tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post2629658925391662423..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: 7 Tips to Make the Most of Working with a Cover Designer Janice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-89684829501751847492015-11-26T18:06:52.613-05:002015-11-26T18:06:52.613-05:00Marcy, thank you sharing your expertise. And this ...Marcy, thank you sharing your expertise. And this additional tip "we don’t need to provide a bar code for our print book. That’s generated by the printer (either CreateSpace or Lightning Source for us indies).", is something I didn't know. And thank you, Janis, for having Marcy share again. :-) Tracy Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11829493307148654507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-44243777495818019282015-11-19T12:23:25.731-05:002015-11-19T12:23:25.731-05:00Great advice, and for me quite timely. I'm goi...Great advice, and for me quite timely. I'm going to get started putting an outline together now. Thanks.Karen Ginther Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00506935161345261158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-57621671838975538132015-11-19T12:23:18.759-05:002015-11-19T12:23:18.759-05:00While it'll be a LONG time before I can exact ...While it'll be a LONG time before I can exact these tips, I happily know I can do all of these, and I've thought about that since selling my novel "<a href="http://www.gabrielandrum.com/" rel="nofollow">Gabriel</a>" in 2012. <br /><br />I'm in the hybrid author situation, I'm responsible for getting the illustrations I feel would add to the book, plus would help my marketing efforts nearing launch <b>(and frankly I want to see my characters outside my head)</b>, but in return I get the editing and print run I can't give myself, or hire out on my own, again due to my limited finances.<br /><br />I'm turning to crowfunding <b>(which I know some indies don't like/want to do, but this is what I need to do)</b> if it doesn't succeed, I've got a Plan B.<br><br />On that note, here are my additional tips-<br><br /><br />1. Credit your illustrator on the cover, and make sure's it's NOT overshadowed by your name.<br><br />This is a no-brainer for picture books <b>(when author and illustrator are not the same person)</b>, but some novels <b>(like mine, I hope...)</b> do have illustrations, and often illustrators aren't credited for the illustrations in a middle grade novel. I don't mean those little doodles <b>(which are cute)</b>, but full scale, sometimes in color <b>(but usually black and white)</b> illustrations.<br><br /><br><br />One of my favorite novels "The Wainscott Weasel" by Tor Seidler <b>(now in paperback, reissued in hardcover last year after being OOP* <i>[*Out-of-Print</i>] for decades!)</b> is an excellent example, with GORGEOUS illustrations by the late and great Fred Marcelino. <a href="https://youtu.be/FTv-erpkNVE" rel="nofollow">I made a fan trailer for it celebrating the book's 20th anniversary of it's original publication</a>.<br><br /><br><br />2.When Marcy mentioned "Print Cover Consideration" I'd add to be sure you notate how the spine of the book will look like, which is often the first thing some readers may see if it's now displayed front and center, and again, make sure your illustrator <b>(if your book has illustrations)</b> gets billing on the spine, and you may have to ask you illustrator if you can shorten his/her name if it's really long.<br><br /><b>(Example: Alonzo de la cruz Alvarado-Campello or Hironobu Sakaguchi <i>[坂口*博信</i>)</b>Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-22735552099649028832015-11-19T12:23:04.209-05:002015-11-19T12:23:04.209-05:00Great advice, and for me quite timely. I'm goi...Great advice, and for me quite timely. I'm going to get started putting an outline together now. Thanks.Karen Ginther Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00506935161345261158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10396808966839293922015-11-19T11:42:09.730-05:002015-11-19T11:42:09.730-05:00Excellent suggestions, Marcy. I hadn't thought...Excellent suggestions, Marcy. I hadn't thought about the Clarifying the Tone. So helpful! Thanks!Darcy Flynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420095321400063307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-80569676189406437242015-11-19T09:20:19.961-05:002015-11-19T09:20:19.961-05:00Excellent advice! Speaking as a cover designer, I...Excellent advice! Speaking as a cover designer, I couldn't agree more with this particular tidbit--"Every minor plot twist won’t matter to the cover, and it’s actually usually a bad idea to try to take a scene from our book out of context and put it on our cover." <br /><br />Recreating a scene from the book rarely works out well, unless the hero and heroine are getting *ahem* happy on a beach together. ;)PJ Frielhttp://www.pjfriel.comnoreply@blogger.com