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 Write a Copyright Page
There is no set formula for what material goes on a copyright page, but some essential elements exist. Before you begin, grab three or four traditionally published books from your bookshelves, printed in your country, to see what details they included.Below is an outline you can copy/paste into your document and customize with your details.Some notes:The text on a copyright page can be centred or flush left.Although it’s unnecessary to have everything on this list, such as a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) or the printing number, these are the sort of details that make your book look more [...]
How to Find the Best Free Fonts for Your Self-Published Book
This is a carefully curated list of Google Fonts that work well for typesetting both print and digital books. After this list, you’ll find more on what makes certain fonts better than others, what to look for when choosing fonts, and a list of those used by major publishers like Random House.The traditional choice for typesetting books has always been a serif font. (insert picture). However, John T. T. Richardson’s paper The Legibility of Serif and Sans-serif Typefaces: Reading from Paper and Reading from Screens (2022) found “there’s no difference in the legibility of serif and sans-serif typefaces either when [...]
How to Get Reviews for Your Self-Published Book
Most authors understand that book reviews are powerful tools for increasing visibility, establishing credibility, and driving sales. A well-placed review can influence purchasing decisions and open doors to broader opportunities.Below is a list of publications and websites that offer free reviews for self-published nonfiction books. But, before you pitch, we’ll briefly discuss preparing your book for the review process and define the different types of reviews available.Preparing for the Review ProcessBe mindful of the reviewer’s policies. Some reviewers will not allow author publishers to use the review elsewhere, or will not allow authors to use reviews in [...]
How to Find and Hire a Book Cover Designer Part 3
Check out part 1 | don't skip part 2What should you Ask a Book Cover Designer?Before committing, ask questions to ensure you're on the same page:What's your design process like?Do you have a contract I can read before making a deposit?Will you provide links so you can license fonts and stock images in my name so I can control everything?How many revisions are included?Do you provide the source files?Will the cover be unique and not based on a template?Do you also create ebook and print versions?If you're providing original artwork (illustrations and photos), what are the terms for using those?Finding [...]
How to Find and Hire a Book Cover Designer Part 2 of 3
Check out part 1 | don't miss part 3There are plenty of ways to track down talented designers, but a few tried-and-true methods include.Freelance Marketplaces: We don't recommend these for several reasons. I would avoid using these sites because the person doing the work is not getting all the money. Sometimes, they're getting very little of the money. And, there's no real accountability, which could leave a self-publishing author in a precarious legal position regarding copyrights both for the project and for any images and fonts the designer used. Since you're working through a platform, you cannot directly contact the [...]
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 [...]
