This is a post by Diane Krause.
What about you? Do you believe looks matter when it comes to books? If you don’t, you should.
If you’re an independent author — or self-publishing author, depending on which term you prefer — I trust you’ve taken note of the stigma attached to self-publishing. In many respects, that stigma is justified, earned in part by a slew of self-publishing authors who flooded Amazon with books that were poorly edited (or not edited at all) and bore covers that looked like they were designed by someone who had just learned to insert an image into Word and suddenly considered himself a graphic designer. Sadly, this trend in self-publishing has left many gifted writers and designers needing to work even harder to get noticed and establish credibility.
Poor editing and cover design aren’t the only sins typically committed by self-publishing authors. Other common mistakes include:
- Missing or poor front matter, in both print and ebooks
- Excessive use of blurbs for promotion
- Sloppy interior design and formatting
If you’re planning to publish a book, I urge implore you to give your book — and the self-publishing community — the respect it deserves. Devote as much time and attention to the production side of your book project as you did creating the content. Otherwise, you might find yourself on this list:
Lousy Book Covers
If you aren’t sure whether or not you have a lousy cover, your book’s interior is formatted properly, or even what front matter is, here are some links to get you started: