You've written a book you're proud of. You know what your goals are and have a realistic expectation of the money you're going to make. Now what?
If you're looking for a traditional publisher or an agent, then it's time to write a query letter and synopsis, and I'll give you some tips in my next Write Advice post. While it's important to understand cover art for your book. Your publisher has the final say in what the book looks like.
For my self-publishing friends, you need to focus on your cover art. (For those looking for a vanity publisher, read their terms to determine if they are creating the cover art or if you need to supply it.)
How important is cover art? More than you can imagine!
Most readers will try new authors based on catchy book titles and cover art. I love light-hearted, funny stories, so I'm on the look-out for covers that make me smile. If the cover has a lot of dark colors or is monotone, then it's probably a drama that's going to make me cry. I don't go any further to see what's inside - even though it's probably a great story - because I assume it's not what I'm looking for.
When I created the covers for Wished and Denied, I used messed-up cupcakes for several different reasons, the top two being, the stories revolve around birthday wishes, and the results of those wishes are unexpected (and a little messy). Most importantly, though, I used those pictures because I thought they were fun, and I wanted my stories to have a fun tone.
So, if you are self-publishing, you need to either create the cover art yourself or have someone else do it. For my novel-length stories (Wished, Denied, Granted, Just Another Stupid Boy), I've created the cover art myself. I love doing it, and since I'm charging more for those books, then it's worth the hours I spend creating and editing the covers. For my shorter stories (A Boy Named series) I hired a freelancer from Fiverr. For $5 a cover, I had a professional create a cohesive look for the series while I focused on my writing.
Regardless of whether you create the title yourself or hire someone to do it for you, make sure your cover is eye-catching and gives your readers a clue into what they're buying. A great cover can make all the difference when you're building your reader base.
If you're looking for a traditional publisher or an agent, then it's time to write a query letter and synopsis, and I'll give you some tips in my next Write Advice post. While it's important to understand cover art for your book. Your publisher has the final say in what the book looks like.
For my self-publishing friends, you need to focus on your cover art. (For those looking for a vanity publisher, read their terms to determine if they are creating the cover art or if you need to supply it.)
How important is cover art? More than you can imagine!
Most readers will try new authors based on catchy book titles and cover art. I love light-hearted, funny stories, so I'm on the look-out for covers that make me smile. If the cover has a lot of dark colors or is monotone, then it's probably a drama that's going to make me cry. I don't go any further to see what's inside - even though it's probably a great story - because I assume it's not what I'm looking for.
When I created the covers for Wished and Denied, I used messed-up cupcakes for several different reasons, the top two being, the stories revolve around birthday wishes, and the results of those wishes are unexpected (and a little messy). Most importantly, though, I used those pictures because I thought they were fun, and I wanted my stories to have a fun tone.
So, if you are self-publishing, you need to either create the cover art yourself or have someone else do it. For my novel-length stories (Wished, Denied, Granted, Just Another Stupid Boy), I've created the cover art myself. I love doing it, and since I'm charging more for those books, then it's worth the hours I spend creating and editing the covers. For my shorter stories (A Boy Named series) I hired a freelancer from Fiverr. For $5 a cover, I had a professional create a cohesive look for the series while I focused on my writing.
Regardless of whether you create the title yourself or hire someone to do it for you, make sure your cover is eye-catching and gives your readers a clue into what they're buying. A great cover can make all the difference when you're building your reader base.