Two Steps to Avoid the Self-Published Book Image
So you have decided to publish your book yourself. Congratulations. Now the true learning process begins. Guaranteed what will set your book apart from all the other independent publishers is the professional look to your book. There are many unintentional mistakes that you can avoid with a little research and guidance. A rule of thumb in creating a professional look is to imagine making the reader so comfortable they will want to curl up with your book. The inside – copyediting, and the outside – cover design are two vital points and these alone will polish your presentation.
Although I am not an editor the following suggestions are some errors that even I, a publicist notice in manuscripts:
• Widows and orphans are copy editing mistakes. Widowed text is when the last line of a paragraph appears on the following page or in the next column. A widowed heading occurs when a heading is on one page and the following text is on the next page or in the next column. An orphan is when the first line of text in a paragraph is separated from the rest of the paragraph on the following page or next column. Another form of an orphan is when a word or part of a word that is not long enough to clear the indent of the following paragraph is by itself on the last line of a paragraph (usually any word less than four characters).
• Lack of consistency in voice and design elements of your book become a glaring error to most readers. Keep the voice consistent «I» always refers to me, Mari. Shawn is always mentioned in the third person. «We» refers to our combined opinion and expertise.
• Consistency also applies to design. When a new section starts, the section title is always on the next right-hand page, even if this creates a blank page to the left. Similarly, the first chapter after a new section always starts on the next right-hand page, always leaving the page on the back of the section title blank.
• Practice writing as a skill. Only amateurs think that their writing spouts from the head of Zeus, fully formed and godlike. Hire a writing coach to help you formulate your ideas. Hire an editor to push you past your lazy use of adjectives and show with your words rather than tell.
As a publicist many cringe-worthy book covers have crossed my desk. Either the images were so muddy I had no idea what the message was, or the subtitle was so tiny it was invisible, or the author’s name was bigger than the title. Your cover is your ad. Make it Pop!
• Your photo on the front cover, unless you are Wayne Dyer, will not help people to know the message of your book. Your cover represents your message.
• Your title needs to be visible from 10 feet away. You want the title to be legible so the first step in picking up your book actually happens.
• The subtitle needs to be short enough that it will roll off people’s tongues as they read it to themselves.
• The image needs to be clearly understood. Though you may be drawn to a collage effect, think less is more and your point will be made.
• The back cover needs to include a synopsis of the book. Once a book is picked up the next step for a reader is to turn the book over and read the back.
• Get endorsements from friends, colleagues, your competition, and readers. Having quotes on the back cover will highlight your professionalism and again make your readers more comfortable.
• Hire a cover designer to format, and guide you in creating a beautiful cover.
Colleagues, editors, publishers, and friends what are the outstanding gaffes that you have seen in self-published books? Do you have pet peeves, or sure-fire suggestions? I would love to hear them! Authors – make the road to becoming a best-selling author easier by doing your research and putting your best effort on the market shelves.
Source by Mari Selby