Resources

by Cathi Stevenson

My first article, Ten Secrets of Professional Book Cover Designers, discussed some of the nuances that give a book that polished look, so often missing from independent publishing projects. These “tricks of the trade” are not limited to the front cover of a book though, and there are many ways to enhance the look and readability of  back cover text and interior layout.

1. Don’t make your line width too long. Many people assume the solution to too much text is to either drop the point size or extend the trim size or margins. This is not […]

So a CD-ROM version of my novel showed up on Amazon a day after I placed the book on Feedbooks and Manybooks.  It’s listed as published by “The Again Shop” so be on the lookout.  A Google search just came up with other examples of this. The novel is protected by a Creative Commons No Derivatives license, which reads:

You are free:

• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work

Under the following conditions:

• Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests

Just wanted to remind people that you’re open to publish posts here. The site gets a lot of requests for book reviews, but far fewer submissions for new posts, even though a post will have a similar impact to a book review. Sure, it’s nice to put in your promo material – “This book rules.” Self-Publishing Review – but the other main point of a book review is to increase awareness of a book. And it’ll cost you nothing to cross-post something from your own blog about your self-publishing experience, or to write something original.

That, or you could fill […]

Online marketing is a wonderful way to reach a worldwide audience, but sometimes authors overlook book marketing opportunities in their own backyard.

In your local area and region, you have the opportunity to stand out as a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Here are ten tips for promoting locally:

1.    Always carry books and literature with you. Keep a case of books and some flyers in the trunk of your car, and business cards in your wallet. You never know when you will run across a potential customer or marketing contact.

2.    Look for opportunities across your area. Headed […]

by CATHI STEVENSON

Studying good book covers is not difficult. What’s difficult – at least for many novice publishers and project managers, is to discern what constitutes a bad cover and to avoid those things. Most poor cover designs can be explained by a simple lack of knowledge.

One of the most common errors is using the wrong image, particular for non-fiction. Remember, your non-fiction book is selling the solution, not the problem. If you’ve written a diet book, you’re selling fitness and slimness, so do not put an obese person on the cover. If your book is about raising […]