Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Tuesday's Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts


By Judy Probus (@JudyProbus)

Designing a book cover can be daunting task. Where to start? How to make it look good? What not to do? We (The Book Designer) often address issues on this topic in the comments of our monthly e-Book Cover Design Awards. In today’s post, author Judy Probus offers her advice on how to tackle the task.

~*~

So, you survived the gauntlet of rewrites, the flood of red ink your editor poured on your pages, and countless sleepless nights you spent worrying about how to tie the story together. Finally, you put the last period at the end of your tale’s final sentence with a heavy sigh and a hopeful cheer. Congrats! You have a manuscript.

But, if you are an independent author, the journey has only just begun.

Buckle up and blast off into another realm on your book journey because, like every newborn baby, your new manuscript is buck-naked. Your next destination: the world of book cover creation.

Every reputable book has a cover. Paperback and hardback books have front and back covers. E-books are a little more manageable – they only requirefront covers. The good news is that a Starfleet of artists wait with pens, paintbrushes and computer mice in hand to join you on your quest to make a cover that is every bit as good as the story it protects.

Whether we like it or not, readers do judge books by their covers; therefore, all of your hard work is on the line when going through this part of your self-publishing journey. Do NOT take this step lightly.

It’s up to you to pull together a team that will create a captivating, dynamic piece of art that will encourage prospective readers to pick up your book and give it a chance.

So, what are some ways to ensure your cover will pop instead of sizzle? Here are my five keys to book cover success:

  1. Front-load the work

. . .

Read the full article HERE!

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If you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they are again:
  1. I Love Charts http://ow.ly/AbNjs The Process of Writing a Book
  2. How to promote your books — Writing tips from published authors — Medium http://ow.ly/AbRP7
  3. Hidden Emotions: How To Tell Readers What Characters Don’t Want To Show http://ow.ly/AbRZ1
  4. Author, Jody Hedlund: How To Justify Spending Lots of Time Writing Before Publication http://ow.ly/AbSEZ
  5. 15 Questions Authors Should Ask Characters - Writers Write http://ow.ly/AbTcY
  6. Think Like a Publisher 2015: Chapter One… The Early Decisions | http://ow.ly/AbThW
  7. Divas on Writing: Issues with the First Person Perspective - Write Divas http://ow.ly/AbTqB
  8. AuthorCulture: Things Never to Put In Your Author Bio http://ow.ly/AbTHp
  9. Writability: Thoughts from the Intern Slush Pile: Is Your Voice Up to Snuff? http://ow.ly/AbVnL
  10. CRIME WRITING - RESOURCES MASTERPOST - RP and Writing http://ow.ly/AbVRG
  11. Karen Woodward: Eight Tips: How To Tell A Scary Story http://ow.ly/AbVXI
  12. 5 Things You Should Never Say to an Indie Author | Sarahbeth Caplin | Author & Christian Feminist Thinker http://ow.ly/AbWo3
  13. Mythcreants » The Keys to a Great Opening Scene http://ow.ly/AbWMi
  14. 5 Important Ways to Use Symbolism in Your Story | WRITERS HELPING WRITERSWRITERS HELPING WRITERS http://ow.ly/AbXn2
  15. How to Become a Better Writer in One, Simple Step http://ow.ly/AbXsS
  16. Smart eBooks: When the Text Is No Longer the Text | Beyond The Margins http://ow.ly/AbXJT
  17. The Crash: Braving Your Second Draft - Helping Writers Become Authors http://ow.ly/AbXQi
  18. 3 Ways to Sell More (Ideas, Books, Products, etc) | Daniel Decker http://ow.ly/AbYh7
  19. How Much Back Story is Too Much | The Editor's Blog http://ow.ly/AbYoY
  20. What is a Beta Reader? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Getting and Giving Feedback on your WIP http://ow.ly/AbYuB
  21. Why the Hero needs his Nemesis | Stavros Halvatzis http://ow.ly/AbYNj
  22. Facebook Post Frequency: How to Find Out What Works | Social Media Examiner http://ow.ly/AbYUN
  23. The 3:00 a.m. Secret Question That Drives Meaningful Success - Copyblogger http://ow.ly/AbZ30
  24. Solving the Content Management System Standoff: Drupal, Joomla or WordPress? : @ProBlogger http://ow.ly/AbZ7X
  25. 5 Keys to Book Cover Success by Judy Probus — The Book Designer http://ow.ly/AbZe0
  26. Ebook Vs Book Which Should You Choose http://t.co/5xG0lNXHwc
  27. Flash Flood Fiction : Outlining your novel: a guide to your plot outline http://ow.ly/Ac0MO
  28. ISBNs and You and Your Book … Do You Need Them? http://ow.ly/Ac11B
  29. Author Smarts: How to Get Book Publicity When You Are Out of Steam http://ow.ly/Ac172
  30. Writers On The Move: Where do Characters Come From? http://ow.ly/Ac1jC
Happy writing and running, Kathy

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