SPA Girls Podcast – EP011 – All About Covers
Nov30

SPA Girls Podcast – EP011 – All About Covers

SPA Girls

Welcome to the 11th episode of the SPA Girls Podcast! This week we’re talking covers. It’s a massive subject, and we’ve tried to cover the basics in this show. Having a really good cover in this crowded marketplace is a must-do. Not just a good cover, but the right cover for your book, and your genre. This will take time and research on your part, but it’s time well spent in your self-publishing journey. Basically, in a nutshell – don’t try to do it by yourself! Hire a professional cover designer (not your next door neighbour’s kid) who knows and understands the industry to create a cover for you.

There’s a whole heap of really useful advice in this episode, so make sure you check it out!

 

What is the job of the cover?

To cue in the reader about what to expect when they read the book.

Research top selling authors in your genre and look at those covers, see what’s working and why. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Readers have expectations from certain genres and can tell at a glance what the content will be by the cover, and if you mislead them that could lead to negative reviews.

IF, on the other hand, you think you have an original idea that can portray exactly what your book genre is, then, of course, give it a go, but if it doesn’t work, be prepared to change the cover.

 

Premade Covers:

Do a search for premade covers on google, there are plenty of people doing them. These have already been designed and are there for you to look at and purchase immediately. Some will do everything for you, put in your name and title, etc. Prices range from $30 upwards. This is a great place to start if you are working on a budget. Remember, you can always change the cover later if you want to. Some designers will also let you make a couple of changes.

 

Custom Covers:

These cost more, depending on the designer and what you require. Approximately $US 150.00 upward. Custom designers will also design print covers and other graphics like FB and Twitter banners.

Think about what it is you want before you start dealing with a cover designer. If you don’t like green, then tell the designer that. They’re not mind readers, make sure they design what you want. If you want a black haired woman, then ask for that, and ask for changes if you are not happy with what they come back to you with.

Be aware that the stock photos that cover designers use are often repeatedly used by other designers and displayed on other covers. In some cases, you can purchase the stock photo at a price.

Think about your brand if you are choosing to get your cover custom designed. Make sure your name is visual because your cover is only the size of a thumbnail and you don’t want to get lost in the crowd.

 

Shar’s Rant:

99.99% of people should not make their own covers. Spend $30 on a premade rather than 120 hours teaching yourself (or getting your teenager to learn) photoshop. Don’t reinvent the wheel – look at the top sellers in your subgenre and do better. Understand the visual shorthand that designers use to cue readers into the book’s genre/ tone/sensuality level.

Remember your cover is to hook people long enough to get them to read the book description – it’s purpose is to get a potential reader’s attention. You need to take your writing hat off and put your marketer’s hat on. This is a business decision and what works for the “market” may not necessarily be the cover you personally love. Don’t be afraid to try different covers – cover design is like other any other design trends – they change over time.

 

Links:

Joel Friedlander Cover Design Awards:

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/monthly-e-book-cover-design-awards/

Designer Scarlett Rugers’ blog:  http://booksat.scarlettrugers.com/bookcoverdesign/

Derek Murphy’s site: http://www.creativindiecovers.com/

 

Some great premades at:

www.goonwrite.com

http://ebookindiecovers.com/tag/melody-simmons/

http://www.selfpubbookcovers.com/

http://www.najlaqamberdesigns.com/book-covers.html

 

 

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SPA Girls Podcast – EP010 – Editing for Indies
Nov22

SPA Girls Podcast – EP010 – Editing for Indies

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Thanks for joining us for episode number 10 of the SPA Girls Podcast! We made it to double digits!

This week we talk about a really important topic for self published authors – editing. What it is, why it’s important, the kind of mistakes that we’ve made along the way, and who you can get to help you through the process.

Congratulations

Remember, before you do anything else celebrate finishing your book! This is a massive achievement and should be acknowledged. So well done you!

Self editing

Some writers like to take time after finishing their book before beginning the editing process. A day or two, some take a week, but when you come back to it you’ll be ready to read it again.

Chances are when you first start out that you’ll be on a budget so if you can take care of some of the editing yourself then that’s a great start. Some writers print the book out at this stage, others put it onto their kindle for this first read through.

Most writers who’ve been writing for a while, understand their own weaknesses, and those are the things that can be worked on in the second draft. Here are a few things to look for-

Word Repetition – do a find on the words you use a lot, you’ll be surprised how many you find.

Comma usage – this can change the way a sentence should read. For example –  Let’s eat grandpa, or Let’s eat, grandpa. Correct punctuation can save a person’s life. 

Characters – are they all necessary or can two characters be amalgamated?

POV- is the scene written in the write characters point of view?

Flashbacks- are they necessary as sometimes they slow down pace?

Conflict- is it really clear and obvious why there is a problem?

Pacing- is the book filled with description and not much dialogue which slows the book down? Each scene should move the book forward. Watch out for a slow start.

Once you’ve addressed whatever issues you’ve found then think about running it through a spell check or a programme that suits you, there are plenty online to choose from.

 Beta Readers

This can be from your mailing list, friends and family, critique group, facebook friends—whoever really. Just someone you trust to give you honest feedback on the book. Generally they’re not going to be experts, so they might be vague and unsure about what they actually liked or disliked.  But it will give you a general sense of where to head. Just be aware that some people will tell you they loved it even if they didn’t for fear of hurting your feelings, so make sure they’re prepared to be honest!

What editing do you need to pay for? 

We believe that at the very least you should pay for one edit, a final proofreader to make sure you don’t have any grammar and spelling mistakes. You will only get one shot at hooking a reader so they become a fan and will buy your next book. Don’t put out a product that is riddled with errors.

Definitions of different types of editors

Substantive/developmental editor (also sometimes called content edit)

This is where your manuscript is assessed as a whole, with problems to do with the overall plot or structure are analyzed, as well as coherence, logical consistency, and organization. Depending on the editor, it can involve suggested changes at the paragraph level, as well at the sentence level. Substantive and Developmental editors can also be separated out, with the developmental editor working with you from the early stages, before the writing even begins, helping you from the initial idea stage, right through to a finished manuscript. The substantive editor will generally start working with you once you’ve got a completed novel. But these roles can overlap significantly, which is why we’ve put them together. You won’t get a line by line edit, but you will get an overall sense of what you need to fix to make the story flow better and hold together as a book.

Copy editor (also sometimes called line editor)

This is the next level down, and usually involves correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, repetition, word usage, and jargon. They read a manuscript when it’s at a nearly final or final stage.

Proofreader

This is the lightest form of editing, and is usually just a polish on the top of the manuscript to take out the last glaring errors. They will generally only correct errors of grammar and punctuation, capitalization and word usage.

Finding an Editor

Send a sample chapter, and see if you like what they have corrected in your work. Word of mouth is also a great way to find an editor. Kboards has a yellow pages, and there are self-publishing loops like the one Marie Force runs that have discussions on this topic. Use the resources available through RWNZ and RWA too.

Links

Editing aids

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/01/ (comma rules and exercises)

https://app.grammarly.com/

http://www.whitesmoke.com/onlinegrammarPPC/

https://prowritingaid.com/

Kboards Yellow Pages:  http://www.kboards.com/yp/ (for finding editors)

http://romancedivas.com/ (forums discussing editors)

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/

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SPA Girls Podcast – EP09 – Interview With Author Toni Kenyon!
Nov16

SPA Girls Podcast – EP09 – Interview With Author Toni Kenyon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week’s episode was a huge amount of fun for us… We did our first ever proper interview (if you don’t count the one we did with SPA Girl Wendy Vella) with author Toni Kenyon! Toni was a delight to have on the show, and she was a wealth of information on being a self publishing author… She talked about her journey and how she got started in self publishing, the mindset she’s had to have since quitting the day job and working full time as an author, and she even gave some tips for newbie authors just setting out in what is a constantly changing environment… Don’t miss this episode, it’s a good one!

Visit Toni at www.tonikenyon.com

 

 

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SPA Girls Podcast – EP08 – Finding Your Tribe
Nov08

SPA Girls Podcast – EP08 – Finding Your Tribe

towel

 

For the eighth episode of the SPA Girls podcast we talk about finding your tribe.

What on Earth do we mean by that, you ask?

Writing can be a lonely pursuit, and it’s important to have people who understand what you’re going through on your side. We encourage you to go out into the wide world and find other writers who can be your supporters, cheerleaders and sounding boards as you travel your self publishing journey (and you can do the same for them).

We promise, you won’t regret it.

All the SPA Girls have stories about the people we’ve met and the conversations that have changed our lives through connections both online and in person. Case in point: all four of the SPA Girls would tell you that being in our group has had a hugely positive influence on our careers, because of the ongoing support, friendship and advice that we provide each other. It’s been invaluable!

Okay, sounds easy, but what if you’re shy? No problem! We give ideas, advice and actual resources for a wide range of places you can go to meet other authors and discuss writing and self publishing.

And if you’re still stuck, join our SPA Girls Facebook page or send us an email – we’re always happy to chat!

https://www.facebook.com/SPAGirlsPodcast

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SPA Girls Podcast – EP07 – Overview Of The Self-Publishing Process
Nov02

SPA Girls Podcast – EP07 – Overview Of The Self-Publishing Process

SPA Girls

 

 

 

 

 

In the seventh episode of the SPA Girls Podcast we give you an overview of the whole self publishing process from start to finish, including all the things you need to take into consideration along the way. It’s designed to give you a glimpse into the life of a self-publishing author and to let you know what you’re getting yourself into when you decide to go this route. 🙂 It can seem daunting at first, but don’t worry: we’re going to go into every step along the way in great detail in future episodes of the podcast.

We’ve even done up a cheat sheet of the entire process for you to use – all you have to do is sign up to our mailing list and you’ll get it for free.

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