Hello all!
Our second posting for the year already. Hope you're all diving into 2023 with renewed vigour and hope.
The question for the month of February is pretty simple - BOOK COVERS.
As a self-published author, I listen to my much-published friends who variously offer advice on what has worked for them.
Fiverr is cheap for beginning authors and a bit dodgy, so it helps to have recommendations. I admit I'm not overly happy with any of my Fiverr covers, but once I find my author feet I'll redo them all.
I settled on designrans on Fiverr for my vampire novels.
Continued with pro-ebook covers on Fiverr for my first three books of short stories.
I'm super happy with her cover and will use her again for my next Paris novel with the working title - Le Petit Paris Kitchen Cookery School. And as a bonus, you can pay for a blurb. Read some examples HERE.
All my covers can be seen HERE.
We're told ad infinitum that the book cover is super important as yes, we do judge a book by its cover. A good cover should reflect the genre. This is enhanced by the right fonts. I look for a great tagline which tells the buyer so much.
Next most important. Flip over to the blurb. Most of us find the blurbs excruciating to write. I get a lot of help with mine and am still unhappy with all of them. But the blurb needs to sit nicely on the back, whether there is an image in the background or colors to match the front cover, the text needs to be clear. At times the blurb gets lost in the back image.
Anyway I'm no expert, but I hope there is a little takeaway within my ramblings. Looking forward to reading what you have to say.
And if you lack funds for cover artists, there are free Canva and other programs. I'm a little too impatient and find Canva a bit annoying, but I did rush one for a Book Funnel promo of a short story. My story had hundreds of downloads which added to my newsletter list, so the amateur cover didn't put readers off too much. But I won't repeat the experience as I believe even a free book deserves a professional cover. That said, I know authors who use the paid Canva option to create amazing covers and a wide variety of clip art for formatting the inside. Go you beautiful people!
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WEP (Write...Edit...Publish) starts today with a bang! Please join us this Valentine's month for the first of our 2023 prompts based on a favorite movie of each Team WEP member.
February's prompt is the controversial film:
Details are published on February 1 on our new-look website. Come across and have a sticky beak!
Posting of entries is between Feb 15 -17.
Submit Flash Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Photo Essays
Winners this month receive a critique from the IWSG's own L Diane Wolfe ... and ...a DRUMROLL ... place in WEP's anthology of the best of WEP in 2023, published early 2024.
Here is a mock up of a cover, simply used as a placeholder.
