We understand that it seems direct communication with your designer might be an efficient way to move through the design process. But the truth is the opposite - being available for on-demand one-on-one conversation actually reduces efficiency, while leading to higher costs.
Our designers work in a queue process. Projects are assigned to them, or enter their schedules, in the order in which they're submitted. A designer will work on one project at a time, dedicating their attention to only that project. Once it's complete, proofs are sent to the author. Then, instead of sitting back to wait for a response that may take anywhere from one hour to one month (or more) to come, the designer immediately moves on to the next project. They need to be able to concentrate on that project and stopping in the middle to shift gears to communicate about an entirely different one results in confusion, delayed turn times, and lower efficiency all around.
Our editorial coordinators are not involved with the design process itself but are tasked with making sure the designers have everything they need to work on proof corrections. Because the designers require written information to reference as they work, and because the editorial coordinators are never communicating with fewer than dozen different authors in a single day, they conduct all communication via e-mail to ensure that all BookBaby authors receive equal and undivided attention. It also ensures that any information meant for the designer is provided intact, rather than with the errors that can be introduced by trying to dictate a phone or video call as it's happening. This can result in things being misheard, misinterpreted, or missed altogether.
Finally, written communication provides an accurate record of what's been discussed in case questions arise later, since not all of our phone calls are recorded, and can help us identify common issues and ways in which we can improve our processes.
If you would like to speak with someone in a general sense about your design proofs, you can call our Production Support line at 877-961-6878, option 2, between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM ET. However, we will ultimately require the information to be supplied to your designer in writing.