IWSG: Cover Designs

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

FEBRUARY QUESTION - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

MY ANSWER - The only two experiences I've had with self-publishing included my short story "Broken Angel" in 2016 and an anthology called Fly Away in 2022. "Broken Angel" had previously been published in Rope and Wire magazine. In 2016 self-publishing was becoming a craze and I was simply curious about the process, so I used Amazon's Createspace, uploaded a photograph I had recently taken, and then used their suggested formatting for the cover. Fly Away is an anthology put together by the high school writers' group I sponsor. We held an art contest where students submitted potential cover designs. Once we had a winning entry, we again used Amazon's suggested formatting for the cover. Everything else I have published has been through an established press that had their own designers to create the cover.

How about you? If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

Counting the Cost of Words

Five years ago I wrote a blog post called "Word Count Woes" which can be read here. While I feel those are certainly still an average sought by traditional publishers, what about when you are self-publishing an ebook?

Readers still have certain expectations which have been dictated by the traditional houses. In addition to quality, readers expect a certain length for the amount of money they shell out. Below is a guide to average word counts and subsequent pricing.

Remember, this is not an exact science, but only an average based on trends. Amazon pays the highest percentage for books that cost $2.99 – $9.99 and more sales seem to occur on books between $2.99 - $7

1.      Flash Fiction – less than 1,000 words  – $0.00 – $0.99 (maybe offer these for free on your blog, or bundle them together in an anthology before you charge more).

2.      Short Short – 1,000 – 3,000 words  -$0.00 – $0.99 (same).

3.      Short Story – 3,000 – 7,000 words - $0.99 – $1.99 

4.      Novelette – 7,000 – 20,000 words - $1.99 – $3.99

5.      Novella – 20,000 – 50,000 words - $2.99 – $5.99 

6.      Novel – 50,000 – 120,000 words - $2.99 – $7.99 (I collect books, so if I don’t get a hard copy in my hands to feel and touch and love, I have a hard time paying more than $7.99 for it)

7.      Epic or Super Novel – more than 120,000 words - $5.99 – $12.99 (if it’s really long, why not divide it into a series?)

What are your thoughts on e-book pricing? How much are you willing to spend?

7 Tips or Reminders for New and Seasoned Authors

Even if you’re self-publishing, it can be pretty difficult to get your material in front of readers. Publishers, agents, and editors are overwhelmed with thousands of manuscripts every year. With so much competition, how can you get your own work noticed, and then published?

1)      Educate Yourself – If you want to publish with a traditional publisher, get your hands on a current Writer’s Market (there is a general one, and many versions specific to each genre here) and then review works recently published by the company, or professional, you are looking into. Another great source when researching agents, editors, or publishers is Absolute Write.

2)      Follow Publishing Blogs – the metaphor “seeking a piece of the pie” still holds true in the writing industry, and the best way to do so is by studying those who have already received a slice. The best advice, lessons, and up-to-date information come from the people who work in the industry. So find a few favorite agents, editors, authors, and publisher blogs. Then follow them faithfully, but don’t allow them to overwhelm your own writing time. A few I recommend following are Rachelle Gardner, Jane Friedman, Chip MacGregor, The Insecure Writers Support Group, and Nathan Bransford. 

3)      Write a Great Proposal and Query – Many agents, editors, and publishers have specific goals of what they are seeking. Be sure to research their individual guidelines. However, if you want general lessons on how to write a manuscript proposal, check out this FREE download from Noah Lukeman here.

4)      Have Your Work Edited – Not many of us are capable of editing ourselves. So, whether it’s a friend who was an English major, fellow authors from your writers group, or a select group of beta readers, be sure to ask at least a few others to review your proposal, query, articles, or manuscripts. You might even consider hiring the services of a professional editor. Be sure to check out the free site Preditors & Editors, or the two sources mentioned in #1 so you know you are hiring a legitimate individual.

5)      Consider An Agent – Most of the larger and more traditional publishing houses will not review work unless it is submitted by an agent. However, there are many smaller presses, and open call periods which do not require you to be represented. Consider your goals for your manuscripts and then review the Writer’s Market or Absolute Write sites mentioned in #1 before deciding.

6)      Consider self-publishing – It’s not always the best choice, or even the easiest, but there are times when it is the right choice. For example, if you have a very specific and narrow target market, or if you just want to share shorter works in between full-length manuscripts, then this may be the choice for you. Hybrid authors (those who publish some works through traditional means, and some on their own) have become the norm. Need help deciding? Check out this article: Should You Self-Publish?

7)      Don’t Give Up – Even the most seasoned and successful authors struggle with bouts of frustration or self-doubt. We all go through periods of wanting to give up. Numerous rejections, family and work responsibilities, and so much more can slow down and interrupt your ability to create. Nothing worth having comes easily. As I reminded you last week, one of my favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill, "Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about."

What advice do you have for first-time or struggling authors?