, my first boss, Vernon Carne of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, told me during the interview process that he looked for three characteristics in a newspaper artist: Speed, versatility and accuracy. I promised myself that if I got the job I would try my best to live up to his criteria. I’Äôm still working on it.

What's been the reaction by your editors and co-workers?
They have been extremely supportive. Especially Anne Carey, our researcher. We’Äôve worked together for four years, and she regularly asked me how things were going. She never mentioned that she had an ancestor who fought in the Civil War, and I never thought to inquire about her family history. So, after I received my first copy, I brought it into the office. The first person I shared it with was Anne. She flipped to the index and found her great-great-grandfather, Samuel B. Noyes. He was wounded at Gettysburg and died soon after the war ended. The chances of one of my co-workers having a Civil War ancestor who is one of seventy-seven soldiers profiled in my book is unbelievably slim, considering that 2.2 million Northern men volunteered to fight for the Union!

Would you/will you write another book?
Definitely. My editor at the Johns Hopkins University Press has asked me to expand Faces into a three book series. The next will be an album of Confederate soldiers and their stories, and the third will be devoted to civilians. You can learn more about the book  at www.facesofthecivilwar.com.

Originally published on Visual Editors: The classroom of visual journalism in October 2004.