Tips For Hiring a Cover Designer

Hi all!

This week I'll be talking about cover designers. Whether you are self publishing or traditional publishing, you will work with a cover designer for your book. Although traditional authors won't have as much say in the process like self publishing authors do.

Unless you are a great artist or master of Photoshop, I would highly recommend hiring someone to do your cover instead of doing it yourself. It may be costly, but you've got to remember: your cover is the first thing potential readers see. As much as we like to think people don't judge books on their covers, they do. So you want to make this first impression as a good as possible to convince them to buy.

Research covers in your genre.

Make sure your book cover fits in with your genre. Don't stick a topless man on the cover if you're writing historical fiction, it doesn't really work.

Specify your colour scheme.

If you want specific colours on the cover, tell your designer. If they think the colours won't work or don't fit, they'll suggest others to use.

Don't have your name bigger than the title.

Unless you're an award winning multi-million selling author, don't have your name be the biggest text on the cover. That should be reserved for your title.

Pick a font people can read.

Although fancy swirly fonts look nice, they're a pain to try to decipher. Pick a readable font with a nice flair.

Specify the dimensions of your cover.

If you're having your book available in print this is very important, as there are different sizes depending on book size and length.

If you want an art cover, research carefully.

There are loads of artists out there to hire who can draw specific scenes, landmarks and creatures from your book. Just make sure you look around, look through their previous work and reviews and check their prices.

Specify what you don't like as well as what you do like.

This will help the designer know what to not add to your cover.

Book in advance.

Covers can be a lengthy process, make sure you book one with plenty of time before your launch date. If you have a series of books that need covers, book them all at the same time to be done on different dates.

Don't share any of the designers work before the final cover.

Unless you have their permission, it is for your eyes only. Don't post any sketches or designs before the final design has been sent.

Send them a synopsis.

Let them know what your book is about, the characters and their goals. It will help them understand what needs to go on the cover.

Listen to your designer.

Nine times out of ten they will know what's best for your cover. Don't immediately ignore them if you don't agree with their vision of your cover.

Research carefully.

There are so many cover designers out there. Shop around before picking one or ask published authors for recommendations.

That's it for this post! See you next week!

Why Self Publishers Need a Professional Editor

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about editors for self publishers, and why they are vital to self publish your book. I got Blood and Water edited professionally, and I am so thankful I did. She was wonderful, and she helped me fix things that I didn't even notice when I was editing it myself. I am hoping to go back to her to edit the rest of the Elemental Dragons series.

First off, the big question: if I can edit myself, why do I need an editor?

There are several reasons you need an editor, and if you want your book to be the best it can be, you're going to need at least one person professionally looking over your work.

They will not hold back.

Your book is your baby, of course you're going to be soft on it. I know I was with Blood and Water, I was too nervous to cut things that, in hindsight, I didn't need. Editors will not think about your book in this way, and they will critique it fairly.

They can spot things you've missed.

After reading your book and editing it over and over there are things you will miss, but that's okay. An editor is more likely to pick up spelling and grammar mistakes because they have never read your book before. Their eyes are not used to the words like you are.

It's a fresh pair of eyes.

As above, they can spot mistakes and suggest corrections better than you can. They can look at your manuscript with a clean slate.

Family and friends aren't enough.

Their feedback will be biased, no matter how they try to convince you other wise. You need someone who will give you truly honest feedback.

It will make your book more professional.

When selling a book it needs to be the best it can be, no-one wants to read a book full of spelling and continuity errors when there are thousands out there that have been edited. Don't shoot yourself in the foot before you've even started.

They can sort plot holes.

I didn't realise that Blood and Water had any plot holes left until I got my editor. I had completely forgotten that a dragon was supposed to be patrolling hallways as stated in the first chapter! So I quickly fixed that.

They can make suggestions.

My editor didn't like the ending to Blood and Water, so I revamped it. It was a huge cliffhanger, but she suggested I change it to something a little more subtle, so I did.

They can point out character flaws.

One flaw that I had was the relationship between two siblings, Hazel and Rocky. She thought some parts were a bit out of character and suggested I remove chapters that are in his point of view. I did, and it made the story flow so much better!

They're not all bad, they'll tell you what they love about your work too.

It's not all criticism, they will let you know what parts they liked and how to improve the rest of the story to reflect the good parts.

Of course, editors are expensive. But, they are so worth it. To get feedback on how to improve your work is priceless. You do have to pick the right editor of course. I picked mine because I felt that she corrected my test pages the best and was also in my price range. I looked her up and saw that she had a lot of experience of editing in my genre, which was great. You don't really want a sci-fi editor for your historical mystery, do you?

That's it for this week! Next week I'm going to write about writing as a teenager. See you then!

Ways to Spot a Vanity Publisher

Hi all!

As promised, this week's blog post is about vanity publishers.

First off, what is a vanity publisher?

A vanity publisher is a publishing house where authors pay a high fee to get their book published. Unlike hybrid publishers, they do not give you a high quality product in return or help with marketing. Many vanity publishers attempt to disguise themselves as hybrid publishers, but don't do a good job of doing so.

Here are a few ways you can spot a vanity publisher:

They charge extremely high fees.

Most will charge in the thousands to produce your book. This is supposed to cover the costs of editing, marketing, printing and distribution. However, most of the books come out as low quality and difficult to read.

When you Google their names, hundreds of bad reviews come up.

Look at what other authors have to say. Have they received a horrible book in return for a £4000 fee? Run. These people are not trying to destroy a legitimate business, they are warning others against making the same mistakes.

You pay thousands for their logo to be slapped on your book.

That's it. They don't pay for anything. You simply give them money to have their logo on your book for 'exposure' to their fan base. This is a scam, you will pay for everything else as well. You're basically a self publisher who sunk thousands into a company who let you slap their image on your cover. Not worth it.

Their other books are poor quality.

If other authors are left with a shoddy book, so will you. They will pay as little as possible to editors and cover designers, so don't expect your book to look professional.

They follow a lot of people on social media but very few follow back.

You can tell when a vanity publisher is looking for new authors as they might go on a following spree to make more people notice their business.

They approach you directly to submit.

You might get a message from them telling you that they're interested in your project and would like you to submit. But how do they know your project is right for them? They don't! They're just preying on authors who want to achieve their dream of publishing.

There's little, or no, criteria for submitting.

Anything goes, from picture books to erotica. Many publishing houses focus on a few genres and try not to mix the age ranges inappropriately. If they accept anything and everything in one department, there's a high chance they'll take anything they can get for money.

No one seems to get rejected by them.

Everyone who submits gets accepted. Strange, huh? The more clients they accept, the more money they make. They're highly unlikely to turn potential clients away.

They accept you, then send a contract asking for money.

Publishers do not accept money from authors to publish books. The author only pays for their own marketing, unless they're going down the hybrid route.

They publish a lot of books, but don't sell many.

Why would they need to? They've taken your money, they don't need to actually well books to make a profit, they just charge their clients.

Their books aren't in book shops.

If you can't find any of their titles in book shops despite the claims that they distribute to them, they don't distribute. Ask the shop owner. Have they heard of the publishing house? Have they ever stocked any of their books?

When pressed for more information, they get defensive.

If you ask a few questions about any queries you have that might shine them in a bad light, they'll get defensive or stop talking to you completely.

Their website is under another business name.

This means that they have changed the name of their business. It's usually a way of them hiding the fact that their previous name was a vanity, so they think that a change of them might trick new clients. Make sure to check online if they've changed their name for a legitimate reason.

That's it for this week! Feel free to share any stories you have about vanity publishers in the comments!

The Truth Behind Writing 'Myths/Rules'

Hi all!

This week I'm going to be talking about writing myths, hope you enjoy!

Writing is a solitary experience.

No, it's not. Social media is a brilliant way for authors to contact each other, not to mention there are write-ins and events for authors to go to.

It's an easy way to make money.

If you're in it to make easy money, you're in the wrong industry. It's tough to write books and it's even tougher to sell them.

You're either born a writer or aren't.

I hate hearing this one. Practice makes perfect, if you want to master something you have to keep doing it. Trying to put people off by saying they can't be a writer because they aren't 'born' with it is stupid.

You need connections in the industry to get anywhere.

Not true, most authors have no connections in the industry before they publish a book. The ones that do are the lucky ones, but even that doesn't guarantee success.

Authors need to compete with each other.

No, we don't. Support writers, don't compete with them. Someone has not stolen 'your chance' because they got an agent or published a book. There is always room for more authors.

All writers are introverts.

Nope, this is a big misconception. Although I'm an introvert myself, I know a lot of extroverted writers. Personality does not dictate whether you can write or not.

Writers need to write every single day.

If you do this, you'll burn out quite quickly. Setting a writing goal is important as it can keep you on track, but it doesn't need to be an every day thing. Some people blow this way out of proportion by not feeling like a writer if they take a day off. Don't worry, your story isn't going anywhere. You can and must take a break every once in a while.

The first book an author writes gets published.

I've heard this a lot too, and it's quite often not the case. Some authors shelve multiple projects before getting published.

Agents are unnecessary in traditional publishing.

In traditional publishing you will more likely than not need an agent. Although there are publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts, you need to keep your options as open as possible. Agents can negotiate contracts and support you during the publication process, they are there to help, not hinder you.

You need to pay your publisher to get traditionally published.

This is called a vanity publisher. Do not give them money. More often than not you will get a poorly designed and edited book in return. They will not support you at all, they just see you as a money machine. Many will ask that you pay thousands up front to publish your book. If you are contacted by one or accidentally submit, do not sign a contract with them.

You don't need an editor.

Unless you are 100% accurate at spotting all spelling errors, grammar mistakes, plot holes and cliches I highly recommend getting an editor. Mine was absolutely brilliant, although it can be hard to see your work get torn apart it is so worth it to see the final product. Readers will be able to spot a professionally edited book from a mile off. Don't put people off your future book because you didn't want an editor.

Book covers don't matter.

Book covers are the first thing a reader sees. You need to make sure it's professional and appropriate for your genre. If you're writing crime, then putting a glowing wolf on the cover wouldn't make much sense, would it?

You can only write one genre.

You are not a one trick pony. If you want to write in another genre, do it. There's nothing holding you back, it will bring you new readers and also give you opportunities to have a change of scenery every once in a while.

Characters cannot ___.

I've seen a lot of variants of this. Whether it be sighing, shrugging or rolling their eyes. Ignore these, you write your characters however you want. Just make sure you have a variety.

That's it for this week! Next Sunday I'm going to delve into vanity publishers a bit, seeing as there have been a few pitch parties on Twitter. I've been 'liked' twice by vanity publishers in a pitch party, so I just want to share with you how to spot them before you submit.

See you next week!

Write What You Want to Write

Hi all!

This week I'm going to talk about, in my opinion, the best writing advice out there.

Write what you want to write.

When I was a teenager and looking into publishing I came across so much bogus advice from authors and publishers alike. Most said that you need to write to market, rather than whatever you feel like writing.

This is 100% not true.

The market changes so quickly that there's no point in writing to trends. Unless you're able to pump out a publishable book in under six months and get it out there the market will move on.

Yes, publishers and agents do keep an eye on what sells well and they will try to get similar books, but don't write something that will become insignificant in a year's time just for the sake of it. Writing what everyone else is writing doesn't make you stand out whatsoever.

So that's why I write what I want to write. If I enjoy it, I'm sure someone else will too. Writing what you want to write has so many benefits, such as:

- Enjoying the writing aspect of your work, not just reading it.

- Finding an audience that enjoys the subjects you write about for years to come.

- Less time stressing about how quickly you write, edit and publish a book.

- Not having to worry about passing trends.

Agents and publishers do keep an eye on the market to stay fresh, but that doesn't mean they want hundreds of the same story being thrust at them. They want originality and variety as well. They also know that to keep up with the trends you have to publish quickly, while many like to take their time with editing and author marketing.

Plus, what's the point in writing something that you don't enjoy?

If you don't enjoy what you're writing, it will reflect in your work. When you love something it adds a passion to your work that you struggle to recreate if you're bored.

If I had listened to this advice, then I would have scrapped Blood and Water to write something I'm really not interested in. I may not be still writing today if I hadn't continued doing what I wanted to do.

Don't get sucked into trends, concentrate on what you love. If you love it, others will love it too. It doesn't matter if a book about vampires is big at the moment, if your romance story is the complete opposite keep at it. 

After all, it just takes one book to change the market.

How do you know that your book won't be the one to start a trend? Your book could be the one that everyone wishes they had written first. You never know unless you finish writing it.

Thank you for reading! I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who cheered me on during NaNoWriMo as I managed to hit 83,156 words! Congratulations to everyone else who participated too, it doesn't matter if you hit 50K or not, we've all got something to work with!

Next week I'm going to debunk writing myths, so if you've got any that you want me to research then please leave them in the comments.

See you next week!

Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing

Hi all!

Before we start I just want to give an update on NaNoWriMo, I'm now at 28,043 words at the time of writing this. I hope everyone taking part is doing well too!

Now onto this week's blog post, self-publishing vs traditional publishing.

First, traditional publishing.

This is where authors land an agent and get published through a publisher rather than doing it themselves. This can be a very long and gruelling process however just because of how hard it is to get an agent's interest.

Pros:

- You get support every step of the way.

- You get help from editors and cover designers who will make sure your book is perfect.

- Publishers already have an established fan base to reach out to.

- Marketing will be slightly easier, as the publisher will advertise your book on their site and get it into book stores.

- You don't pay for anything apart from marketing on your end. If you're asked to pay for a book cover or editor out of your own pocket, run. They are mostly likely a vanity publisher.

- Many traditionally published books can be put up for a lot of awards.

Cons:

- You can't keep complete creative control. If the publisher doesn't like a certain part of your book, you will be asked to rewrite it.

- You have little control over the cover design. If you hate the cover, then there's no guarantee that the publisher will change it.

- You get less royalties. Because you're going through an agent and a publisher they will take a chunk of your royalties.

- It can take years for your book to be published.

- Querying is tough, there's no guarantee someone will pick up your book.

- If you're book doesn't do well, the publisher may drop you.

- There are loads of vanity publishers out there who will ask for an outrageous fee to publish your book. Then they will give you no help whatsoever with marketing and you'll be left with a poor quality book. Make sure you research carefully.

Second, self-publishing.

This is where authors decide to publish a book themselves instead of going through traditional publishing. Some authors query then self-publish. Others traditionally publish and self-publish.

Pros:

- You keep full creative control.

- You get to design the cover however you want.

- More royalties. Because you're not paying anyone else, you keep the majority of the royalties depending on where you publish.

- You can publish at your own pace. No more deadlines! But I would highly recommend that you publish often to keep readers interested.

- Marketing is in your control. If you're an introvert, you don't have to do talks if you don't want to!

- You can target e-books exclusively, you don't need to worry about printing your book if you don't want to.

- It's easier to run price promotions, you can pick how much you want your book to sell for.

- You get perks for exclusively publishing with one site, for example; Amazon.

Cons:

- It's expensive. Editing, cover design and marketing costs will all add up.

- You get no help with marketing, you have to do it all yourself.

- It's hard to get noticed without an established fan base.

- You have to compete with the thousands of other kindle books in your genre by self published authors.

- Unless you're willing to invest more money into your books, you'll have to stick with e-books. Getting books into print is a risky business, you might not sell all your copies and you'll be left with a loss.

- Not many book stores are willing to stock indie books.

- Not many awards accept indie books for entry, so don't self-publish if you want your book to be showered with awards.

The important thing here is that there is no right or wrong way to publish. Do whatever works best for you. You are still an author no matter what route you choose, you just have to think hard and do lots of research before committing to one.

I haven't decided on a post for next week yet, so come back for a surprise next Sunday!