How to Get Useful Feedback Choosing a Book Cover Design
One of the advantages of self-publishing is that authors have the freedom to test ideas and gather feedback before their books go to print. Many writers share draft covers with friends, family members, and online communities to see how people react. Feedback can be incredibly valuable—but the most useful feedback isn’t necessarily about which cover people like best. A book cover has one primary job: attract the right reader. When people respond to a cover poll, they are usually expressing a personal preference. They may prefer blue over red. They may like a particular illustration style. They may simply be [...]
How to Get Your Book Into Libraries
by Cathi Stevenson—When independent authors think about marketing their books, they usually focus on Amazon, bookstores, advertising, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Libraries rarely make the list. That’s a mistake. Getting your book into libraries probably won’t make you an overnight bestseller, but it can do something equally valuable: put your work in front of readers who may never have discovered it otherwise. Unlike a bookstore sale, where one copy usually reaches one reader, a single library copy can circulate for years. It may be borrowed dozens—or even hundreds—of times. Every checkout is another opportunity for someone to recommend [...]
How to Organize the Interior of a Book
What goes on the copyright page? Do I need a table of contents? These are questions every self-publishing author will have to think about. A professional book designer can do this for you, but you should decide what sections you want to include. Some sections aren’t as important in today’s publishing world as a decade ago, but many are still necessary for legal, administrative, and promotional purposes. With the advent of ebooks and Amazon’s “Look Inside” option being so important for print and digital books, the order in which this material appears — and what is included — is [...]
