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| From my keeper shelf, Go Publish Yourself: Quick and Dirty Tips for Successful Self Publishing by Katie Salidas |
Book Covers
I recently saw a tweet (I can't remember who tweeted it, sorry!) that said, along these lines... Basically, a the cover is the first impression your audience will have of your book. If you can place your book beside a NY published book, and you can tell the difference based on the cover quality, you need a new cover.I've gone back through my twitter three or four times, and I can't find the source. I want to say it's a quote from an editorial service, but I'm not 100% sure. At any rate, I tend to agree with them.
I know, I know...Cora, don't judge a book by it's cover. The thing is, we all do it at some point. I do it every time I go into a bookstore. Or browse on Kindle. I'm drawn to a pretty cover, and I know I'm not the only person to impulse buy based on cover and blurb alone.
There are so many awesome places to buy book covers online. A very close friend of mine once paid $1200 for a custom, painted book cover "package". I nearly fainted when she told me that. It was a nice cover, but not $1200 nice. In my personal opinion, there is no need to pay that much for a book cover. You shouldn't have to pay even half that price for a basic cover.You can buy affordable book covers that are (and look) professionally made for roughly $20-$100 USD.
Sometimes covers cost a little more if you want a print, wrap-around cover with decorated spine and an ISBN space, but I've seen nice packages for those covers for around $75.00 USD. Google is your friend. It's worth it to research prices. It could save you from getting ripped off.
Another thing to consider - if you know how to use Photoshop, Paint.net, The Gimp, or any other kind of photo/art program, you can potentially make your own covers for basically the cost of the stock photos.
Two of my favorite websites for beautiful, affordable custom and pre-made book covers are Razzle Dazzle Designs and Wicked Cover Designs. I do not get compensation of any kind for recommending them. I mention them because have bought covers from both sites. The covers were beautifully done and cost me less than $50 each.
My Favorite Self-Publishing Resources - Books, Podcasts, Web, etc.
Self-Publishing Reference Books (Cora's Picks)
- Go Publish Yourself, by Katie Salidas. - the only self-publishing reference guide on my keeper shelf
- Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish and Why You Should by David Gaugrin
- Self Publishing Books 101: Helping You Get Published and Noticed by Shelley Hitz
Reference and Self-Publishing Help Websites
- Shelley Hitz also runs a website called Self-Publishing Coach. She is the author of Self Publishing Books 101. There's some really good information on her site, as well as videos, articles, and book templates.
- Joanna Penn's The Creative Penn - my favorite Self-Publishing help website. She has text articles, audio articles and podcasts, and a free YouTube channel. Her website is a veritable gold mine for self-publishing information.
- Dean Wesley Smith is a prolific writer and his website is chock full of brilliant writerly information. Not to be missed.
Of course there are dozens of other websites, reference books, design sites, etc. out there. These are my favorites as far as content, layout, ease of use, and simply based on what I've learned from them.
As I've said in past posts, I don't think there is one "right way" to self-publish. It depends on what your goals are and what you hope to get out of your personal self-publishing experience. Considering all the cost-effective options available to us writers, there has never been a better time to self-publish. I firmly believe that. So write boldly and publish yourself. I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.
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