Two Things Self-Publishing Authors Should Do
Think about the last time you were in a bookstore. How did you choose a book to read? Sure you have your favorite sections, but chances are you’ve looked at the front cover, back cover, and (if you’re the meticulous type) inside the jacket. If you look around the store, you will see that everyone else chooses books in the same way. The whole process takes two to five seconds.
If you self-publish, you may be tempted to skimp on some parts of the book publishing process. The way people choose books to read in a bookstore teaches self-publishers something very important. There are two areas of desktop publishing where it is not worth doing cheaply; the cover and title.
Take some time to find the right cover artist for your book. If you do an Internet search for “book cover design,” you will come across a host of websites and freelancers offering professional cover design services. Spend some time looking at their galleries and any previous work they have posted. Once you’ve decided who you’d like to work with, find their contact information on their website and ask about their availability. Avoid any “desktop publishing company” that offers cover design as part of a package. Many of them are based on predesigned templates. You are putting your heart and soul into this work. You and your book deserve better.
If you want your book to be commercially viable, then your title must be commercially viable. Many well-known and highly successful books began with other titles.
According to Dan Poynter, the father of desktop publishing:
• Tomorrow is another day the wind has blown away.
• Blossom and the Flower became Peyton Place.
• The Rainbow Book became Free Stuff for Kids.
• The Squash Book became the Zucchini Book.
• John Thomas and Lady Jane became lovers of Lady Chatterly.
• Trimalchio in West Egg became Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
• Something that happened became Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
• Catch 18 became Catch 22
Being a self-publisher, you probably don’t have the resources to do the market testing that big publishers do for your titles. So until you’re in a position where you can pay for market testing, here are some tips:
The shorter the better; Very few titles are complex. Did you notice that the titles above use four words or less?
The title should please the ear. Did you notice how four of the titles listed above use alliteration?
The tiles above also help you create a mental image or a mood.
You may have a brilliantly written book, but that means nothing if no one reads it. Give your book every possible chance of being bought by using a great cover and title artist.