First Word

  It took a month to paint, but the cover illustration for the 352 Day Nutritional Challenge is finished. How the actual graphics will go around the image is still a glimmer of thought in my creative brain.  Your book cover is the most important marketing element of your book. Too many authors choose cover images that have no relation to their book's topic. A cover created incorrectly can confuse readers about the story or topic. Don't let your artsy side go wild when it comes to your cover. Be creative and clever, but pay attention to what the image projects about the book.   I am a publisher, author, and illustrator. If you ever want input on what to do with your book cover, please send me an email at info@3LPublishing.com.        

Did you know a book cover (not content) can sometimes be the determinant of whether or not a book sells? I know authors may feel disappointment that a visual aid could make or break their books, but it's one of those realities. Here is what I know about great book covers: Sex always sells . It is just the way it is and no use in fighting mother nature. So a compelling and sizzling sexual cover can do wonders to pique curiosity and sales. Beauty sells though too . One of our authors was stuck on whether to go sexy or beautiful. She went beautiful on instinct and her book cover for Passenger from Greece was acknowledged with a finalist award. Headline treatments can stand on their own . A compelling title combined with an interesting use of typography and white space can provide the tools for some fantastic book covers. Mystery and intrigue provide the basis for great covers . Think about 50 Shades of Grey , a now iconic book cover. It had a lure of dark mystery ab...

As a publisher, the no. #1 comment I hear continually is ... "Everybody has a book in them." While it's true we all have a story to tell, that comment doesn't address the professionalism required to make a book a reality. Using the various methods available to others to get their books out of them, it's true everybody can, in fact, have a book published. But that requires the realization that to get a book into the popular culture, it needs to be treated like any business endeavor -- and any business endeavor requires professionalism to do it right. If you can't necessarily write, but do have a story to tell, you can do the following: Hire a ghost writer -- Did you know many books aren't written the author whose name is shown on the front. A ghost writer is a professional writer who can make your story not only structurally make sense, but also grammatically work. A ghost writer knows how a book is supposed to be written, and there is no guesswork...

Yesterday I reviewed what to look for to protect your own interests when it comes to self-publishing on the editorial side. Today we're going to address graphic services and production. The funny comments I have heard from misinformed people who don't know what they are talking about goes like this: How hard can it be to push graphics around on a page? My answer: it's harder than you think and it takes education, knowledge and skills. Graphic artist is a true profession not a kindergarten class where you learn to draw squares, which is what that comment suggests. Further, production is a whole other part of the process, and it requires respect for the capabilities of the graphics person. Graphic art is an entire degree program at college. So, the misunderstanding that it's pushing pictures around on a page is very ill informed. When it comes to graphic design, what I'm going to do is share information that will help you as you move through the publishing process...

If you're an author, I have a HUGE, worthwhile piece of information to share with you this morning. Are you just eager to know what it is? Here we go ... did you know that your book cover can make or break your book sales? Yes, it's true. Does it dishearten you because your prose seem so much more worthwhile -- and isn't that really what the point of a book is? Well, yes of course; but truth in "storytelling," we live in a visual society. Why do you think the TV draws people in or movies are so popular. People buy books based on the cover. As disappointing to the writer as that truth may be, it's just reality. I once heard a rep from Smashwords say that a simple switch of a cover can take a poorly selling book and make it a top seller. True!  So if you're self-publishing or working with a hybrid publisher like my company 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com), you better make that all important investment in a cover and work with a talented ...

I see all kinds of book covers. Authors who are considering doing self-publishing or using outfits like Smashwords will show me their prospective covers and ask the sensitive question, "What do you think?" As a publisher, do you know how hard it is to look at a horrible book cover and then have to gently deliver the words no author wants to hear, "It doesn't work." Style and taste in art are often in the eyes of the beholder. So when I tell an author with my well-trained eye his/her book cover failed what I'll half-heartedly call the "Michelle-litmus test," he/she often look like I took away their lollypop. It's not easy to share any kind of criticism with authors, but sensitivity over one's book cover runs high. The truth is, I have to tell the truth. And here is why: Your book can help create a bestseller or guarantee a flop -- yes, that is absolutely true. Ask any professional publisher. For example, an author had a terrible boo...