This includes wearing the marketing and sales hats.

This may seem terrifying, but it’s not as daunting as you may think. While marketing your books and bookish products for your career may be laborious, it doesn’t have to be painstaking. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my journey as a career, independent author, it’s this:

Systems and automations will get you far.

Believe it or not, some of your favorite 6, and 7, figure-earning authors have no team. No staff. Just independent contractors and vendors they use every now and again to get certain projects done. Aside from that, they’re able to get almost everything in their business done themselves.

How?

Through tight, and highly efficient, systems, and automations.

Being an author doesn’t have to overwhelm you. Especially not the publishing and marketing bits. In this article, I’m thrilled to share some of the systems and automations I have in place that help me automate the majority of my business so I can easily market, focus on writing more books, and serve my readers, all while growing my publishing career.

Canva: Content and Product Creation

Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

I’m not afraid to admit, I swear by Canva. Truly. I use this tool for just about everything in my author business. From creating social media graphics I use on Instagram, to videos I create for book trailers, to branding materials like logos for my business, and even printed materials like character art and stickers.

It’s a great all-in-one media design tool. Canva will help you create the posts for the social platform of your choice, and even help you create what you need for more personal touches when fulfilling orders for your readers. 

Also… did I mention it’s free? I can’t recommend Canva enough. Give it a try and see how it helps do wonders for your author business.

Preview: Social Media Scheduling

Preview is an Instagram Planner that helps you easily plan your posts, Reels, IGTVs, and Instagram Stories. Find the best hashtags, caption ideas, presets, analytics, and more.

Once upon a time, it was said that content is king. Well. I think we could all agree, in today’s online climate, the new king is automation. I personally focus strictly on Instagram to grow my author business socially, so Preview is my go-to tool to schedule all of the content I create.

It’s great because you get a high-level view of your feed so you can see what your Instagram page will look like when your posts go Live. Preview also allows you to do this magical thing called, “auto-post”. This makes content 100% easier. You add the content in, you schedule it to post, and you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

Whether you schedule content for next week, next month, or even next year, once it’s there, you can forget about it, and use up that mental space on greater priorities in your business.

Lintr.ee: Social Media Conversions

Linktree is a tool that allows you to create a personalized and customizable page that houses all the important links that you want to share with your audience.

Never let the internet fool you into thinking that clicks are more important than conversions. What I mean by this is, if you have 10,000 followers, but only get 10 people who buy your books, then your business is only as powerful as the 10 buyers.

This is why conversions are incredibly important, and the easiest way to increase them is to remove distractions. Linktree helps do just that. It provides a link readers can click on and see all the different ways they can connect with you. 

My favorite way to use Linktree is when promoting my current upcoming release, pushing readers to my newsletter, and making it easy to get to my website. Some authors share many links to their books, promotions, and more. As for me, I typically have no more than five links. Again, because conversions matter. The less there is to click, the easier it becomes for a reader to reach checkout.

Omnisend: Email and Text Marketing

Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing automation platform for growth-focused eCommerce businesses. Omnisend allows you to add several channels to the same automation workflow for seamless communication via email, SMS, web push notifications, and more.

If you don’t have an email list, you’re playing a highly dangerous game in business. At the end of the day, followers we have on any kind of platform, whether it be a social one like Instagram, or a search engine one like Pinterest, are not followers we own. If we lose access to those platforms, we thereby also lose access to those audiences we’ve built up.

This is why it’s incredibly important to build an email list. And these days, you also need a text list, too. We are increasingly on our phones for business, and everyday life. Reaching your readers where they are is directly tied to the backbone of your business. Omnisend makes growing both your email, and your text list, easy.

You get access to important data, have the ability to see what’s actually working, what’s converting, and what’s bottlenecking your business. It is one of the best tools I could recommend for you to invest in immediately for your author career.

Notion: Planning and Scheduling

Notion is a project management and note-taking software platform designed to help members of companies or organizations coordinate deadlines, objectives, and assignments for greater efficiency and productivity.

You’ve heard it said, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. There are many tools online for you to use when it comes to fleshing out your publishing schedule, writing out your marketing campaigns for email and social media, and also writing out tasks so you meet your goals and deadlines.

Recently, the tool that has made planning and scheduling easy for me is Notion. From tables, to checklists, to options for importing images, videos, spreadsheets, and more, it has taken my author business to the next level. 

Sometimes all your career needs is one right decision that will take you in the direction success lies. Notion is a project management tool, and for authors, it’s invaluable. I highly recommend giving it a go to propel your authorial career.

Now that we’ve discussed some phenomenal tools to assist you in your self-publishing career, tell me: Which of these do you plan to use?

Stephanie BwaBwa is the Jesus-centered, YA Fantasy Author and Entrepreneur, creator of fantasy world Elledelle, and Co-Host of the Indie Author Lifestyle Show, who’s enjoying building a legacy through the lens of story. You can usually catch her going for a walk through a park, or simply binging Disney+ with too many snacks. Get in contact with Stephanie directly at stephaniebwabwa.com or follow her on Instagram or Goodreads.

The post Marketing Systems and Automations to Grow Your Self-Publishing Career appeared first on DIY MFA.

If you’ve never published a book before, get ready to take a deep sigh. Several times. Be sure to have your Nespresso geared up. Have a financial cushion available, and prepare yourself for hiccups.

If you do all of this, when you run into these skin-flaming steps of the process, you’ll be mentally ready to face, and crush, them.

I say this in advance because getting to the finish line of any marathon is always the toughest, and publishing is no different.

Just because it sounds easy, doesn’t mean it is. However, I’ve laid out some great tools that will lessen the head-to-wall banging that can ensue.

I’ve tried these tools myself throughout the years. Use them! They will be of great service to you, and seriously push you ahead in your authorial career. Your toolbox will thank you!

In the last article, Your Self-Publishing Toolbox for Authorial Success: Editing Tools, we discussed the tools I highly recommend for the writing phase of an author’s publishing journey. 

In this article, I’ll dive deep into what I personally recommend for the publishing phase of your journey as an author.

Publishing Tools

Cover Design: Miblart

Miblart is a web and graphic design company that offers professional book cover design services for indie authors: illustrated, ebook, and print covers, and interior book design.

I have used miblart for years. They’re fast, with affordable investment, and top tier quality. They’re not just for book covers, but they’re also great for other services like: typography, author branding, and more.

I myself have used the book cover services, as well as typography services. I’ve also booked the formatting service for both the paperback and hardcover print versions of my books.

I can attest that their customer service is wonderful! Their designers will do what it takes to get you the cover you need, and overall you’ll leave satisfied.

Is this service for every book you will publish? Of course not. But if you need low overhead, a quick turnaround, and quality art? This is the company to go to at the outset.

If, and when, you use them, be sure to tell Tania I sent you. She’s a sweetheart, and I guarantee you’ll appreciate her kindness.

Cover Design: Professional Designers and Illustrators

Let’s be clear about cover design. You know that saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?”

It’s a lie. A bonafide L I E.

We all judge books by their cover. And your readers will judge yours, too, if you don’t invest in high quality book design. Don’t even bother DIY’ing this part. What it will cost you in the long run isn’t worth it.

After miblart, I seriously recommend working with professional designers and illustrators.

Now, here’s the rub. These professionals are everywhere, their schedules are the cesspools of chaos, and their work, plus 1:1 service to you, can sometimes be a hit or miss.

To this date I’m sitting on illustrations that will never see the light of day. However, just because one designer fell short, doesn’t mean all of them will.

I have worked with fabulous illustrators and designers throughout the years that have blessed my career with their art.

Keys to finding a good artist? Check their street cred!!!

Beyond the beautiful fotos you see on Instagram and TikTok. Beyond what they say authors are saying. Ask around. Ask in author communities. Read the comments section on their posts. Look on Amazon for the supposed art they claim they have done. Check who has resposted them.

Do. Your. Research.

Some are pretty obvious they’re professional and a go to, while others you’ll have to take a chance on. 

I still recommend this route.

Be sure to message them in advance. They may require full payment upfront. They may be booked out for half the year, or even up to an entire year. They may only do a certain kind of illustration or design. They may be available, but take 6 months to finish the artwork and you need to publish in 4.

Again. Do your research.

I highly recommend working with professional artists from around the world who specialize in covers for your genre to design your cover so you have a higher chance of success!

Formatting: Vellum

Vellum is a book creation tool for Mac that allows you to professionally format books for publication. This software is free to download and use, but you’ll need to purchase a package to actually export your files to publish.

Ya’ll. If you have a Mac, buying Vellum is a must.

No. 

But. 

Seriously.

Vellum is a formatting tool that makes getting your book publish-worthy an entire dream! You can format hundreds, or even thousands, of pages in mere minutes to hours.

It’s as simple as uploading your book’s word doc into the software, choosing your header images and the book’s dimensions, adding in your front and back matter, then presto! Click export, and you now have several book files to upload on every platform you plan to publish on.

Sounds too good to be true? I promise you it’s not. This software is the real deal for formatting.

Currently it’s only available for Mac users, but if you can manage to get your hands on this tool anyway, I can’t shout its praises enough!

Publishing: IngramSpark

IngramSpark is an award-winning independent publishing platform, and an online self-publishing company that allows you to print, globally distribute, and manage your print and ebooks!

I’ll say this now, this platform comes with an upfront cost that will result in backend fruit.

What this means is, through IngramSpark you’ll need to purchase ISBN’s, bar codes, and pay a book-set-up fee when you’re ready to publish. 

However, your author copy purchases will be less. And might I add, when you’re ready to ship directly to your readers, while Amazon has you waiting several weeks for your books to arrive, with IngramSpark, your books will take days.

This platform is for those who are willing to spend a little more on the front end, and take a little longer to get their books live, but want long term security for book success and reader satisfaction.

Publishing: Kindle Direct Publishing

Kindle Direct Publishing is a platform to self-publish eBooks and paperbacks for free and reach millions of readers on Amazon.

KDP is often a go to for authors, especially if they’re publishing for the first time, and I completely understand why.

You pay for nothing upfront. Bar codes, ISBN’s, and even a cover generator, are all provided by Amazon’s self-publishing platform. All you need to do is upload your manuscript in the appropriate book file and you’re good to go.

If you’re an author wanting to take the approach of solely publishing on Amazon for now, go for it! Many authors have done this and carved out 6, and 7, figure businesses for themselves.

There are many perks to publishing through KDP and being exclusive to Amazon. I myself have used this service for years, even in the golden hour when it used to be Create Space (Where my OG’s at?). I love the ability to publish a book, with zero stress, in literally minutes.

I highly recommend the KDP platform for publishing your book. Not only you’ll find it simple and easy to use, but you’ll also find great success in using it.

Publishing: Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital is a digital publishing aggregator offering conversion and distribution services for authors. The platform is aimed at authors “going wide” and selling the books in as many places as possible.

Friend, if you’re an author with a vision of having your published book everywhere, Draft2Digital is for you. I used to publish solely on Amazon, and for a time this served me well. 

However – not all my readers like to buy their books on Amazon. What, with them not wanting to constantly feed the Bezos and all that…

Anywho. Some readers are still loyal to Barnes and Noble. Indie Bound. iBooks and the like.

If you know you want to build a “wide” audience, by having your books published on all platforms, in all markets, I encourage you to upload your books to Draft2Digital. It’s quick, easy, simple, and oh yeah, it doesn’t cost you a dime upfront.

I’ll admit. The publishing leg of the authorial process is a bit of a journey with moving parts. However, once you know what to expect, you can make sure you have the publishing tools you need to accomplish your dreams and be successful. 

These are not end all, be all publishing tools. But they’re a wonderful start, and have been tried and tested by me throughout the years. I love and highly recommend them all.

Tell us below: Are you ready to publish your novel? Which of these publishing tools do you plan to use?

Stephanie BwaBwa is a Fantasy Universe Builder, Author, and Entrepreneur. She’s the creator of Elledelle, the universe filled with angels, adventure, romance, and magic. She’s the author of the fantasy series: The Seraphim Resistance  and The Transcendents, as well as the writing guide, Fantasy Fundamentals. Stephanie co-hosts a podcast for indie authors called: Indie Author Lifestyle with her fantasy partner-in-madness, Angela J. Ford, and is a self-publishing columnist for DIY MFA. You can usually catch her going for a walk through a park, or simply binging anything creatively juicy with too many snacks. Get in contact with Stephanie directly at: stephaniebwabwa.com.

The post Your Self-Publishing Toolbox for Authorial Success: Publishing Tools appeared first on DIY MFA.

This debate has been flourishing since Amazon introduced Kindle Direct Publishing in the late-aughts, and if you’re not too familiar with KDP, you might be surprised by the nuance involved. Many indie authors have praised Amazon for its easy-to-use platform, promotional opportunities, and more. Yet at the same time, the inner workings of Amazon remain murky, its book market is highly competitive, and—needless to say—going Amazon-exclusive means missing out on what other retailers have to offer.

To help first-time authors make this crucial choice, this post will candidly unpack the pros and cons of Amazon exclusivity and how it functions. We’ll start with the pros before moving onto the cons. And whatever your experience or opinions of Amazon, I’d encourage every author to read all the way through before committing to either path.

Pros of Amazon exclusivity

1. Kindle Unlimited enrollment

We can’t discuss Amazon exclusivity without first mentioning KDP Select, the program that requires it in the first place. To clarify, anyone can publish a book with KDP (the platform) and still have the freedom to sell on other retailers. However, those enrolled in KDP Select must sell their ebook only on Amazon—at least for each 90-day KDP Select period (which automatically re-ups unless you opt out). As a result, much of the exclusivity decision boils down to the benefits of KDP Select.

First and foremost is the inclusion of your ebook in Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s reading subscription service. When enrolled in KDP Select, your book becomes available to over three million KU subscribers, and you earn royalties based on pages read. This means if your ebook blows up on Kindle Unlimited, you could earn a lot more than you would otherwise—especially if you’ve written a romance, which is by far the most popular genre on KU.

Basically imagine if you got paid every time someone read your blurb, or previewed your book’s first few pages on Amazon. It’d be pretty sweet, right? Because KU royalties aren’t dependent on readers committing to your book, as regular sales royalties are, you’ll likely receive more of them over time—so long as your book remains part of KDP Select. And don’t worry, it will still be kept up for sale; Kindle Unlimited is just another channel for people to access it.

2. The ability to run price promotions

The other key feature of KDP Select is the ability to run price promotions on your book. These promotions come in two flavors: Kindle Countdown Deals and Kindle Free Promotions. The former allows you to discount your book to under $2.99 for one week each 90-day period and still receive 70% royalties on the sales. The latter is what it says on the tin, allowing readers to download your ebook for free, though just for five days rather than seven.

You’re only permitted a single price promotion per enrollment period—i.e. you couldn’t make your book free for the first five days, then $1.99 the next week, without cutting yourself down to 35% royalties—but price promotions can be very useful, especially for authors launching their first books. Running a limited-time promotion on your ebook not only makes it more enticing to readers, but also gives you a shot at the Kindle Daily Deals page and the Kindle Store Best Sellers page (which, as you’ll see, has a whole section just for free books!).

The only downside of price promotions is how infrequently you can run them. However, for those in the know, these promo days can absolutely be optimized for exposure. If you do go Amazon-exclusive and take advantage of price promotions, make sure you’re simultaneously plugging them on social media, to your mailing list, and wherever else you can think of.

3. It’s less effort than going wide

As Rob Eager touches on in this episode of DIY MFA Radio, one of the few silver linings of Amazon’s near-monopoly is that authors who wish to reach the majority of readers (at least in the US and UK) don’t need to expend their energy elsewhere. Amazon is so dominant, especially when it comes to ebooks—controlling an estimated 75% of the US ebook market—that for many indie authors, the additional effort required to “go wide” may not be worth it.

There are exceptions, of course. If you’re willing to pay for an aggregator like Draft2Digital, you can sit back and relax as the aggregator uploads your info and centralizes your data for all the different retailers (though it’ll cost you either a flat fee or a ~10% royalty cut). And if your target audience is outside the US or UK, or if you want to expand your reach in other countries, going wide can be very fruitful indeed.

But if you’re looking for a single US-based platform on which to go “all in,” Amazon is the one—as daunting (or disillusioning, if you’re not an Amazon fan) as that might sound. 

Still, it’s not without its drawbacks, which is exactly what we’ll talk about next. Having covered the major pros of Amazon exclusivity for first-time authors, here are the potential cons.

Cons of Amazon exclusivity

1. You can’t make your book permafree

Somewhat ironically given the price promotions touted by KDP Select, you cannot make your ebook permanently free, or “permafree,” on Amazon without also publishing it elsewhere. This is because Amazon doesn’t allow you to set your book’s price to free for more than five days at a time—unless, that is, you’re leveraging its price-matching feature.

As spelled out on Amazon’s Digital Pricing Page, the retailer has the authority to price-match your book to its lowest price online, presumably to give Amazon a competitive advantage. The trick, if you want your book to be permafree— as many authors do, when they care less about royalties and more about exposure—is to set your book’s price to free on another retailer, then notify KDP Support (select “Pricing” → “Price matching” in the sidebar).

Making a book permafree, especially if it’s the first in a series, is a popular and often successful tactic for indie authors; however, it’s simply not an option if you want to stay Amazon-exclusive. If you’ve run your allotted Free Promotion and are impatiently waiting out the remaining 90 days of this KDP Select period so you can do another one, consider just going wide instead.

2. The algorithms can do a lot of damage

Again, Amazon’s inner workings are less-than-transparent, but we do know a few things about its algorithms—the complex formulas that control everything from the Best Sellers lists to the top search results for buyers. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to game these as an author: calibrating your keywords to hit as many relevant terms as possible, writing a compelling book description, and so on.

The not-so-good news is that there’s still a great deal you can’t control—elements that, if compromised even slightly, can tank your book. For example, you might think you should go all-out for your book launch… but what you might not realize is that a big sales spike on your first day, then low sales in the days to follow, indicates to Amazon that your book should not be promoted consistently. The algorithms will take the spike as an anomaly and advertise your book less than if you had steady sales for several days.

Another notorious example of the algorithms’ fickleness is what can happen with your book’s “also boughts.” If you make the mistake of doing an external group promo (like on BookFunnel) with other books that aren’t very similar to yours, Amazon will map connections between your book and those books. The algorithms will then continue recommending your book to disparate readers who won’t buy it outside that promo, because it won’t seem like it’s for them. The result? Amazon clocks your book as a dud and stops recommending it at all.

This is how, for some authors, the supposedly foolproof algorithms become a nightmare to wrangle. Yes, if you do your research and play it safe, you’ll likely be okay. But if you’d rather avoid the possibility altogether—or if you want to support retailers that still have some good old-fashioned human curation, like Barnes & Noble—you should go wide.

3. You’ll lose out on Amazon-boycotting readers

Speaking of human curation, let’s address the elephant in the room: the fact that, despite Amazon’s ubiquity, more and more readers have begun striving to avoid it. Though poor worker conditions and the decimation of independent bookstores can hardly be blamed on Amazon’s self-publishing division, the company’s shortcomings may be enough for you, too, to steer clear—especially if you run in close circles of anti-Amazon consumers.

These are the main pros and cons for any first-time self-publisher, though you’ll probably want to look into other ebook distribution channels before making the final call. And if you decide to enroll in KDP Select and commit to Amazon exclusivity for 90 days or more, make sure to check out Helen J. Darling’s post on the long-term effects of Amazon exclusivity—with additional factors to consider like how many books you have and the diversity of your products.

With all this information at hand, you should end up on the right path! But even if you don’t, remember you can always switch from Amazon-exclusive to wide, or vice-versa; as your life changes, your publishing goals might too, and it’s never too late to re-route.

Savannah Cordova is a writer and content creator at Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with the best editors, designers, and marketers in the business. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction and low fantasy, as well as writing the occasional short story. She’s here to pull back the curtain on publishing so that every author can have the greatest possible chance at success.

The post Amazon Exclusivity: An Honest Appraisal for First-Time Authors appeared first on DIY MFA.

The autumn wind howls through the bare branches, rattling the dead leaves as the phone lines skip rope overhead. A lanky figure emerges from the gloom, its tattered clothes flapping against its mottled green skin. Slobbering and moaning, it lurches toward the warm glow of a nearby house. Inside, a figure hunches over a computer, her back to the window, unaware of her impending doom.

The thing raises its gnarled hand and drags its ragged fingernails down the windowpane. Startled, the woman turns around, her own finger hovering over the Return key. It freezes, stunned by the harsh light of the confirmation window:

“Would you like to publish your book on Amazon now?”

With a bloodcurdling scream, the creature flees back into the darkness.

Okay, so maybe that exact scenario hasn’t happened (yet…). But as the proud author of six self-published titles, take it from me: The world of self-publishing is full of thrills, chills, and things that go bump in the night.

 In honor of All Hallows Eve eve, let’s spend this #5onFri freaking out over…getting self-published!

1) Shooting a Gun, Throwing a Knife, and Wielding a Chainsaw–At the Same Time

So, you’ve finished writing your book. Now what?

You need an editor. Where do you find one? You want to design your own cover. How do you know what you want to make or which software to use? How do you create an ebook? Should you offer a paperback too? What about advertising? Should you do it, and if so, where? Amazon? Facebook? And what the heck are “keywords”?!

Self-publishing requires a lot more knowledge than how to write a good story. You need to become your own mini-publishing house, and that requires research. But don’t panic—the information is no more than a Help section reference or Google search away. Like most things, it all comes down to attitude.

The Bottom Line: If you love learning, self-publishing is a treasure trove of new skills, experiments, and discoverie

And when it comes to honing your craft, places like DIY MFA make that journey convenient and fun!

2) Falling into a Bottomless Money Pit

I’ve heard it at nearly every writing conference I’ve ever been to. “If you want to make a million dollars, don’t be a writer.”

Turning a profit can be tough. For self-published authors, the challenge starts immediately. Editing, book layout, cover artists, printing—all the things that are baked into the traditional model are pay-to-play for selfies, and that’s just to get the book in your hands. 

After that, ads and marketing can eat up as much as you want to spend, and more. The upside: You get a bigger slice of the royalties. The downside: You’ll spend the first chunk of those royalties covering what you’ve already spent—or worse, you’ll never make enough to recoup them at all.

The Bottom Line: Until you’re well-known enough to cover your budget on presales alone, self-publishing will be a cost-deficit production.

3) Being Branded with a Red-Hot “SP”

I hate to tell you this, but…

Even after you spend all that time learning how to be a publisher and a good writer, there will still be those who turn their noses up at you, simply because you’re self-published. Even in a post-50 Shades era where an indie book can do just as well on the charts as a traditional one, the idea persists that, if you’re not traditionally published, you’re not a “legitimate” author.

This is an outdated notion. Yes, there are still titles out there that could use some quality control, but the myth of throwing your book on Amazon one night and waking up to instant success is dying. To make a career as any type of author, you need to produce quality work. Self-published authors understand that as much as anyone else.

The Bottom Line: Self-publishing is not a shameful act, even if some still think it is. Instead of arguing, prove them wrong by continuing to produce the best work you can.

4) Being Alone in the Woods

 It’s lonely out there for a selfie. You have no agent, no publisher, no release team. Anyone you hire will be contract-based and therefore temporary. And once your book goes live, there is no fanfare or balloon release. Just a click of a button, and a follow up email letting you know your book is live. If you want balloons, you have to get them yourself.

The solution? Social media. There are hundreds of online communities dedicated to supporting self-publishers, and they are full of people who will celebrate, commiserate, and help.

The Bottom Line: You’ll have to look around to find the group that suits you best, but you can find one.

5) Discovering You’re a Pod Person

You know what I’m talking about. The feeling that you’re a fake, a hack, or somehow undeserving of any success you have. Yes, it’s the dreaded Imposter Syndrome, and at one point or another we’ve all come down with a case of it. Combined with that wretched SP brand—someone literally telling you “you’re not a real author”—and you end up with Imposter Syndrome Squared.

The Bottom Line: Many have tried to eradicate the dreaded IS, but its prevalence continues. Just keep on holding your head high. Don’t feed the trolls.

And keep this in mind: Constructive criticism is a critical part of being an author. Sure, it’s not fun to hear that someone didn’t like your book. But it also means that some actually read your book. And if people are reading your book, then how can you be an imposter?

Any Last Words?

The path to self-publication is paved with pitfalls and beset by monsters. However, if you know the challenges before you begin, and approach them with enthusiasm, your journey will be much easier and (dare I say?) even a little fun. So, don your armor, grab your flashlight, and strap on a backpack full of garlic and silver bullets. Because as they say, the only thing we truly have to fear is fear itself. 

And maybe zombies.

Recommended Resources

Please note: I am not receiving any compensation for these recommendations. These are simply outlets I have used and found helpful.

Editorial:

Chimera Editing

Amazon Ads:

 5 Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge Facebook Group (Free Training)

 Kindlepreneur (Free and Paid Tools)

Content/Social Media Marketing:

Community:

#writingcommunity and #writerscafe (Twitter)

Indie Author Coalition Facebook Group

And of course –Word Nerds Unite!

S.G. Tasz specializes in comedy-horror, paranormal fantasy, supernatural realism, and the cross-sections of all three. Her current series, Dead Mall, follows a team of janitors and mall cops who must battle the hordes of hell in a nearly abandoned shopping mall. In addition to writing, she works as a digital content manager and recently founded The Uglycat Press, a resource hub and review outlet for independent authors. She currently lives in Las Vegas. More information about her books and services can be found at www.sgtasz.com.

The post #5onFri: The Five Scariest Things About Being a Self-Published Author appeared first on DIY MFA.

Remember, your brand is more than just a snazzy logo or website. It represents who you are as a writer. It’s your values, your personality, and the unique stories that you contribute to the literary community. Additionally, when you work on building your author brand, you should also be considering your ideal readers. Who are you writing for? What do they like? And perhaps most importantly, how does your brand work to attract those ideal readers? 

Once you’ve clearly defined your author brand and your ideal readers, it’s important to begin thinking about how you might apply that information to your “products.” In this case, the most important product you have to sell as an author is your book (or books!). Everything else, such as a website, social media, or newsletters (while definitely important) should come second.

For today’s article, I’ll be focusing on one of the first things your readers will notice when looking at your book: the cover.  

If you’ve decided to go the self-publication route with your work, the entire cover design process will fall to you, so it’s important to understand how a good book cover can positively impact your author brand. Even if you ultimately decide to hire a cover designer, you should still be aware of what makes a good, on-brand cover. 

At the end of the day, an awesome cover will help you sell more books, so read on for some tips on how to create a cover that closely aligns with your author brand. 

1) Study Covers In Your Genre

Whether you’re writing a steamy romance or a thriller, it’s important to first look at and analyze the covers of the top-selling books in your chosen genre. An easy way to do this is to utilize Amazon. For example, if I were writing in the paranormal romance genre, I would want to select and study that sub-category on Amazon. If you take a look at Amazon’s current best selling paranormal romance novels, you’ll notice that the majority of the covers feature darker colors and imagery. Additionally, the majority of the covers utilize similar fonts. 

How do you use this information? Ultimately, you will want to emulate the best-selling covers as much as you can. This isn’t to say that your cover can’t be unique to your own personal brand. As a matter of fact, your book cover should be unique and include information unique to your brand! However, it’s important to stick to genre conventions. 

For example, if I were to design my own paranormal romance cover, I might want to stick to the darker colors and imagery, in addition to using a font that is similar to those found on the best-seller list. I wouldn’t want to stray too far from those conventions (perhaps by creating a bright pink cover with loopy fonts), as that might alienate my ideal readers who have come to expect certain tropes and elements within the paranormal romance genre. 

2) Embrace Simplicity

If you’re just starting out with cover design, or have chosen to hire a designer, it can be tempting to try and fit a bunch of symbols, characters, colors, and fonts into a single design. Resist this temptation!  

When in doubt, it’s always best to keep your covers simple. If you are self-publishing on Amazon, you need to keep in mind that your cover will appear as a thumbnail on the page until a potential reader clicks on it. Even on a book’s full Amazon page, the cover isn’t all that big. As such, make sure that your title and author name are prominent and readable. They shouldn’t be drowning in a bunch of images or symbols.

3) Use High-Quality Images and Good Color Contrast

When it comes to images, you will want to make sure that they are of high quality (not pixelated, or blurry). Additionally, don’t just pull images from Google and slap them on your cover. When using any kind of image for a book cover, you need to make sure that you are legally able to use it. Some stock images and fonts do require that you purchase a license, so be careful.

With any color schemes you use, ensure that there is adequate contrast. As cover designer Derek Murphy writes over at CreativIndie, “A lot of authors ask for covers that ‘pop.’ And many designers have no idea what this means. But I’ve narrowed it down to contrast. You want a strong light to dark transition, with strong shadows.” 

4) Consult With a Professional Designer If You Can

Many authors who are self-publishing for the first time likely don’t have a lot of money set aside for things like marketing materials and cover design. However, if you are not inclined towards learning how to design your own covers, it would definitely be beneficial to invest in and work with a professional designer. I would argue that a good cover is a lot more important than paid advertising, or even a premium-style website, especially if you’re just starting out. Focus on making your book as appealing as possible to your ideal readers, then focus on the rest! 

Back to you, writers! What kinds of book covers are you most drawn to? Let me know in the comments! 

Manuela Williams is a Las Vegas-based writer and editor. She is the author of Ghost In Girl Costume, which won the 2017 Hard To Swallow Chapbook Contest. Her second poetry chapbook, Witch, is forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press. When she’s not writing, Manuela is busy drinking coffee and spending time with her blind Pomeranian, Redford. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Pinterest.

The post Four Tips For Creating An On-Brand Book Cover appeared first on DIY MFA.

What Is An ISBN?

The ISBN is an internationally recognized identifier that distinguishes a particular literary product, facilitating marketing by and to bookstores, libraries, and other gateways to the reading public. It consists of thirteen digits, broken down accordingly:

• The prefix (presently, 978 or 979).
• The group or country identifier
• The publisher identifier
• The title or edition identifier
• The check digit.

The prefix, currently 978 or 979, signifies that the number that follows is an ISBN. The group or country number indicates the country of origin of the published work. In the example here, 0 indicates the work was published in English (a 1 in its place would also indicate an English-language work). The number 2 is reserved for French-language works, 3 for German, and so on.

The third set of numbers identifies the publisher. In this example, the publisher Bricolage Books (my imprint) is denoted by the seven-digit sequence 9997003. The -0- that follows represents the specific title, edition, and format designated by the publisher (in this case, the first book in this series published by Bricolage Books). The final number, 3, is an algorithmically-generated number and if you want to know the particulars about its generation, you can read about them here. 

Why Do I Need An ISBN?

Your own ISBNs efficiently stake your book’s claim in the literary universe. ISBNs are about inventory management, and as an author-publisher, you’re the one doing the management. Whether your work is virtual or exists in real life, these numbers will help you and your distribution partners track, promote, and sell it.

For print

While it’s not necessary to have an ISBN to publish an e-book, they are required for print books. Many readers still prefer print books over digital, so if you don’t have a print option you’re shutting yourself out of a potential market. Also, if you wish to distribute your print books through bookstores or libraries, an ISBN will facilitate ordering and distribution. Libraries offer a channel for discoverability both through print and e-book lending, and OverDrive, a key distributor of digital books to libraries, requires an ISBN for any product it handles.

For audio

Audiobook consumption is on the rise, especially among readers under age 45. If you want a piece of this action, you’ll need an ISBN (and note: it has to be a different ISBN from your print book or from your e-book).

Portability

If you’re publishing through Amazon, you can opt to get a free ISBN from them (this is different from the ASIN, which is the Amazon Standard Identification Number and distinguishes every product Amazon sells, from your book to a gas grill to a bag of dog treats.). Some other distributors, such as Smashwords, also offer free ISBNs to authors publishing on their sites. However, you can’t use these free ISBNs to distribute your book to other channels. Amazon owns the ISBN it gives you and if you use it, you can only sell that ISBN-identified book through Amazon. Many bookstores will not carry books with an Amazon-owned ISBN. Why should they? Every time they sold one of those books, they’d be paying their competition. 

IngramSpark, on the other hand, distributes e-books and print books to bookstores, libraries, and other channels around the world, and they offer good terms that can entice those channels to take a chance on a new or unknown author. If you own your own ISBN, you can use the same number on your book regardless of the source that distributes them. I own the ISBNs for my books and use one number for print distribution via Ingram, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Likewise, I use one number for the epub version of my books, which are distributed through numerous channels.

Professionalism

Owning your own ISBNs makes you look more professional as an author-publisher. Using the free ISBNs from various distributors means the same book may have half a dozen or more identifiers–that’s more information for you to track and may cause some confusion over your work in the marketplace. Not only is using your own ISBNs more efficient, it shows you care about making your work discoverable and trackable through the established distribution channels. When you’re an indie author, you need all the visibility you can get. Don’t expect bookstores and libraries to cater to you. You need to make things easy on them. Respect and play by their systems.

As a side note, as a publisher, your ISBNs become assets in a business context. If you sell your publishing company, your unused ISBNs represent property that can be sold to your buyer just as if they were physical inventory in a warehouse, or an office building you owned.

Downsides of Owning Your Own ISBNs

For most authors, owning their own ISBNs will cost money up-front. You’ll need a different ISBN for each digital format you publish in (Amazon requires the .mobi format, while Kobo, Apple, and Barnes & Noble, among others, require .epub). You’ll also need individual ISBNs for each print format (hardback, paperback, large-print, etc.) you use, or for audio. All of this can add up. If you’re already working on a tight budget, this might be one place you can cut a corner. However, you can save money by buying ISBNs in packages of 10 or 100, cutting the unit cost. 

If you don’t care about print distribution and want to focus only on e-books, ISBNs aren’t a prerequisite to publishing your work, and their absence may not impact your discoverability in digital stores, where customers tend to browse by genre, content, or author name.

Where Can I Get My Own ISBNs?

It varies from country to country. In the US, ISBNs are distributed by R. R. Bowker and in Australia, Thorpe-Bowker. In the UK, Nielsen sells them. Both companies, naturally, charge a fee for these numbers. If you live in Canada, you’re lucky: Library and Archives Canada distributes ISBNs for free. Other countries have their own distributing agencies, which can be identified here.

ISBNs aren’t sexy, but let’s face it: the same is true of most aspects of business. They can, however, make your life as an author-publisher easier by streamlining your product management, and that’s definitely attractive. If you’re serious about building a career in self-publishing for the long haul, consider investing in your own ISBNs. 

Helen J. Darling writes contemporary women’s fiction. Her first novel, I’ll Know Me When I Find Me, was self-published in January 2018. You can connect with her at itshelendarling.com and on Instagram at @itshelendarling.

The post Publish Like a Professional: The Lowdown on ISBNs appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I’m speaking with one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction: Dean Wesley Smith. A USA Today bestselling author, Dean has published far over a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds upon hundreds of short stories across many genres. In total, he has over seventeen million copies of his books in print.

His monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly, consists of only his own fiction. It premiered in October 2013 and has not missed an issue yet. With over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month, this magazine goes to show that consistency is king when it comes to modern publishing, especially indie publishing.

In this episode Dean and I discuss:

• How to get out of your own way and get writing.
• Killing the sacred cows of publishing
• Giving your creative voice permission to play and putting the critical voice away.
• Running a small publishing company.
• Training yourself to shift gears from creative work to business work.

Plus, Dean’s #1 tip for writers.

About the Author:

Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith published far over a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres. He has over seventeen million of his books in print.

At the moment he produces novels in four major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy.

His monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and has not missed an issue yet. With over 60,000 words per issue, it includes a new and original novel every month.

(Note from Gabriela: Pause and think about this for a moment. It’s like producing a polished and publication-ready NaNoWriMo manuscript every single month.)

During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown. Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as executive editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series.

For more information about Dean’s books and ongoing projects, check out his website. He also has some amazing resources for writers on his site, including his excellent series: Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing.

Link to Episode 113

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 113: Get Published (Part 2) Indie Publishing – Interview with Dean Wesley Smith appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today’s episode is especially awesome because I’m interviewing Joanna Penn, author and creative entrepreneur. She is the mastermind behind The Creative Penn, one of the top 10 sites for writers and has penned several nonfiction books helping writers build their platforms. She also writes thrillers under the pen name J.F. Penn and is a self-publishing superstar. I am so thrilled to have her on the show to speak about self-publishing and the business side of being a writer.

To hear me and Joanna geek out over writing, marketing and other bookish things, listen in here:

In this episode Joanna and I discuss:

• Deciding to self-publish and how to learn the ropes
• Defining what you consider success in your craft
• The business side of writing
• How marketing can be creative and collaborative
• Figuring out the target audience for your book

Plus, Joanna’s #1 tip for writers.

Link to Episode 106

(Right-click to download.)

Check out Joanna’s fabulous books on the business of writing.

Joanna’s books on marketing are among my go-to resources. My favorite is Business for Authors: How to Be an Author Entrepreneur, which breaks down the business aspects of writing into small, manageable chunks. While I recognize that not all authors want to be entrepreneurs per se, we all need to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and treat our writing both as an art and as a business. Joanna’s books can show you how to do just that.

Her latest, The Successful Author Mindset, digs deep into the writer’s mindset and unpacks all those hurdles writers face to help you reach success . A writer after my own heart, Joanna is not one to waste time (or words) on fluff. Every book I’ve read by her is to the point and jam-packed with actionable advice.

As with most of the to books we recommend at DIY MFA, the above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase one or more of Joanna’s books via those links (which you totally should, by the way) then DIY MFA will get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA and our featured authors!

Unleash Your Storytelling Superpower!

Video Training Series

Get an in-depth look at 4 character archetypes.

• Learn about their strengths and their weaknesses.
• Find out how to develop stories that create the most dramatic conflict for these archetypes.
• Discover how to implement these ideas to create memorable stories that resonate with your readers.

Sign up for FREE at:

DIYMFA.com/STSPvideo

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 106: How to Be an Author Entrepreneur – Interview with Joanna Penn appeared first on DIY MFA.

Science Fiction

This genre includes several subsets for the purposes of cover design: “hard” and “soft” science, space opera, steampunk and dystopian.

In a hard science fiction the entire plot revolves around technical scientific details, rather than people (though obviously people, or aliens, are present). The cover promises the reader that the technical details of science are paramount. Covers for this type of story will reflect that with scenes featuring stars, planets, or alien looking environments or people. They often include throw-back headline fonts. Deep space colors (black, dark blues, dark orange or red) will be prominent. Titles are large, in your face, often outlined. Older covers featured drawn artwork, but these days photography is more prominent (probably for practical reasons as space photos were hard to come by in the olden days). Author names read clear and easily from a distance. The intended audience is male. unk, and dystopian being the main ones.

In “soft” science fiction, including space opera, the people (even if they’re aliens) and relationships take precedence over the science. “Soft” science fiction covers often have a lot in common with urban fantasy, in that a person (often female, not necessarily human) may be featured on the cover, but mixed with futuristic looking backgrounds rather than misty magical ones. Titles usually feature more classic, timeless fonts. Like urban fantasy, the author name is usually larger.

Dystopian stories fit here as well, and since they feature a cataclysmic decline in society in some way, often set in the future, the cover will reflect that. But the basic elements will still fit the speculative fiction rules. Maybe the buildings are crumbling, or the planet is exploding, but in general the overall tone is similar.

Steampunk is a new sub-genre, and unique in the combination of history and science fiction. The addition of these types of stories is why many prefer the term “speculative fiction” these days, rather than science fiction. Generally speaking, steampunk features steam powered machinery, in settings inspired by 19th Century civilizations. Gears and clockworks feature prominently in these stories, and on the covers. No other genre looks like this – a combination of Victorian era clothing and gears.  Colors are rich earth tones, dark blues, smokey grays, and sepia tones, all of which tells the reader this story is set in historical times. The gears and clockwork point to the science element. Whether the story is romantic at the core or mystery/thriller, the story is best served with a cover that reflects steampunk gears over anything else. The intended audience depends on the core story, and rules for other genres would apply here. Romance? A girl or couple on the cover. Mystery? A shadowy figure or shady background, etc. With gears.

Mystery

Mystery covers tend to split into two main subcategories: hard-core, or cozy. Cozy mysteries, for example Murder She Wrote, feature crime solving, but not a lot of blood or gore. Often with a dose of humor. Cozies sometimes feature artwork, rather than photography. They usually look fun, like a cartoon. Title fonts are whimsical, even the author name is fun. The promise here is a read that will NOT give you nightmares.

In contrast, a hard core mystery cover veers toward scenery, shadowy figures, dark colors. Maybe a dead body or a hint of blood, but more likely just a brooding scene. The promise? You’re going to find a dead body or two or three, and it might be decapitated, and for sure there’s going to be blood. And the mystery will involve things that are more intense or higher stakes. Titles are often more subdued. Author name is quite prominent and easily read, a focal point. More important than the artwork OR the title.

The intended audience is a bit murky with these covers. While cozy mysteries in general aim for a female audience, hard core mysteries  attempt to attract male and female readers equally, which is one reason for shadows and scenes rather than depicting the lead character.

Thriller

Thrillers are more intense than mysteries, and the cover should reflect that. Like all main genres, there are sub sets to consider. Legal, psychological, political – all will feature a slightly different background. All of them, however, generally feature photography over artwork,

and a sense of urgency. Usually if a person is pictured at all, they’re in shadow. Is it modern? A truck running down a shadow figure on the road will tell us that. Is it a historical thriller? Then I’d expect some old fashioned looking buildings or street signs or something to place me in the time period, along with blood or a dead body. Even the type helps sell the urgency by being large and in your face, maybe broken, disjointed, or some other font that screams high stakes and lots of action. The intended audience is slightly more male than female.

Horror

Take mystery and thriller covers and make them darker, with spooky looking fonts, and you have a horror. Horror is, after all, those things, intensified. There might be a ghost or other supernatural creature, but it’ll look mean. As with mysteries and thrillers any people shown will be shadowy rather than full faced, because what’s spookier than a shadowy figure chasing you down the highway? The promise? You’ll definitely have nightmares. Especially if it’s a psychological horror. That blood? It might just be yours . . .

Photography is featured prominently unless the story is historical in nature. The intended audience is a bit tricky and will depend on the story. If a couple is facing horror together, or romance is involved, then romance genre rules would apply, though with the addition of darker tones. If it’s more of a thriller, then the mystery/thriller rules would apply . . . again, with darker colors.

My next post will take a look at Literary and Women’s Lit, Humor, Children’s Lit, Young Adult, the conundrum of New Adult, and Non Fiction. If I haven’t specifically mentioned a genre you’re interested in, please leave a note in the comments and I’ll try to include it.

Until then, happy designing!

…………………………………………………………….

Melinda VanLone serves as DIY MFA’s official shutterbug. Melinda earned an MA in publishing from Syracuse University, which she applied toward years as a graphic artist/designer, a skill she uses today at www.bookcovercorner.com.

In addition to book cover design and photography, Melinda writes urban fantasy and blogs on her website melindavan.com. As an air force brat, she’s lived briefly in places all across the country, but currently resides in Rockville, MD with her wonderfully supportive husband and furbaby. When she’s not playing with imaginary friends in her fantasy worlds you can find her playing World of Warcraft, wandering through the streets with her camera, or hovered over coffee in Starbucks.

The post The Amateur’s Guide to a Professional Book Package: Part Four appeared first on DIY MFA.

By genre then, here’s the guidelines:

 Fantasy – Epic/High/Heroic/Sword and Sorcery

These fantasies tend to use artwork, either digital or hand drawn/painted (unless you’re lucky enough to have a movie made from your epic). This sub genre is the least likely to use modern, unadorned, photography. The lead character (often a man) is often front and center, usually with a sword or a horse, and some fantastical scenery behind him. Or he might have a dragon lurking just over his shoulder, or perhaps he’s facing the dragon, sword drawn, ready for battle.

If it’s a more involved high fantasy epic with multiple main players, it might feature just scenery, or scenery with some sort of icon. Something significant in the story, like a throne. The author name is large, and the title often uses a font that screams “fantasy”, with decorative elements. The overall tone is sweeping, grand, and heroic. The colors are typically extremely saturated, deep and rich. Manly. The typical audience they try to attract is male (don’t shoot me ladies – yes I know women read these too…I’m one of them).

By using these elements, the cover alerts the reader that here is a tale that will take them to distant lands, that there will be good vs. evil, a hero, possibly a heroine, war on a grand scale, and some magic. Probably an evil warlock or king, and definitely some sort of dark fantasy creatures to tangle with. It’s what fantasy readers are looking for, and they’ll gobble up such a cover with glee.

Urban/Contemporary Fantasy

A relatively new genre, urban fantasy mixes magic with our modern world. The stories tend to feature a female protagonist (not always but most often), and she’s usually on the cover in front of rich backgrounds full of gravestones or magic swirls. It’s most often photography, or very detailed digital art. Very rarely is it painted, watercolor or anything hand drawn. Usually the photography is slick, the girl is wearing leather or denim, and she’s often holding a weapon.

The author name is medium to large, the title uses decorative type fonts. The overall tone is dark, moody, with a sense of that something evil lurks just out of sight (or perhaps right behind her). The colors tend toward rich blues, blacks, grays, greens. Earthy, deep colors. The typical audience is female. As with epic fantasy, if the protagonist is not featured, a sweeping scene, often with a symbol or other artistic element, is included, especially if the age range tends toward New Adult.

When a reader sees this type of cover, he knows this is a story set in our modern world with a kick-ass heroine they’d love to know and perhaps fight side-by-side with.

 Paranormal Fantasy/Romance

Paranormal fantasy/romance slips into the cracks between urban fantasy and romance, and thus will have elements of both on the cover. Here, too, photography is featured instead of drawn artwork. Often, there’s a couple, possibly nearly naked. Or a man with a bare chest, or one woman in a suggestive pose, just like any other romance. The difference is, in paranormal most often there’s also a magical element included, and possibly fangs. A graveyard, perhaps. Maybe smoke. Or fire. Deep gray, blue, or green tones.  The title font is a bit cleaner, more classical than usual fantasy. The author name is often smaller, less noticeable, letting the artwork take precedence. The typical audience is female.

If those elements are not on the cover, the reader will pass on by. They’re looking for a love story and a fantasy escape, combined. If they don’t see it in the artwork they won’t believe it’s in the words.

Romance

Ah, love. You’ve seen the covers. Cheesy. They make you cringe when you pick up the book. You might even hide the cover from your friends. So why are the covers like that? Always with a man with giant arms and attitude, and a girl in skimpy clothes? Sometimes they are kissing or laying on a beach. Cheeeeeesy. But it works. The reader looking for a romance will pause at a cover of a good looking couple embracing. She’ll pick it up because the promise is there in front of her. Here is a love story, dig in! It might look like cheese to you, but to the reader it’s exactly the escape she’s looking for.

There are splits between historical and contemporary, but the basics remain. Historical will tend toward drawn artwork, though photography is not out of the question. If photography is used, it’ll have an effect that makes it look old-timey. Contemporary often uses less artwork, more real people, and sometimes splits the cover with the couple on half of it, a scene on the other half, especially if it’s a Harlequin. You’ll know at a glance what kind of couple is featured in the story, and where the story takes place. Colors tend to be lighter, brighter, often those associated with weddings. Flowery (unless it’s tending toward steamy). Sometimes a scene is used rather than people, but that’s more of an exception. Author names tend to be smaller, though not always. The title often feels like an after thought. Fonts are classic, timeless, serif in general, often thin. Primary audience is female.

Romance takes one more thing into consideration that other genres don’t. The relative “heat” level of the story should be evident in the cover. If this is a “sweet” romance, where sex is not described, often fading to black, then the cover will tend toward innocent looks, fully clothed people. If this is a “steamy” romance, most likely bare bodies grace the cover. Erotica of course is one step further, and isn’t really romance at all. For erotica, it’s all about the sex, less about a relationship and emotions. Those covers don’t leave a lot to the imagination, though there are notable exceptions.

Next time, we’ll look at mystery, thriller, horror and sci fi.

Melinda VanLone serves as DIY MFA’s official shutterbug. Melinda earned an MA in publishing from Syracuse University, which she applied toward years as a graphic artist/designer, a skill she uses today at www.bookcovercorner.com.

In addition to book cover design and photography, Melinda writes urban fantasy and blogs on her website melindavan.com. As an air force brat, she’s lived briefly in places all across the country, but currently resides in Rockville, MD with her wonderfully supportive husband and furbaby. When she’s not playing with imaginary friends in her fantasy worlds you can find her playing World of Warcraft, wandering through the streets with her camera, or hovered over coffee in Starbucks.

Email: melinda.van@gmail.com

Twitter: @melindavan

The post The Amateur’s Guide to a Professional Book Package: Part Three appeared first on DIY MFA.