So what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think book promotion? I can bet about 90% of you just thought of bookmarks. And for the most part, bookmarks are great. They are easy to produce, fairly inexpensive, and are the only bit of marketing that is associated directly with books. They are […]
Ask Kat: How do you usually customize a font?
If you’re not a font designer but still want font customization you can change the kerning, tracking, skew, or the vertical or horizontal scale of the text. You can also add layer effects to give your fonts that extra pop, but try to reserve that for only title text. If you want to try your hand at font design, I would suggest using Illustrator to create your font and then move it to InDesign to do the rest of your layout work. Or send your newly created font to a company that can turn it into a real editable font.
Ask Kat: Where do you recommend one look for cover a designer?
I’d start by looking up the designers of covers you like. Next I’d ask other indies who they’d recommend. Third search Google or a forum you frequent.
Ask Kat: How can I tell if stock images allow me to use them in book production?
Seek out the policies page on the stock site. Or on the specific stock’s page. Or if in doubt, contact the creator of said stock. I use Fotolia, because they have a great range of stock and policies that protect you. If your photo manipulation style is more filter heavy, Photoshop is your program. If your photo manipulation style is more illustrative (like mine), Corel Painter is your program.
Ask Kat: What tips do you have for designing covers in a series?
There are two ways I would suggest doing series or trilogy covers based on the content in the books. For single POV books: I’d recommend using the same model or character design for each cover but using different colors, situations or background elements for each. For example, the covers I created for LM Preston’s The Pack series, featured this type of design. If instead you are using symbols or other non-human design element such as Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, all the covers should use similarly important symbols. Color isolation, like that used in the Twilight Saga covers, is another good example.
10 ways to make your cover stand out in the crowd
There are bad covers out there; we have all seen them. The ones with the glaring, eye-searing colors, painful design, and horrid photoshopping that should be a crime against humanity. I could go on for days about the horrors I have seen lurking in the dark corners of bookshops, but I’m sure you’d all rather I talk about what makes a good cover. The kind that stands out on a crowded shelf and demands you buy it.