It is important to think about the numbers
In this article, we cover some of the basics of creating your publishing budget. This is important when deciding on print quantities and your recommended retail price.
First impressions matter
Just as you want to make a good first impression by how you look, your cover must do the same for your book. If your book cover fails to make a good first impression, a reader is unlikely to buy it. Your book cover has to appeal to your readers as this is your first chance to sell your book to them. A well-designed book cover shows the reader
Text design: It’s what’s on the inside that really matters
Now that you have a beautiful cover that is going to draw people in, you need to start thinking about your interior design (layout). This is where the reader will spend most of their time and a disorganised layout will prevent the reader from enjoying your book (or worst case, not read it at all).
What in the world is a blurb?
You may have heard the term blurb before, but you don’t know what it is! A blurb is a short description of your book and can be found on the back cover. A good blurb is on par with a good cover image and both need to stand out. The blurb has to be engaging enough to convince the audience that this is one hell of a book. It is
Editing done and dusted, so what’s next?
Now that your manuscript has been edited it is time to shift your attention to what you want your book to look and feel like. In the publishing world, this stage of the process is called design and layout. There are various things you need to think about when deciding on the look and feel of your book: The cover The size The paper The interior design Your content and
Where’s the Proof?
After your book has been designed and laid out you have to wait a little bit longer before you see it again. Don’t worry it’s just being proofread. Proofreading takes about 2 weeks. A different editor to the one who edited the book proofreads the laid out book on a hard copy called a “proof”. They have fresh eyes. The proofreader isn’t just looking out for spelling errors and
How to Choose the Right Type of Editing for Your Book
Editing will make or break your book. Often writers are tempted to skimp on editing costs because they don’t fully appreciate how much work goes into proper editing and how much it can benefit their work. By the time you reach the end of this series of posts on editing you’ll have a great idea of what editing is, how it can improve your book and what kind of editing
Happy Book Birthday to Krystal Kolnik!
Congratulations to Krystal Kolnik on publishing her first book, Lessons from the Frogs I’ve Kissed. In her book, Krystal looks back at her significant adult relationships, over the last 20 years, and shares the invaluable life lessons she learned from them. She hopes that others will learn from her story and better understand their own relationships. From the author We asked Krystal about her publishing journey. This is what she had
What Does an Editor Really Do?
Why is editing important? Editing is a necessity for any manuscript and no book should ever be published without having been seen by an editor. According to Butcher (2011), ‘the main aims of editing are to remove any obstacles between the reader and what the author wants to convey’, and this allows for a good and seamless reading experience. Nothing can ruin a book quite as quickly as bad or
5 Romance Writing Courses
Have you always wanted to write a romance novel, but do not know where to start? Writing is no easy feat and can seem daunting. Don’t despair, there are people who can help! There are multiple writing courses available in South Africa, both online and offline. We have listed and summarised our top 5 picks. The website link for each course has been included so you can explore your options