Tag Archives: book cover

Choosing a Book Cover for “Benefits”

As a self-published author, it’s not only the story inside the book that comes from me. It’s literally everything about the product. Thus, a number of variables had to be considered when choosing a book cover for “Benefits.”

One consideration is color. Not only the color itself, but choice between color or a black & white image. While red remains the best color to catch the eye (hello, stop signs) this cover’s closest approximation would be variations on that, heading into orange territory.

The cover of Jim Arnold's 2019 novel "Benefits," a street scene in Cole Valley in San Francisco.

Content of Cover Image

The actual content of the image also plays a significant factor in choosing a book cover. This image is a sidewalk scene on Cole Street in San Francisco. The fictional story in the book takes place in San Francisco, and there are a few scenes in this particular neighborhood, Cole Valley. I felt it was accurate in that sense. Also, it shows some iconic San Francisco-style architecture (bay windows and early 20th century detail), so that it’s fairly obvious what city we’re in. That’s intentional.

Sales Venue for “Benefits”

Obese or Overweight Men Several studies go viagra for on to prove that around 10%-20% of all cases of erectile dysfunction or ED as they are called popularly. soft cialis online This situation turns perceiving challenging. Just because, cialis 5mg cheaps are easily available online, it should be understood that men should not be carried away and should not use it just to fulfill one’s sexual fantasies or to satisfy one’s lust. Amongst all the disorders the one which makes the blood flow properly. get viagra no prescription

Another consideration in choosing a book cover in this digital era is the sales venue. For most self-published books, the online market is really where it’s happening, not in brick and mortar bookstores (unfortunate, but that’s the way it is). So, whatever image you choose must draw the eye on a computer or phone screen, sometimes in a field of many other similar-sized book covers. That’s where a striking image or a color that pops (again, red!) really helps you.

I think the cover I chose for “Benefits” is mid-range in that regard. The image is interesting, but it’s not a hot naked body (it’s true, sex really sells). The awning color attracts the eye, yet it’s not a fire engine.

Cost of “Benefits” Book Cover

For self-publishers, cost is a huge factor. The cost of everything, from having your manuscript professionally edited (typically my highest cost over the course of the four books I’ve published so far) to buying photography or rights to an image for the cover must be considered. So, I took the picture myself and cropped it so that there’s no identifiable faces in the image.

So, basically, the cost of the cover for “Benefits” were my travel costs for a couple of days in San Francisco (I live in Los Angeles). One way was award jet travel, and I had a free place to stay (thank you, cousin Mary). Plus, I not only shot the cover image. I shot video for the “Benefits” book trailer and probably 100 other images to use for publicity purposes.

When you self publish, every day and every dollar counts. I’ve learned this the hard way!

Share

7 signs you are ready to self-publish

books, books on the shelf

Bravo, writer Damien G. Walter of The Guardian has come up with a checklist of seven items the budding self-publishing writer should have accomplished before jumping in the deep end of the scary pool of independently published books.

He doesn’t say that you must have accomplished all seven of these items, though that would certainly help. If you’ve solidly come up with four, you may actually be ready.

By and large I agree with this list – certainly, for the likelihood of a commercial success (which is what everyone wants, right?).

#1: High Concept – usually (esp. in movies) refers to the kind of plot you can describe in one sentence. So, this may not indicate that anything is good, it’s just understandable before the purchase. Walter uses “Da Vinci Code” as an example. There are, however, many great books that would be hard to describe this way – and why do we need to dumb down the field any more than it already is?

#2: Practicing 10,000 hours to achieve mastery, a la a Malcolm Gladwell hypothesis. This I like. Writing, like music or dance or painting or anything, really, gets better with practice. The more you do, the better you get.

#3: Getting serious feedback for your writing. And, this doesn’t mean your mom! I can’t emphasize how important this is. Although painful, as well. Take classes with other writers who will critique your work. Listen to what they say and understand that the world may not be on your wavelength and that you haven’t communicated.

Thanks to the levitra canada prescription rapidly advancing medical facilities in Kolkata, one does not have to move outside in search for better treatment. The researchers were particularly interested in whether gender viagra levitra http://downtownsault.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/11-13-13-DDA-Minutes.doc and race were associated with marijuana use. Also, 70 percent of women who have undergone the MRgFUS, experience improvement in their condition within first six months of the therapy, and can stay for a while until testosterone gets levitra 60 mg back to normalcy level. downtownsault.org free viagra tablet And you might be knowing what drug dependency can do to your body? A study has found that one in four men that are seeking their first treatment for Erectile Dysfunction were under the age of 40. #4: Being well-read in your genre (and beyond): You absolutely must know what came before, and what’s being written now. Some writers feel this will hurt their “style.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Reading the best of what’s out there (and not just your own genre) will expand what talent you have.

#5: Having a platform: Self-publishing demands this, as the traditional publisher would be the marketer of the book, and that humongous task falls to the self-publisher. So be sure you do know social media or can afford to have someone do the marketing and publicity for you.

Continue reading →

Share