I attended a book launch in July 2023, for a debut novel set in Tasmania. When Q&A came around, I asked the author: “what’s next?” She said she was already working on a new novel, but it wasn’t related, although she may put one of the characters from the last book into the next book.
“Like an Easter egg,” the moderator said. “Where you bring other characters from another book into a completely new story”.
The lightbulb in my head went on. It’s like someone finally explained to me how my brain works.
First, let me explain first what an ‘Easter Egg’ is, in case you’re not aware of the term. In literary terms, ‘Easter eggs’ are a little extra something that authors hide in their books for their fans to find. It can be a character, a place, an object, or a bit of dialogue.
But I’ve never thought of ‘Easter Eggs’ in a literary sense. Some of my themes, motifs, whatever you want to call them, would be classed as ‘Easter eggs’. For example, when I use the nickname “sweetness” in every book, it’s technically an ‘Easter egg’.
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE is not set on the Camino de Santiago, but in Tasmania. The Camino wisdom is woven into the story, but not in an obvious way. There are characters from CAMINO WANDERING in the book, but they aren’t the primary characters. The book is a standalone novel.
But I kept being told that I had to write a series. “It’s the only way to be successful as a writer,” I was told – repeatedly.My intuition was telling me otherwise – and you know something? I should have listened to my instincts.
When I did some research of my own, I discovered that writing series is popular with fantasy, science fiction, thrillers… but not so much with women’s fiction. When I look at some of the authors I love, whose books I devour, I realised that most of them are standalone books.
Plus, I’m beginning to realise that I’m not a series writer. I love standalone. When I think of my novel FINDING THE WAY (2024), I don’t want it to follow the same path (no pun intended) as CAMINO WANDERING. I need Merritt (the main character) to find another way for herself. There may be other characters from other novels (hello ‘Easter Eggs’) but it will be a standalone novel. Not connected to CAMINO WANDERING. Not connected to THE DECISIONS WE MAKE. And now I know that, I’m finding strength in the story now.
But this is what I love about self-publishing. I can make changes when it makes sense to do so. Sure, I have books already published that will need updating. New covers, disassociating them from each other etc… And those are time-consuming changes, but it feels right doing this.
My footing feels solid with this plan.
Besides, maybe a reader will read one of my books and wonder, “I wonder what else she has written?”
CAMINO WANDERING did not start out to be a fiction novel. It was originally intended to be a memoir of my own Camino wanders. I walked 800km from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela, solo in 2018. Then I walked the same path again the following year, this time with my husband. (Hence why my husband calls me, lovingly, a Camino Tragic.)
After writing my memoir, some ninety thousand words, I realised quickly that it was a boredom fest. Even I was bored by it. I mulled it over a while, thinking about how I write about this life-changing experience and have it not only be interesting but something people would enjoy.
Then it came to me. Almost everyone who has walked the Camino has seen the Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez movie, THE WAY. The movie is even a hot topic on many Camino focused Facebook pages. And, after watching it again myself for the hundredth time, I realised if people watch and admire that movie, which is a fictional tale, then maybe a fiction novel set on the Camino Francés was not a crackpot idea after all.
So, I sat back down, took some of my own experiences – the stories and places that stuck with me – and created robust characters and wove together a fictional tale.
Publishing it was a whole other endeavour.
Most books about the Camino are published either by a religion-based publishing company, since it’s traditionally a religious pilgrimage, or the books are self-published.
With CAMINO WANDERING, one of my characters questions the doctrines of the Catholic Church because of her own experiences. Plus, there is swearing throughout the book (realistic for anyone who walks it, in my opinion). Because of those two reasons, I knew a religious publisher would not go near the book. Add in, I’m a bit of a control freak, so self-publishing seemed to fit well for me. So, there you have it. That’s how my self-publishing journey began and how I saved the world from another boring memoir!
Have you heard of the Camino de Santiago? Have you walked a route to Santiago, or plan to?
Over the last three years, I’ve been deeply involved with the Tasmanian Indie Author Group. It’s a diverse group of talented writers with a wide range of skills and experience as independent authors. I can say this: We love what we do, and we do it with passion.
As self-published authors, we receive a lot of questions from writers either new to self-publishing, or undecided which publishing path to take. The questions we receive tend to be consistent. So, with the assistance of the Tasmanian Indie Author group, the Self-Publishing FAQ was created. This blog post covers all aspects of self-publishing.
I’ve finished drafting my novel. Now what?
Editing
Do I need an editor?
Yes. Yes. And… yes.
Every author, no matter how good they think they are with spelling and grammar needs an editor. You overlook a lot.
Before you send any draft to an editor, listen to your book (MS Word even gives you the option to do this). You’ll catch a lot by doing this.
Only once you are proud of what you have put into words, when you think it’s the best it can be, should you then send to an editor.
Where can I find an editor?
Check out the Acknowledgments section of books in your genre. Most authors will thank their editors. Google them. See if they are taking new clients.
Reedsy have a comprehensive list of over 2000 editors. The Institute of Professional Editors offer a searchable list of freelance editors (members of the IPEd).
Facebook groups are also a great source. Find one you are comfortable in and ask the authors within those groups who they recommend.
What type of editor do I need?
There are four main types of editors. Some editors encompass all of the roles, although most don’t.
Jane Friedman has a great blog post that explains the difference:
Developmental Editor“Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.” —Max Perkins A developmental editor will help you answer the big questions: What is this book about? Who is it for? Why am I the right person to write it? What’s the best way to structure my argument? What do I need to make sure is included? What needs to be left out? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, or think you don’t need to, you need a developmental editor.
Substantive Editor A substantive editor will be editing your complete draft from a 30,000-foot, global perspective. Like a developmental editor, they’re going to be focused on the big-picture stuff like genre, theme, character/point of view, structure, pacing, and depth of research. If you want feedback, course correction, and encouragement as you write, you want a developmental editor; if you want to chart your own course and then be shown where and how to improve later, you want a substantive editor.
Copy Editor
Copy editors are laser-focused on the finer points of your manuscript, such as word choice, syntax, factual accuracy, repetition, inconsistencies, grammar, style, spelling, and repetition. (You’re welcome.)
Proofreader
Proofreaders are the final gatekeepers between your book and the rest of the world. They’re the fresh pair of eyes you need when neither you nor your other editors can see the typos anymore
For self-publishing on a budget, you are best to have one editor perform the developmental/substantive work, and a second do the copy editing/proofreading.
Book Covers
Should I hire a cover designer?
What you want to accomplish is a professionally published book. Can you create a cover yourself to look as polished as a traditionally published one? If the answer is no, then hire a cover designer. This is recommended for 99% of self-published authors, unless you have graphic design experience.
To find a good cover designer, look at books in your genre. The author will usually list the cover designer on their copyright page or in their acknowledgements.
Publishing
What is the difference between self-publishing, small press, hybrid, and traditionally publishing?
Self-publishing – publishing the book yourself, from start to finish (including formatting and uploading the book).
Small press/hybrid publishing – paying someone to publish your book for you.
Traditional publishing – working under a contract, where they handle most of the publishing role.
What are the benefits to self-publishing over publishing through a small press or traditional publisher?
Writers must consider the timeline when publishing, and how comfortable they are to release control of their draft (aka their baby) to someone else.
We’ve heard all kinds of stories from authors who have gone the traditional or small press/hybrid route:
– submitting their book to a traditional publisher and never hearing back. – submitting to a traditional publisher and being told they need to change major elements of their storyline for the publisher to even consider publishing the book. – taking years to publish the book after submitting it to a traditional publisher. – paying thousands – yes, thousands – of dollars for a small press to publish their book and then being ghosted. – being locked into a contract for three to five years, with no rights to the book for that duration (small press and traditional). – taking a year (or more) to get their first royalty check after publication. – not hearing much from the publisher once the book is published.
Benefits to self-publishing include:
There are no gate keepers, such as literary agents or publishers. You are in complete control of every step of the publishing journey with self-publishing.
Complete control of the publishing process. Authors can choose to work with cover designers, copywriters etc… to bring their vision to ‘print’. Or they can do these tasks themselves (although an editor is still recommended).
Higher returns. When a book is traditionally published, authors need to sell enough books to ‘pay off’ the advance the publisher has provided. When a book is published through a small publisher, the author may not see the royalties for a year.Add in, literary Agents take a commission from traditionally published author’s royalties, in addition to the traditional publishers’ and small publishers’ commissions. eBooks are more profitable than paperbacks, which are more profitable than hardbacks. With self-publishing, an eBook delivers about 70% in royalties. With a paperback, it’s anywhere from 40-60%. In traditional and small press publishing, royalties can be as low as 5% on paperback and 20% on eBooks sales. Unfortunately, printing costs in Australia are outrageous compared to the rest of the world. (A paperback will cost anywhere from $4- $7 in the US to print a trade paperback, whereas it’s closer to $8-$13 in Australia). Example: An Australian author will receive a $2.50 royalty on a $3.99 eBook, and approx. $7 on a $24.99 paperback – if they do Print-on-Demand through a printer and distributor such as IngramSpark. If an author sells to a bookshop, providing books directly to the bookshop, they must also factor in shipping. Example: Take that $24.99 paperback. With direct distribution to a bookshop, that royalty goes down to $1-$2. That’s where the Tasmanian Indie Author group comes in. We work with Fullers in Hobart, by providing a list of new releases from our self-published community. If the book is something Fullers are interested in, they will order directly through IngramSpark. It’s a win-win for all concerned.
Readers. With a professional-looking book, including a professionally designed cover and well-written blurb on the back cover, readers cannot tell the difference between self-published and traditionally published books. The quality of printing available to self-published authors is now equal to the traditionally published books.
Am I better off paying someone else to do the design, formatting and uploading to the different online platforms? (aka using a small press hybrid publisher.)
This can be answered by asking yourself the following questions:
> Is this a hobby for you?
> Are you publishing this book for your friends and family?
> How many books are you planning to publish?
> How comfortable are you with technology?
If you only plan on publishing one book for your friends and family, self-publishing can be done inexpensively for your needs. However, if you don’t wish to invest too much time or money, you could find a reputable hybrid publisher to assist.*
If you are wanting to publish multiple books, investing the time to learn about self-publishing, as well as the right tools and resources, is worth your time.
If you aren’t afraid to learn new things, there is a plethora of information out there that can help you on your self-publishing journey, as can the Tasmanian Indie Author Group.
*We encourage you NOT to publish through a small press, as we hear more horror stories than success stories. But, like everything, there are gems out there. If you ask the Tasmanian Indie Author group on Facebook, you should be to find a reputable company, as well as advice of which small press publishers to stay clear of. But this post is not about small press publishers. 😉
What is IngramSpark? Should I publish there? Should I publish my eBook through Ingram/Lightning Source?
IngramSpark is a print-on-demand (POD) distribution service. Books (paperback and hardback) are only printed as they are ordered by a customer. Which means the author does not need to stock a large number of books themselves. IngramSpark also handle eBooks, but we recommend that you go directly to the seller platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Apple etc) to upload your eBook files, rather than using IngramSpark. Going direct to these platforms means you have access to all of their promotional opportunities, which you will not do if going through an aggregate.
IngramSpark handle the distribution of your paperbacks and hardbacks, making them available worldwide to book buyers. Amazon does offer its own paperback POD service, but those books will only be available to Amazon’s customers. If you use IngramSpark to distribute your paperbacks they will still appear for sale on Amazon, but they will also be accessible to bookshops and libraries for ordering. With your own ISBN, any book shop or library can find your book on IngramSpark and buy copies.
Is it better to self-publish paperbacks or just eBooks?
With the arrival of eBooks talk of the demise of paperbacks began. But although there is much debate over the sales figures (traditional publishers are often not forthcoming with accurate figures) there is really nothing to suggest a decline in reader appetite for paperbacks. They are still in high demand and show no sign of not continuing to be so. EBooks are an easy way to get your book out there, and a good way to dip your toes into the self-publishing world, but it is highly recommended to offer paperback versions of all your books. Each purchase option for a reader is another stream of income for the author.
Should I publish my paperback through Amazon?
Yes. Paperbacks sell well on Amazon. As mentioned in the information on IngramSpark, you can either go through Amazon directly for your paperbacks or use a printer/distributor such as IngramSpark. At the time of writing this, there seem to be no differences in print quality between the two.
Should I accept Amazon exclusivity? (Publishing via Kindle Unlimited)?
This is a question that will become easier to answer once you understand your genre. Some genres are far more successful in Kindle Unlimited than others.
Kindle Unlimited (KU) is an eBook subscription service for readers, which pays authors by the page-read. But Amazon have strict rules about exclusivity.
Kindle Unlimited means you cannot offer your book elsewhere but Amazon, which may cut off a large portion of your readership. It also means you are relying on a sole marketplace for your author income. Keeping all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. This is a strategy that comes with its own risks.
You commit to a 90-day period of exclusivity when you put your book in Kindle Unlimited, which means your eBook cannot be sold anywhere else, which includes your own website. The book can be removed after 90 days or you can continue on in Kindle Unlimited.
Should I publish my eBook direct through the digital platforms or should I use an aggregate, like Draft2Digital?
Using an aggregate can make the whole self-publishing process for eBooks simpler at the outset. It means you only have to upload your eBooks to one site.
Draft2Digital is a recognised and respected aggregate who can distribute your books to all major retailers, Amazon included. But as mentioned in the section for IngramSpark (who offer similar services to D2D) using an aggregate will hinder your promotional opportunities. All the major retailers such as Kobo, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon want authors to use them directly. So, many of their marketing/promotion opportunities are only offered to those authors who hold direct accounts.
You may wish to start out by using a service such as D2D to distribute to all retailers, but it is recommended that you eventually go direct to platforms such as Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google, and Amazon.
However, please note that does not mean abandoning D2D altogether! Apple has a strong eBook market, but their author dashboard is difficult to navigate. Many authors use D2D to manage their Apple sales.
Also, D2D offer access to a huge range of other retailers that are not accessible directly for most authors, such as large European retailers such as Tolino and Vivlio. D2D also offer access to the worldwide library platform, Overdrive, and Draft2Digital has recently merged with Smashwords.
Costs
How much does it cost to self-publish a book (not including advertising)?
Editing
Anywhere from $500 – $5000, depending on type of editing and experience of the editor. The average is around 2 cents (AUD) per word.
Copy Writing – Back cover and blurbs
You can hire someone to write the copy for you or do it yourself. Bryan Cohen (U.S.) at Best Page Forward, or Jessie Cunniffe (Australian) at Book Blurb Magic are great places to start.
Professional photographs, BISAC codes, keywords. If the resulting photograph is of high quality and looks professional, a friend can take it with their phone. Otherwise, spend the money to have a professional photograph done for marketing purposes. BISAC codes are what retailers and booksellers use to determine in which category to place your book on their website, or where to shelve it in their bookstore. This takes time to research and determine, but you need this for when submitting to IngramSparks. Keywords are used to find your book. They’re used when uploading to the distribution outlets as well as marketing.
$0 – $200
Interior formatting
$0 – $400 for professional help or software (Vellum is $AUD 380, Atticus is $AUD 220)
ISBNs and barcodes. ISBNs and barcodes can be purchased through Thorpe-Bowker at https://www.myidentifiers.com.au. ISBN: ISBNs are the global standard for identifying books. They simplify book distribution, inventory tracking, and purchase, and improve the chances that a book will be found and sold. An ISBN identifies one specific version of a book; each version of a book, print or digital, requires its own ISBN. Each edition also requires it’s own ISBN. Barcode: Barcodes are used on physical books, allowing them to be machine read, and facilitating automated sales and inventory tracking – a requirement for most large retailers. When you get your barcodes from Thorpe-Bowker, the only official Australian ISBN Agency, you can be sure they meet the latest book publishing industry requirements.
It costs $AUD88 for 10 ISBNs and $45 per barcode. You can buy ISBNs individually.
Cover art
$0-$500 per cover.
Distribution
How do I get a retail bookstore to buy my indie published book? Do they have any in-house criteria?
The criteria is dependent on the book shop. We recommend creating a media kit showcasing you (author) and your new release. Examples for media kits can be found with a quick Google search or on a platform like CANVA. Once you have a media kit, approach the book shop directly.
The only exception to this is with Fullers Bookshop in Hobart, Tasmania. The Tasmanian Indie Author group have a direct relationship with Fullers Bookshop. If you’d like to know more, please join the TIA mailing list. We send an email once a month to the mailing list, asking for information on new releases. This goes directly to the book buyer at Fullers, who then reviews and orders directly, either through IngramSpark or through the author.
In order to see your book appear on library shelves, you can approach your local library directly and ask them to stock your paperback, where they may provide you with the applicable department to contact. You may need to order copies of your books through your preferred POD service (such as IngramSpark) and provide the books directly to the library. Alternatively, the library may wish to order copies through a local bookshop.
For eBooks, Draft2Digital offers access to Overdrive which is a worldwide database for libraries. Your eBook can be available to libraries through this service, although the libraries still have to request the addition of your title. It will not automatically appear on their list.
Please note, in Australia, at time of writing, there are no royalties offered on library eBooks. For print copies, there is a one-time payment, with the price decided by the author and accepted by the library. However the Australian government has set up the ‘Australian Lending Rights Scheme’ which enables authors/artists to seek compensation on works held by public and educational lending libraries. As a self-published author, you can seek compensation as both an author and a publisher, as long as you have a registered business (ABN).
Marketing
Marketing Reality
Traditional publishers will offer publicity assistance to their authors at launch. But once the book is launched, traditionally published authors manage their own marketing. These include writing newsletters and blog posts, managing their social media platforms etc… everything indie authors do.
There is a saying that indie authors spend 20% of the time writing, and 80% of the time marketing. While true, it can be made easier once you are established. But this post isn’t about marketing books. 😉
How do I overcome my aversion to self-promotion to be able to handle marketing and distribution?
Selling your book comes down to a couple of important things:
> For your Book: a good cover, a solid back cover/blurb and a solid number of reviews
> For you: Thinking of it as sharing your story rather than promoting your book.
Most authors tend to be introverts. Fortunately, there are good resources that can help with this.
For example: – Marketing can be done without showing your face. – The Tasmanian Indie Author group helps with the distribution by working with Fullers, providing them with a list of Tasmanian Indie Authors new releases each month. – You can advertise through Facebook and Amazon. There are plenty of online resources to help you learn how to do this – And for those willing to try their hand at meeting their readers face to face, the Tassie Indie Authors Book Fair is the perfect opportunity.
What is the most effective marketing strategies for self-published books?
> Know your ideal reader and where they hang out.
> Be engaged with your community.
> Be Consistent. Form a marketing strategy and stick to it. Give it time to be successful.
Just to note, marketing is a WHOLE other blog post, so we decided to keep the answer short and sweet.
Resources and Support
Tasmanian Indie Author Group – a diverse group of talented writers with a wide range of skills and experience as independent authors.
Mixtus Media – Book Marketing Simplified. Podcast, YouTube, Website, Author Circle membership.
ALLi – The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is the premier membership association for self–publishing authors.
Reedsy – Crafting beautiful books is at the heart of everything that Reedsy does. We’re changing the way books are published by giving authors and publishers access to talented professionals, powerful tools, and free educational content.
I’ve been writing novels now for over two years and learning about the importance of an outline has been a eye opening experience for me. It’s a lesson I’d like to share with you.
For my first novel, Beneath the Surface, I thought writing a book amounted to simply sitting my ass in a chair and banging on the keyboard while my brilliant ideas flowed. Sure, the story poured out of me. I remember being so excited when I was done and so determined to send my baby out into the world for all to gush over.
But the truth was, Beneath the Surface was a hot mess. It took ten rewrites and five years to write. It was a hard lesson to learn, but for the final rewrite of Beneath the Surface, I finally used an outline to get the story sorted. It was a ‘slap against the forehead’ moment for me when the outline revealed the clarity I needed.
Writing a book is like any major project in life.
There must be a plan. A builder can’t construct a house without architectural plans. A baker can’t create a masterpiece without a recipe. And think of the essays we all had to write in high school – there was always a beginning, a middle and a conclusion.
It’s all about structure.
With a novel, or even a short story, structure is essential. The reader will lose attention if the house you’ve created is on a wobbly foundation. Thoughts will wander and your reader will no longer be captivated by your words. They won’t be eager to keep reading unless those pillars of structure in place.
Once you know about the way outlines work, you’ll see it in every great story you read or watch. You will find an inciting incidence, some conflict, a fall of some kind, another struggle, to finally reach a climax and ta-da – the character(s) finds their answer, or the issue is resolved, and life can move on.
If you want some examples of how this works, check out this post. It uses famous movies to show you how the outline was done.
After I learned the importance of outlines, writing one became straightforward for me. Yet it takes a while for me to get to the outlining stage. Once I have an idea, I let the story percolate a while. As I think of scenes, I write them down. When I think of conflicts, I write those down. I create the characters using another template and all of those pieces go into either “Notes” on my iPad or Scrivener on my laptop – whatever is closer.
Once I am ready to write the outline – when all the characters have been created, when all the jiggly ideas have been wrangled – I can usually crank an outline out in a day or two. Granted it’s taken me a while to get to this place because…
Deciding HOW to write the outline – that’s where I’ve struggled.
I listened to a marketing podcast recently, where the podcaster said something that really resonated with me. The episode was around being distracted by the ‘bright, shiny tools’, hoping there is the ‘perfect’ tool to save time and make things easier.
Ah yes, the golden goose. We get sucked into the hype, the promise, hoping there is a dream tool that will solve all our issues. But let’s be honest, and this was her point, we use always use the bright, shiny new tool for a week, maybe or a month or two. But when our plan is disrupted, when something goes awry, we give up on that new tool and return to our fall-back solution.
Finding that solution – what works for you – is what you should be using. It could be bits taken from all kinds of tools. But whatever it is, that solution needs to work for YOU.
(I don’t know about you, but I felt like this woman knew me way too well.)
This could be the case with a lot of tools in business. Scheduling social media. Project management. For me, I have been searching for the Shangri-La of outlining tools.
Plottr is a relative newcomer to the space, so I found it particularly shiny. While many people have had success with Plottr, I tried it when I was initially working on The Decisions We Make. But the tool was still in beta, and it didn’t give me everything I needed. I was so, SO, frustrated by spending more time working out how to use the tool than getting the outline written.
I have also tried Scrivener, but basic Index cards are just as useful, if not more so. Scrivener is great for writing the drafts and corralling the ideas. But for outlines, it is seriously lacking.
After trying all those ‘bright shiny tools’, I realised that I kept going back to my old standby – my excel spreadsheet. Yep, good ‘ol Microsoft Excel.
When I started to outline The Decisions We Make, I realised it was time I developed a system for outlining any novel. So, I sat down and created a template. It worked great for The Decisions We Make, and I was able to smash out the next outline for the book after that – in two days.
My point here is two-fold.
Always use an outline when writing a novel. Otherwise, you may be rewriting that story for the next decade, or you may publish a novel that doesn’t work, and readers will tell you that through poor reviews.
Find a way to outline that works for YOU. It may be a tool like Plottr. It may be pen and paper. Mine just happens to be an excel spreadsheet.
If you’d like a copy of my outline template, click here.
If you’ve written a novel, what tool do you use to outline? What works for you?
NOTE: This website contains affiliate links to products and services that generate a small income to us if you choose to use them, at no cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we use ourselves, and will always link to relevant information, regardless of whether or not there is an affiliate program. If you would like to directly support us, in a way that costs you nothing, you can do that by clicking on our affiliate links.
I have an embarrassing confession: I wasn’t aware of ‘POV’ as a writer until five years ago. Yet, it’s kind of a ‘Writing 101’ technique all authors need to know – and master – before writing a novel.
My first writing class made me (painfully) aware of my horrible “POV switching” when writing the first draft of Beneath the Surface. Once you’re aware of POV, you will always be aware of it, in everything you read. (Try reading a Danielle Steel novel – she’s all over the place when it comes to switching POVs!)
What is POV? And what’s POV-switching?
POV is short for Point of View. It’s the narrator’s perspective in how the story is told.
In first person, the story is narrated directly by the character (using ‘I’, ‘me’, and ‘my’ as the point of view).
Using second person, which is fairly uncommon, the story is being narrated using ‘you’. It’s rarely used because it’s super hard to pull off.
In third person, using ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’, the lens is filtered for the reader through a single character at a time.
Writing from multiple points of view is tricky when first starting out. This is when POV-switching can get in the way. POV-switching is when the author flips from one character’s point of view to another, either either mid-chapter, mid-paragraph, and sometimes even mid-sentence. Another way of thinking of ‘POV switching’ is ‘head-hopping’ when the story jumps from one character’s head to another. Readers get confused and frustrated about who is currently talking or telling the story.
You can have multiple POVs in a chapter, but they need to be separated by creating an extended return, so the reader knows something is changing.
Let me give you some examples, using Camino Wandering as a reference:
First person: I had the idea of walking eight hundred kilometres across Spain, so I could forget my past.
Second person: You’re walk eight hundred kilometres across Spain to forget the past. You put one foot in front of the other and just ‘be’ for a while.
Third person: Aubrey knew walking eight hundred kilometres across Spain would help her forget the past.
Multiple POVs:
Aubrey figured walking eight hundred kilometres across Spain would help her forget the last two years of her life.
(New Chapter/section) Pam was excited by the prospect of finally walking the Camino de Santiago. It was just what she needed in her life.
(New Chapter/section). Georgina needed to sort out her life, so walking across Spain sounded like the ticket to do just that.
When I first drafted ‘Camino Wandering, I wrote from three points of view: Aubrey, Pam, and Georgina. They all had a story to tell. But I quickly realised the reader would be throwing the book across the room by the fourth chapter – if not sooner. Even I was bored by how it was coming along. How many times do you need to read how anxious people are with the prospect of walking eight hundred kilometres across Spain? After writing about ten chapters into the draft, switching POVs in each chapter, then trying separate chapters for POV, I went back and started again. I wrote the final novel from Aubrey’s point of view, in third person.
The tricky part of writing Camino Wandering was to not bring Pam or Georgina’s thoughts into the story. It all had to come from Aubrey, either by discovering it for herself, or bringing it to light through dialogue. The challenge was to figure out how to weave the storylines, but all from Aubrey’s perspective. I found myself slipping a few times, only to pull myself back and work out how I could reveal something without it being from another character’s point of view. (Now wouldn’t Camino Wandering be interesting from Pam’s point of view?! But I digress…)
Beneath the Surface was written from third person as well, but it was always Grace’s story to tell. There were times I wanted to bring in Lowell’s point of view, and I did ponder what it would look like from her father’s point of view too. But ultimately it was always Grace’s story.
Deep POV – Why It’s a Game-Changer.
Most popular fiction these days is written in the third person. Good fiction employs the Deep POV concept. But what does ‘Deeper POV’ mean?
Let me start with this: Third person POV can be either subjective or objective. Deep POV is subjective.
Objective POV is when you are witnessing something. You are watching what’s happening. You can see and hear the characters, but you have no idea what they are thinking or feeling. The reader can only assume based on mannerisms or actions. For example, when you see ‘she wondered’ or ‘she felt’ in a book– those are objective POVs.
Let me give you an example of objective POV:
Aubrey lay on the bed and felt her heart pounding out of her chest. She wondered if this was what anxiety felt like. She worried about who would help her if she injured herself.
Subjective POV (or deep POV) is when you are in the character’s head. You know everything they know, feel, see, and understand. The author conveys that in the storyline. Subjective POVs is when you strip out all of the ‘felt’, ‘saw’, ‘thought’, ‘watched’ and ‘wondered’ when writing your story.
Now an example for subjective (or deep POV):
Aubrey lay, heart pounding and suffering from an anxiety level she’d never experienced before. What the hell was she thinking? Did she honestly believe she could walk the entire length of northern Spain? What if she injured herself? Who would help her?
See how stronger that makes the sentence and, ultimately, the story? You are there, with Aubrey. You are connected with her. You feel her pain. You can understand her emotions. You’re not just sitting back and watching from the sidelines. As many reviewers have said of Camino Wandering, they feel like they’re walking the Camino along with the Lovelies. This is because of deep POV.
Learning about Deep POV was a game-changer for me. I always wondered why my editor was always on to me when I used ‘felt,’ ‘saw,’ etc. I didn’t understand. I’d read books written this way plenty of times, but this way of writing has only become popular in the last thirty years or so. Then I read this article, explaining what Deep POV was all about. It was then that something clicked for me. When I brought it up with my editor, they told me they’d been trying to tell me this for a year. I laughed. Sometimes you have to read it from a complete unknown source to finally understand.
Hopefully this has enlightened you too.
Here are some other posts that may be of interest to you:
It’s been one year since I published my first book, Camino Wandering.
Did you read that word? Published! I put a book out into the world! Check Amazon—it’s there. The local bookstores stock it on their shelves. They’ve even asked for more copies. How great is that!
I’ve always been a writer and had only dreamed of being a published author! But now, I can say the words: I’m an author.
Oh, but wait! I published two books! I can’t believe I did that – in one year.
(Bubble bursting)
Ah, but it wasn’t easy. There was no magic wand involved. It boggles my mind how much I’ve learned in the last year, but there is still so much more to learn. As much as I would like to ‘just write’, I’m still trying to work some kinks out of the business side of things. It’s great to be on Amazon, but not so great if I’m the only one that knows I’m there. With the holidays approaching, I want to make sure that Santa knows where he can pick up a copy of Camino Wanderingfor Mrs. Claus.
Speaking of the holidays, this is usually the time when we humans like to think about all the nutty stuff that happened over the last year. Lots has happened so let’s get to it.
Finding a silver lining in the pandemic
2021 was a stupid year for so many reasons. Melbournians suffered lockdown for months on end while the rest of the world went in and out of lockdowns at a dizzying pace. And, we’re still not even close to recovered from the horrors of 2020. Let’s get vaccinated people! PLEASE!
Here in Tasmania, we’ve been lucky. Strict government directives have kept us relatively safe. Not safe from individuals that think the rules don’t apply to them, but we’ve had very few cases in 2021, nevertheless. For us, it’s been pretty much business as usual, except for travel. Our borders have remained closed for much of 2021 and for a person who loves to travel, that’s been tough for me. But I’ve managed to keep my itchy-feet syndrome in check by placing my bum in a seat and writing. The world is your oyster if you can keep an active imagination.
Understanding it’s an ever-evolving writing process.
Over the course of a year, my writing process has evolved dramatically. I learned a lot when writing Camino Wandering, even more when writing Beneath the Surface, and then more when I drafted my third book (late 2021).
When I wrote Camino Wandering, my process was whacked. I really had no clue what I was doing. “Just write the book,” resounded in my head. If only I knew then what I know now. But I wouldn’t know what I know now without those challenges.
It began by learning about POVs – Point of Views.
Camino Wandering started out as being written from Aubrey, Pam and Georgina’s points of views, alternating the points of view with each chapter. I almost gave up early on, trying to keep it all straight. About a third of the way into writing the book, I knew the reader would toss that book across the room by Chapter Six if I kept writing that way.
So, I learned more about that piece of my craft. POV is something I’ll be blogging more about in 2022.
I learned the power of structure.
Writing fiction is a lot different from writing non-fiction, which is something I had been doing for years.Structure exists in both forms, but the difference is like comparing an orange to a skyscraper. Switching gears took some serious mind grinding. I dug through the enormous amount of content there is online about writing fiction. Here are a few resources that worked for me:
When writing my third book (untitled at the time of this writing), I learned that while I may have a clear idea of who the characters are, unless they have a name, I can’t ‘see’ them. Two of the characters had their names auctioned off before I began writing the outline. Even though I had their descriptions and detailed characteristics in black and white -I had to wait for their names to fully understand who they were.
Understanding the need for a solid outline.
At the beginning of 2021, I delved into a complete rewrite with Beneath the Surface. What was published in September 2021 is completely different from what was drafted in 2016. It was rewritten at least ten times and what saved me there was knowing how important an outline was.
In fact, I realised even a basic outline was not good enough. I was halfway through rewriting Beneath the Surface when my characters started (finally!) chatting to me. I had one character who was not coming through, but the other two were loud. I realised then that I needed to make that third character a tertiary character. They didn’t really need to be in the story, but they added some conflict for the main character, so they remained. That’s when I decided I needed to stop (re)writing altogether and create a solid outline for the book – and start over, yet again. With the solid outline created, I was able to complete the (final) draft two weeks later and I was thrilled with the outcome.
When I wrote my third novel, I didn’t start writing until I had a detailed outline. But, one day, I went completely off-script chasing the writing fairies. Then I spent almost a week trying to rein it back in. The characters were working but I had lost where the story needed to be.
I ‘nap’ a lot when writing. I lie down with my eyes closed and quieten my brain for a while. It’s usually in this relaxed state that the characters chat to me, or I can unravel a complexity I can’t resolve while staring at a screen.
I also bake, paint, or doodle. Not at the same time, of course. It’s another way to ponder storylines.
I’m different from most in that I can’t write every day when I’m working on a book.
There’s a train of thought in the writing world that you must write every day, even if you force yourself to do so. That works for many people, but it doesn’t for me. It’s not to say I’m not thinking about my current work in progress. That’s constant. But I need to have all my ducks in a row before the story flows out of me.
With NaNoWriMo, November is all about getting words on the page. For me to be successful, I need a plan, a solid outline, my characters complete, before I can churn the words out.
My love/hate relationship with marketing.
Before I could do any marketing, I needed to understand who my reader was. Who was I writing my books for?
Marketing practices for these books are completely different. I had to know where the readers were.
Camino Wandering, while easier, has limitations. I can jump on Facebook and delve into the Camino groups and pages, but I can’t promote on those. When people ask if ‘anyone recommends a good book on the Camino?’, I can’t raise my hand… and that’s challenging. So, I stay engaged in the groups and advertise on Amazon, promoting the books to people looking for Camino books.
Selling Beneath the Surface has been like looking for needles in a haystack. It’s not YA, but the protagonist is a teen. It’s a thriller, set in Sydney and Melbourne. It’s a book amongst a million others just like it –even the title gets buried on Amazon. I’ve had to be creative with marketing Beneath the Surface. (Facebook Ads have been the thorn in my side, but they’ve been necessary.)
I also learned that consistently posting on social media is key to selling books.
I have one day a week where I focus ONLY on scheduling marketing. I’ve streamlined this process and now I spent two days a month on it. But I still check in every single day on my social platforms, to comment, like, share. Engagement is key, but it can be time-consuming too.
Seeing my book on the shelf of local bookshop has always been a dream for me. I guess it’s validation that not only did I write a book, but bookshops want to sell it. The buyers deem the book good enough that they know there’s readers will buy it.
I discovered that the Tasmanian bookshop community is very welcoming to local authors and everyone one I approached were eager to stock my book within minutes of looking it over. The mainland bookshops too – but only with their own locals. The reason: The pandemic. I can’t do book tours at the moment other than in my own state because of closed borders. The pandemic is also bringing writers out of the woodwork.
I did not have success selling paperbacks in mainland Australia. I queried over two hundred bookshops. Two replied. One was open to commission and ended up sending books back to me, so I lost money there. The second one tried to order through Ingram Sparks (distributor) but Ingram price their shipping so high that I have to discount my books so deeply, that I end up making literal cents on each paperback. In Tasmania, most bookshops opt for direct distribution. It works out much better for them and for me financially.
Selling to large booksellers internationally, like Barnes & Noble or Waterstones is a tough nut to crack. Unless you’re traditionally published, it’s rare to find your book on the bookshelves unless several people request it. I have had one bookshop in the U.S. interested and it’s only because I know the owner personally.
I will say it: Thank God for Amazon.
Constantly learning about the Amazon Advertising game.
For better or worse, many people buy their books from Amazon.
As an Indie Author, you can easily get buried in the mix. Enter: Amazon Advertising. I love it because it brings in about 75% of my book sales. But understanding how it works is an ongoing endeavour. I learned a lot through Bryan Cohen’s 5 Day Challenge – the basics, anyway. The rest is trial and error. We’re just trying not to bleed money.
Investing in Amazon advertising allows my book to show higher in the rankings and get in front of people looking for similar books. They may not see it otherwise.
Wow, there are a lot of snake oil salespeople out there.
Trying to navigate through the immense amount of information there is about marketing can be daunting. I’ve signed up for several webinars this year. At one point I was doing one a week. I can usually get some new tip out of them. The one certainty is there is always a sales pitch at the end about how this program will solve all your problems and you’re on your way to the life you’ve always wanted.
Since I know the basics now of marketing, I’m ready for the next level. I want to know more. I want to do a deep dive. This is where the snake oil salespeople live.
We invested in a $600 course this year (I heard your gasp! Trust me, I had heart palpitations hitting that ‘buy’ button!). It seemed like everything we were looking for. The reviews were positive, and by all indications, the guy looked like the real deal. I signed up KNOWING there was a 30 day return policy. It was a good thing too. I went through the detailed course outline, the course material, and the additional offerings, and thought, there’s nothing new here. I either knew most of it already or it was everything he’d covered in the webinar. The clincher was, he kept saying, ‘but we’ll get to that’… and never did. I was two days from the deadline, but I sent that email requesting a refund. Thankfully, they honoured the money back policy…not all of them make it so easy.
Having a supportive writing community is key.
When I moved to Tasmania in 2019, I was eager to find ‘my people’. It just so happened that by the time I was looking, NaNoWriMo was just around the corner. I met with the NaNoWriMo chapter in Hobart, and what an incredibly supportive community! Not only is it a place to talk freely about writing, but we share ideas about what we’re learning too. If it wasn’t for this community, I may never have discovered Vellum or the local Indie Author community.
I look forward to continually learning more next year, and I’ll keep sharing as I go!
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
No, that’s wrong. Writing a draft is easy. Easy-ish anyway. Thoughts flow like water and the words magically appear on the page. (A solid outlinehelps.)
After a time, the draft emerges from the drawer for a fresh look. The masterpiece that Reese Witherspoon will have on her book club list is finally revealed. You can’t wait to read what you’ve got. Coffee is poured, eyeglasses sparkling clean, and you begin to read in horror the hot mess that’s supposed to take you to the best seller list.
Here is where the real work begins. Everything that comes after writing the first draft is hard. Revise and polish. Repeat. Repeat until your eyes burn, and your fingers bleed. Revise and polish until you’re so sick of the story you want to poke your eyes out with your red marker. But finally, a work is produced that you are proud of.
Then comes the harder part. You have to sell the book to keep the lights on and the dream alive.
So why the hell do I put myself through this? And how do I stay sane? That’s probably the more important question.
Being an author is an invigorating, stressful, frustrating, exciting, emotional rollercoaster.
Within one year, I will have published two novels plus a short story epilogue for one of those books. Some writers can churn out multiple books in a year. I’m not sure I would even try to do that. Finding balance is a serious enough challenge for me.
When I published Camino Wandering in December 2020, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I’d put out Beneath the Surface nine months later. Nine months… yes, it does feel like I’ve given birth!
Want to know how I did it?
I created a solid book outline and stuck to a publishing timeline.
As an Indie Author/Publisher, I’m always juggling multiple balls at once. Staying focused is paramount. It’s been a roundabout journey for me to discover that I’m deadline driven. I have the flexibility to set my own publishing dates. But with that flexibility, comes, well, temptation. A pile of books to read, a garden to potter in, a lovely state that itches to be explored… Ironically, my kryptonite is social media, which can be a total time suck, but I rely on it to spread the word about my stories. See? Juggling while performing a high wire act is hard!
If I know I have to get something finished by x date, I’ll stay focused. Without that, I’m jumping in the car and disappearing for a few days. Anything to avoid the editing process. I would rather clean a toilet than edit my own writing. Oh! But I love editing other writer’s work. But my own? Hate it.
But I know it has to be done. So, I build it into my process, knowing there are days or weeks when I will want to storm away from it. And I do initially. After that first draft is done, I put it away for a few weeks or a month, then come back to it. But THAT is built into my timeline, knowing I need to do that. Giving me that space revs me up and gives me distance so I can look at the work objectively.
So, what does this publishing timeline look like?
Well, it’s an excel spreadsheet. Yeah… sexy, right?
Creating the world they live in, if it doesn’t already exist (like for Camino Wandering).
Time to write the first draft, then leave it for a while.
Providing enough time for the editor to red-line it. Then time for me to review their suggestions, make changes and send it back to them again.
Remembering the other tasks I have to complete, like writing the blurb, the acknowledgements, and various marketing tasks.
Giving myself enough creative time to create a compelling cover.
Providing time for the beta readers, then advanced readers to read the book and provide their feedback or reviews.
Setting pre-ordering timeframes.
Setting up marketing pre-release and post.
That’s just a rough idea.
I picked up the idea somewhere when I was looking for some guidance. I’d love to give credit to the person I borrowed the idea from, but I honestly don’t remember the source. The timeline has been butchered and revised many times since. I tweak these things to fit my work style. (But if you are the original creator, please let me know. I’m HAPPY to give the well-deserved credit!)
This is the document that keeps me on track. The document that holds me accountable.
The best part, when I’ve accomplished every task on my timeline, I can take time for that road trip…. Or, when the pandemic is over, maybe I’ll return to the Camino.
If you’d like a copy of my publishing timeline, click here.
(Just a note, by clicking, you’ll be added to my monthly newsletter list. You can unsubscribe, but I hope you won’t.)
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
As an author, I use a lot of tools and resources. I’d love to say that writing a book is as simple as banging out the words, doing a quick edit and then sending it off to a publisher. As an Independent Publisher, it’s a lot more complicated than that. As a control freak, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
2021 will see me publishing two books within a year. I published ‘Camino Wandering’ on December 24, 2020. ‘Beneath the Surface’ will be published on September 28, 2021. Yes, there have been a lot of balls in the air over the last few months. Not only have I been writing and editing the next book, getting that marketing and advertising organised for its release, but I’ve been continually working on advertising and marketing ‘Camino Wandering’ at the same time.
I think I now have two heads.
The good news is, it’s made me streamline my writing and publishing processes. (I was a process improvement analyst in a previous work life, so the skill is ingrained.)
I’ve tried a lot of tools already, so I’ve ruled out the time wasters. These tools and resources keep me on track, writing books and selling them. And, of course, this is a living, breathing list, so it may change as I go.
I have talked about some of these already on my blog, but it made little sense to omit them from this list as they are imperative to the larger picture.
Today I’m sharing the tools and resources that I find MOST helpful.
WRITING
I’ve written about this part before throughout a few posts on my blog, so I’ll just summarise here:
Plottr I have just discovered Plottr, and while it’s a great tool, there are learning curves since it’s still fairly new. I’m planning a four-book series, the first two books to be published in 2022, and with this app I can see the finish line. This tool has already helped me ‘plot’ out the outlines of the first two books and I’m keen to continue using it. This process is imperative while writing a series, particularly this one, as timelines interchange and the stories weave throughout the books.
There is a free trial for Plottr but join the FB group (listed below) and you’ll see how much this tool is still being developed to incorporate the needs of authors. Until then, I’m plodding ahead with it, to see how it goes.
UPDATE: Feb 2023 – Plottr was not for me.
Scrivener The app to get the scenes written and to ‘bang out’ the initial storyline. I put all kinds of stuff into Scrivener: character outlines and questions, ideas for lines to include, setting, scenery, images, etc.
ProWritingAid This is an amazing tool, but as a writer, you have to be careful not to lose your voice. ProWritingAid will keep you honest with grammar and spelling and offer you help with sections that could be better written. But if you have a certain style, it can see your style as ‘incorrect’. That’s where knowing who you are as a writer and being clear on your style helps steer you away from ‘accepting all’ the changes ProWritingAid offers. Still, I LOVE this app and use it for many things. My writing has improved as a result.
Microsoft Word Once I have my final draft file, I copy it into Word and use this file to send to my beta readers. Most have this app and it’s the most universal app to track and review changes.
WRITING PROCESS
Related Words.org For when your brain freezes. Kind of a thesaurus on steroids.
One Look Another fantastic tool for when the brain freezes.
Jane Friedman There are a lot of authors out there who write about the writing process, or their writing process (me included), but I often revert to Jane’s incredible expertise. She offers brilliant suggestions that we all need to hear sometimes.
Morphthing.com I mentioned this tool in my post Creating Complex and Believable Characters. It’s a quirky tool I use to create the visuals for characters. It’s fun and sometimes a distraction, but it helps to get the idea out of your head and on to a page.
Pinterest Another app I can lose myself in, but it’s great for character development. I talk about it in this post.
PUBLISHING PROCESS
Character Count Online A great tool when advertising portals (like Amazon) have character limits and you need to maximise every letter.
Bklnk.com For working out the best categories for your book, if you publish via KDP on Amazon.
Kindlepreneur Also handy if you publish on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Offers some great tips.
Reedsy A great resource for finding editors/book designers/PR folks. The newsletter is very helpful as well.
Vellum I LOVE this tool. This is the magic wand of interior book design. I talk about it more here.
MARKETING – Creating
DavidGaughran The man is a marketing god. His books, his newsletters are FULL of helpful information. (His beard is on another level.)
Bryan Cohen Brian hosts a ‘5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge’ which took me from freaked-out to knowledgeable with advertising on Amazon. A free course that teaches you HOW to create Amazon ads that will save you a TON of money.
StoryOrigin An incredible tool to expand your mailing list/subscribers, send reader magnets, review copies for ARCs/Beta Readers, create Universal links for your books. This is a great resource for authors.
MailerLite I’ve tried several mailing list management sites and after ten years, find Mailerlite the best one. In my opinion, you need to have a mailing list. Consider this: I lost everything over a three month period on my Facebook Author page because of one simple mistake which I made. GONE. I have not been able to recover it. And before you scoff, all author’s need a mailing list because you never know what your social media moguls will do to your ‘followers/likes’.
MockupShots This is the website I use all the time to create my marketing images. I’ve tried some others, like BookBrush, and found this one the easiest and most robust.
Canva Pro The app that creates my book covers, my promo images, my headers… the list is extensive. I love THIS app so much that I wrote a dedicated post for it.
MARKETING – Implementing
AmazonAdvertising When you publish directly on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), this is THE tool that will help increase sales. You can create hooks (see Bryan Cohen), link them to your book and select the specific places on Amazon to market your book. I’ve seen an increase in sales when I do this, and now I have ongoing ads on Amazon.
BookBub BookBub is one of those deals that either works – or it doesn’t – and when it doesn’t, it’s a very expensive lesson. I’ve determined (through research) that it is better to have a backlist before plunging into the BookBub world. After doing extensive research, I’ve decided not to do a Featured Deal on BookBub but will invest in some strategic ad planning. BookBub is not cheap.
Facebook Ads Facebook is another resource that can be money waster. But with some smart planning and wonderful resources (Help! My Facebook Ads Suck! eBook is great), they can pay off.
Goodreads I’m active on Goodreads for a couple of reasons.
First, it helps me keep track of my ‘to be read’ pile. Before Goodreads existed, that list was kept on my Amazon Wish List.
Second, as an author, I love to post updates for my followers.
And finally, it’s great to watch people add my books to their own lists. And then leave reviews. 😉
YouTube Yes, I have a YouTube Channel. I have found videos are a great way to convey what my books are about and what inspires me to write them. So, I funneled the videos I have been putting together – including Facebook Live events – and upload them to my YouTube channel. As an indie author, you have to be creative, so please check it out and let me know your thoughts! There’s even a snapshot of what’s coming for my next book, Beneath the Surface!
TikTok Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not a huge TikTok user. But BookTok is a real thing for authors. I’m TRYING to get on the bandwagon. And while I’m not a whiz, my intern is, so I’ve asked her to manage this tool for me. And good thing too, because I spent WAY too much time going down that spiral! It was better to hand it over to a professional.
Alessandra Torres Inkers A helpful group for asking questions and the admins run great webinars as well.
Wide for the Win Going “Wide” means selling online on other platforms, not just Amazon. If that’s you, this is the group you want to be in.
David Gaughran As I said, this man is a marketing god. He shares a lot of free information, but his books are also a wealth of knowledge.
StoryOrigin Authors If you sign up for StoryOrigin, you definitely want to be in this group. The app developer is very active and helpful.
Plotting for Authors with Plottr A very interactive group, sharing their own tips. The developer is also part of the group and very responsive to questions and requests.
Indie Writers Unite If you go Indie, this is an amazing group for sharing information. I’ve learned a great deal here.
Writers Unite Another ‘support’ group for authors. Lots of tips and tricks shared here.
Fiction Writing Another support group, with all stages of the fiction writing process.
NaNoWriMo I highly recommend connecting with your local chapter of NaNoWriMo or join your local Writers Centre group. Often these groups have Facebook groups that meet throughout the year. I LOVE my Tassie NaNo group.
Is there a resource you’ve used that you find imperative to your process?
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
Canva Pro is a tool I talk about in number of posts. I love this app. I couldn’t do what I do without it. But I also know it’s one of those tools I can get lost in, letting my creative juices. As an Indie Author, it saves me hours of time in creating all the pesky images we self-publishers need to manage for ourselves. If I ever had to choose an app to give up, Canva Pro would be one of the last on the list.
Here’s what I use Canva for, as an Indie Author:
Book Cover Images
Marketing posts for Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
For Camino Wandering, I used an image I took while on my personal Camino and then added the fonts and background page to match it.
For the Beneath the Surface cover, I used an image I found in Canva then played around with the look and feel. I didn’t intend to go with a pool of blood for the cover. I had a cover in mind but could not find the right image for it. (Who knew trying to find the right red suitcase sitting by a colonial front door would be so difficult to find!) Still, I’m quite happy with how it came out in the end.
COMING SEPTEMBER 2021
Why I love Canva… let me count the ways.
Why do I believe all Indie Authors will love Canva? Because the apps makes graphic creation easy.
I can create social media graphics for marketing, sell sheets for my novels (which I then send to booksellers) and images for my book covers. And all of those can be created in ONE day if I needed to.
To do most of these things, Canva provides templates. For example, say I need a graphic to post on Instagram for av book promotion. I can use a template Canva provides, replacing the images in the template that I need to use, updated the text and if I don’t like the fonts, I can change them with a pull-down menu.
But here is my favourite feature: Canva allows you to ‘resize’ your image to whatever specifications you need.
When I have my image created, I can ‘resize’ that graphic to create a duplicate post for other social media formats. For example, I can take an image I’ve created for Instagram and ‘resize’ it for Facebook, and another for Pinterest, creating both new images to each application’s format sizing. I can tweak the graphic, if I need to, but otherwise they are ready to download and post.
The same goes for book cover images. I can use graphics found in Canva, or upload ones I own. I can use a template the app provides or create an image from scratch (it’s easier and faster with templates). Once I have the image the way I want, I then resize the image to the whatever size the distribution template requires.
If you want to try it, you can for free.
The free version is a great place to start, to play around, but if you tend to create marketing images a lot, then I recommend you go with Canva Pro. The Pro version offers more advanced tools that allow better control I need to perfect my designs and it includes a lot of higher end images (one of which is the blood image on Beneath the Surface). Canva Pro offers a free 30-day Pro trial, so check it out.
Here are three other posts where I talk about Canva:
PLEASE NOTE: Affiliate links were used in this post. I do not promote anything I have not used or experienced myself or had recommended highly to me. All opinions are my own. Please follow our advice at your own risk. By clicking these links allows this website to continue running. For that, I thank you.
One of the most important things when self-publishing is to create a compelling book cover. (Well, that would be the case for any route you publish, I suppose.) After putting in so much effort in creating the story, you need to make sure the cover flies off the shelves. You could have a bestseller inside but unless the cover screams ‘Pick Me! Pick Me!’, it’s most likely going to get lost in the island of misfit books.
Now I’m not a graphic artist, but I do have an artistic vision and I am creatively driven. I love doing these types of projects almost as much as writing. That gives me a huge advantage. However, I know that channelling your inner artist isn’t in the cards for many. For the artistically challenged, or for those that would rather spend their time writing, check out Fivvr and Reedsy. They are great resources for finding graphic artists. It may be a more expensive route, but it will save you a lot of time. For a cheaper option, do a quick Facebook or Google search for pre-made book covers that fit your genre. (I’ll be honest though, I’m not a fan of those. But that’s not the point of this post…)
If you’re publishing an eBook, you only need a front cover.
Canva Pro is the best tool for creating that image. I’ve tried a lot of applications and I keep coming back to Canva Pro every time and kick myself for leaving. As mentioned in 7 Steps to Self-Publish a Book, once you have the final image created for your front cover, simply adjust the size for formatting and you’re good to go. (Click here for KDP’s Kindle eBook cover specifications.)
What about paperback and hardback covers?
Frankly, it’s NOT easy.
If you have not worked with desktop publishing applications before, I highly recommend hiring someone. Save yourself the heartache, the headaches, and the hangovers driven by frustration. Hire someone else to create your vision.
But, if you are game to do it yourself, these 10 tips on creating a book cover will help:
Tip #1: You need to create multiple images before you begin…
You need to create the front cover design, AND a spine image AND the back cover format, which includes the blurb and maybe even your author image. All of which can be created in Canva Pro. With this app, you have access to a large assortment of quality images, and with the Pro version, you have the permissions needed to use them for book covers. That’s SUPER important. You will be declined by distributors if you do not own or have permission to use the cover image.
Tip #2: For additional images for your cover design, check out Unsplash.com
Unsplash.com is now owned by Getty Images. I was disappointed to discover this acquisition to be honest, but it was bound to happen. A free resource for amazing images? I guess I was surprised it took this long. I use Unsplash a lot but it does looks like as if Getty have claimed the higher quality images for iStock, and left the lower quality to Unsplash. Still, there’s a large array of decent stock available, and gems still to discover on Unsplash. If you find an image you love, make sure you have permission to use it for a book cover (remember that permissions comment in Tip #1?). And don’t forget to credit the photographer/artist somewhere in your book, usually at the bottom of the back cover.
Tip #3: Before you begin putting your template together you need to gather information specific to your book.
To create these templates for your paperback (and/or hardback), you need:
Your 13-digit ISBN. I write about why it’s important to have your own ISBN number in this post.
Decide on your book’s trim size. What size do you want your book? Both Camino Wandering and Beneath the Surface are 9×6 inch trim size. When deciding on my book’s trim size, I researched what was popular in bookshops and what was likely to be picked up off the shelves. I also polled people I knew who are avid book purchasers, asking what they found most appealing. Your genre may also steer your decision on the trim size.
Do you want white or cream pages? This is a personal preference. I tend to go white, but check out your favourite books and see what they are. It’s something you probably never notice… until you do.
Will the cover be gloss or matte? This is a harder decision than you may realise! Do your research here. I love the matte format and I smile when I watch the booksellers assessing my books. They always – always – run their hand over the cover to feel the front matte cover.
What’s your Page Count? You need to know the page count to determine the width of the spine. Vellum works great to calculate this (and I write about this great app in this post.)
Know your book’s pricing. You need to know the price of your paperback and hardback. Look at comps for this. My recommendation is NOT to include the price on the template, especially on your first book. Adding a set price locks that price in and you may need to be more flexible depending on market conditions.
Tip #4: To self-publish a paperback, using IngramSparks or KDP, you must use their individual template.
Each distributor have their own templates. They weren’t easy for me to find so I’ll provide the links to save you some time.
IngramSparks’ Cover Template Generator is buried in their help option. Click here for that link. Once you submit the information in Tip #3, email the template to yourself (see Tip #6) then check out Tip #5 to continue. (Yeah, the tip order doesn’t make sense to me either. The process itself is so intertwined.)
Tip #5:If you plan on creating multiple book-covers, invest in something like Affinity Publisher (AP).
Affinity Publisher is the equivalent of Adobe InDesign – just a lot cheaper. It’s a one-time purchase and they often offer a 50% discount. If not AP, then find another desktop publishing program you are comfortable with.
Tip #6:If you use IngramSparks and decide on Affinity Publisher…
Save your template as an IDML file when emailing the template to yourself to then open in Affinity Publisher.
Tip #7: All Templates have a blank area for the barcode for reason.
The templates, provided by the distributors, will automatically create a bar code using your ISBN number. You do not need to purchase a bar code. Do not cover this area. Your template WILL be rejected if it’s covered *unless you do buy your own bar code (see italicised note).
Tip #8: When using the templates, read the template directions very carefully.
If there was a tip that was THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP, this is it. Read the template instructions. Then read them again. Understand the border limits. Make sure your images do not go over the lines.
Instructions on the IngramSparks template
Tip #9: If you need to do a background image for your spine and back cover, use the same image.
Layer it over both sections. Check out the spine and back cover on the full cover image of Camino Wandering, below. I used one image for these sections. Doing this prevents overlapping issues at the printer.
Tip #10. When you are ready to throw something through the window in frustration…
Check out these resources before you do that. Save the wine, coffee and computer. These resources can help:
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