How to Host a Book Launch Party

How to Host a Book Launch Party

 by Suzanne Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

I had the recent pleasure of attending the book launch party of my writing friend—and fellow 4RV author—Kristine Carlson Asselin. In a suburb of Boston, Kris launched her first picture book, Worst Case of Pasketti-it is. It was a great time and a huge success. You can pull off a great book launch, too!

Where?

An easy jog off a major highway, Kris held her party in the welcoming community room of a local library. 80 people attended, including curious walk-in library patrons!

Who to Invite?

Invite people most likely to tell others about your book: family, friends, librarians, teachers, reporters. Invite a photo buff to send pics to author’s website, blog, Facebook fan page, local papers. Kids added zing to Kris’ author Q & A time.

Make it a Party!

Kris used an online invitation service called “evite” to get the word out. Balloons and a large poster of the book cover welcomed guests outside the front door. Inside, more balloons and entertaining activities were quick attention-grabbers.

Stations

"Be sure to include family and friends in the planning of your party,” advises Kris. “They are excited for you and will often push you to be more "out there" than you would on your own. I'm sometimes embarrassed to "sell" myself, but my family and good friends aren't shy about it at all!"

Kris put family members to work at various stations:

Welcome table

Greet people personally. A welcome poster and sign-in list near the door helps add walk-ins to your mailing list. Have a stack of business cards, bookmarks or postcards printed with book cover design and easy order information.

Activities for kids

Kris’ main character loves pasta, so she had a fun guessing contest: How many pieces of macaroni in the jar? Offer a prize because hey, who doesn’t like a goody bag? Have crayons handy and coloring pages made of your characters. Relate a craft to your book. Kris had colorful yarn and pasta shapes for necklaces.

Food

Kris had a beautiful cake courtesy of her parents for the launch. At regular book events, you might want to offer simple candy, store-bought cookies or pretzels.

Book Buying

Assign a family member or friend to manage ongoing sales for you throughout the event. Make it easy for people to order books after the event by tucking a business card or bookmark with information in every copy sold. Extra cards on the table help guests purchase books later if they are not prepared at your event with cash.

Entertainment: YOU

This part can be intimidating, but authors who want to sell books have to put themselves out there. An ongoing slideshow of art from her book kept guests entertained until the presentation. Kris read the story along with a slide presentation of her adorable book. To prepare Kris says, “Be sure to practice reading your excerpt aloud a few times. Add inflection and pauses to make the read interesting. And be sure to project so that everyone in the room can hear you." Include time for Q&A for guests to ask about the story’s origins, getting published, etc.

 

Kris Asselin and Jessica Cordatos

Book Signing table

Kris invited everyone to stay for cake and crafts. And, of course, she signed books with a beaming smile for as long as people wanted her to!  More information about author Kris Carlson Asselin:

Director, SCBWI New England Regional Conference
May 2-4, 2014 in Springfield, Massachusetts
Web: nescbwi.org ~ Twitter: @nescbwi ~ Email: nescbwi14@gmail.com
Find me on Twitter @KristineAsselin
Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinecarlsonasselin

Visit my website: www.kristineasselin.com

Sometimes less is so much more when it comes to your book's cover.

by Aidana WillowRaven

In both my freelance experience and experience as art director for 4RV Publishing, I've noticed a disturbing trend. For some reason, authors try to cram as much visual stimuli as possible in their cover, every last detail based on the words they so carefully orchestrated.

When it came to creating the cover for Journey of the Cheyenne Warrior, I had several visually full scenes to work with. So why did I choose to go with such a seemingly simple composition?

The simple answer ... Invoking a feeling and a mood can often have a stronger impact than over stimulating the eyes with loads and loads of details.

Having said that, it took a lot more work to make it look simple than one would think ... lol.

Of course, a certain amount of artistic license was used. For example, in the book, the MCs hair was braided most of the time. I left my interpretation free flowing. Why? Two reasons: One, I think long hair on men is sexy as do most female readers. Does the name Fabio mean anything to you? Even non-romance novel readers should recognize him as the male model used most on book covers of the genre ... him and his famous locks. So I think you can guess that strategic marketing visual was the second part.

Also, as far as I know, there is no multicolored mist described at anytime. But there is a vision quest. How do you represent a dream or vision pictorially? I went with layers and layers of mist ... lol.

Lastly, I have not read the novel, it's still in editing, but I still wanted to give our warrior a warrior's weapon. I chose a bow.

Even the pose was part of the story. A strong stance, contemplative and at the ready. So 'simple' wasn't really simple ... lol. But I do think it's a more powerful cover, embodying the overall mood of the story, than if I had chosen to recreate a scene from the book.

In closing, I thought you might like to read the blurb ...

Brave Eagle grows to manhood amid the constant changes and turmoil on the Plains. Now, in a world full of choices, Brave Eagle must make many decisions, some for his very survival. This was a time of exploration, discovery, and settlement in the West, intervention and treaties with the U. S. Government, leadership issues between the peace chief Black Kettle and the war leader Roman Nose, the Dog Soldiers, the Sand Creek Massacre, the Massacre at Washita. Was Brave Eagle to be a man of war or a man of peace? Was he to be a fierce frightening warrior or a wise peacemaker?  Could he learn to adapt to the white man’s world, or would he be able to hold on to the rich traditions of the grandfathers?             

In the middle 1800’s, the white man’s world collides with the world of the Native Americans. How would this affect the people of the Plains? Where would this life journey take Brave Eagle?

Do you fell less is more when it comes to cover art or do you prefer complex cover scenes?
	simplistic cover art
	complex cover scenes
	depends on the genre or story
pollcode.com free polls

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations

4RV Publishing

What is a cover's sole purpose?

by Aidana WillowRaven

I've noticed a disturbing trend among thumbnails and cover shots of more and more book covers seen on sites like amazon, or author websites and blogs. Ambivalence.

Due to some very successful books bearing abstract cover designs and minimalistic visuals or symbols, some authors and publishers think they can stick almost any abstract visual on a cover and think it's going to attract an audience.

A book cover has one job and one job only. Yet, that job is worth 70% of a book's marketability and sales strength so it's a HUGE job. It must attract readers.

For a book cover of any genre, there has to be a hint as to what the genre is or people won't bother to even read what it's about. This seems somewhat basic, I know, but you have about a full second, maybe less, to catch a reader of your genre's attention. Your cover has to tell them your book is their genre almost instantly. See the cover I did for One More Mystery, by Vivian Zabel? It's very minimalistic, but you know right away, between the title and the cover art, that this would interest a crime/suspense/mystery reader. If your more into high fantasy, you know right away this book isn't it.

But you say you have a blog to build readership or a killer blurb that will  draw them in convince them to spend their money? Well, guess what, no one will bother to read your blurb or your blog if you don't first get their attention. That is the job of your cover.

Now you ask, "But what about those best selling crime and horror novels that have abstract covers?" Duh, those books/authors already have a following and fan base. Stephen King could spit on a napkin, sign it, slap on his next book, and it would sell ... because he's Stephen King. 90% of all authors are not, nor will they ever be.

Try to remember that your cover may not need to be what most would consider a full illustration, but if you want abstract, make sure it relates in a way that doesn't require reading the book before anybody knows even what the genre is.

All covers need to be simple enough to help a reader decide what the book is about and complex enough to gain that reader's attention. Too much (another topic I should address in a post) is as bad as a cover that doesn't relate to the book.

It's important for authors, designers, and publishers to know that a cover will attract or detract from a book, and a book is judged by its cover. Ambivalence will not attract that 70% of all book buyers.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operation

4RV Publishing

When research dictates a re-vamp ...

by Aidana WillowRaven

Sometimes it just can't be avoided.

I try to create a book's cover before starting on a book's illustrations, which gives the author and publisher something to use when building hype for a book's pending release, while I work on the illustrations and layout. But once in a rare while, a cover art and design re-vamp is needed.

One such instance is my latest children's book, Strangers in the Stable by Jim Laughter. It's a sweet little early reader that was extra fun because I got to explore the whole visual interpretation in digital paint vs traditional mediums. I did the cover first, as I usually do, and both the author and publisher loved it (always a good thing ... lol). One problem I learned while doing research for the following illos, I had the architecture all wrong (not such a good thing).

As is often the case, the story itself has a little more room for 'creative license' than the visuals do. The original title said 'Barn,' so I made the setting a barn, as most westerners think of it. Upon further research, I found that not only does ancient Bethlehem not use wood buildings to house their livestock, they also don't refer to such structures as barns. They used, and still use for the most part, stone structures and tents. Not wood and lumber barns ... lol.

Now, many publishers and artists would have just let this pass. As they say, time is money. After all, how many six-year-olds would notice? But 4RV has a high standard, and so do I. My own sense of aesthetic and accuracy just wouldn't let me let it go. So I talked to Vivian, and she agreed, and in a matter of minutes a decision for accuracy over convenience and time was finalized. Re-vamp it was.

And, as with most re-vamps, as much as I grudgingly hate them, I think they always turn out for the better. I assume it's much the same way with authors (dreading edits, but happier with the final result, none the less).

Here is the re-vamped cover. You tell me which one pulls your mental awareness into ancient Bethlehem better? Which one puts you more mentally 'there,' at Jesus' birth? See the difference just the architecture makes when it come to the mood of an illo?

Next question, would you be as willing to go through a re-vamp? Or would you have thought: 'The publisher and author approved it. I don't have time or money for a unnecessary re-vamp. I won't bring it up.'

As artists, especially illustrators, we need to remember even if the illustration 'looks' right, it could still be 'wrong,' and its our responsibility, if we discover an error such as this, to bring it up with the publisher or author. You never know, it may take the book from good to better.

Besides, how often have you criticized the cover artist on their choice of visuals if you know something portrayed way inaccurately? Heck, that's why I took art in college (my pet peeve is proportion, ie: legs too small for the rest of the body, scale wrong, etc).

Try to remember, each piece should be worthy of being 'a portfolio piece.' And misrepresented images are not good portfolio pieces. So when a re-vamp is needed, don't resist. Pull up those sleeves, dig out your tools, and get to work happily, knowing you're about to create visual genius...lol.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operation

4RV Publishing

Does the latest digital software mean no need for art school or to hire a pro?

by Aidana WillowRaven

I have lost count how many times I've seen on Twitter: "Anyone can be an artist/illustrator if they own Adobe Illustrator or Daz/Poser. You don't need art school or to hire a pro."  I'm sorry, but WRONG!

I agree that most anyone can buy, and learn to utilize, almost any software. And I agree that there are some amazing tools out there to help one create great works. What I disagree with is that these programs and tools can be acquired by a novice and used to replace a crucial aspect of publishing ... the cover artist or illustrator.

These programs take practice ... months ... years of practice, before attempting to do your own cover art or illustrations, unless you have a strong art background already. Of course, as with anything, there is the acception. But odds are, you're not it ... lol.

Even for a 'digital artist,' an understanding of composition, light, balance, and form, is only learned through practice and training (even if it's self-training trough tutorials or online classes). And these things make a difference in your final product. Let me give you an example.

I was formally trained in fine art and design for six years at two universities. Even so, when I started playing with Daz Studio ( a 3D rendering software), I had A LOT to learn, and still do. To prove that these programs do not make you an instant artist, I'll share an early piece, done about a year and a half ago, and my latest pieces. Trust  me, you'll see a huge difference (and keep in mind, I am formally trained).

On the left here, you see an early practice render. You can probable see what I did wrong right away, but first let's go over what I did right.

My training tells me the composition is balanced by the pose I have chosen, as well as my placing the fan staff on the left, to balance the tree on the right.

My training also told me the 'S' curve in her pose is more prefered than a straight pose, and placing that 'S' to the left also puts more weight there, to further balance that big tree.

So what's glaringly wrong? The lack of light and shadow. Real life, even at night, has light and shadow. Without it, the Sarangheti slave girl, looks like a maniquine or waxed figure. Plus, the environment looks contrived.

So regardless of my six years of training, I had to take a year plus to learn how to simulate light and shadows. I know the artists in the Daz forum felt like they were beating their heads into the wall trying to help me, but it has been an ongoing lesson.

Let's see what I did this morning to this same scene. I changed nothing in the pose or scene except I applied what I have learned so far about lights and shadows. Of course, if I were doing this image fresh, I would have changed so much more, but the fact that it's taken me this long should tell you that it's not something you pick up when it's time to slap a cover on your book.

If I were to do this full scene now, I'd add animals, or more textures, or SOMETHING to make this more life-like and unique. Because thousands of 3D artists have this model, this hair, this backdrop, this costume, this prop. I'd want to make it unique in some way. But, at least now you see real life shadows and terrain.

Yes, all it took to make her look 'real' was learning to use the lights and buying a higher powered system (these renders take loads of RAM), but that took me a year. And the new render still doesn't have the brushstrokes and nuances I add to my published cover art in Photoshop. Those are whole other lessons that had to be learned. As is, this revised image is NOT cover ready and is NOT publish worthy. But you get the idea, I hope.

With each new project, just like for writers, my craft should grow and improve, and going through my portfolio every-so-often shows me where I have improved. And browsing portfolios of my favorite artists shows where I still need work. Both are crucial if I want to create good covers worthy of publication.

So what makes authors, whether self-publishing or working with a PH that allows self-illustration or cover art, think they are qualified to buy a program and whip up a cover and not trust the task to a professional? Bad advice and ego, that's what.

Now, I know I am not the best cover artist, but I thought you may like to see a what a pro, who's been formally trained, and practices her craft every day, does with the software...



Emperyeal Fate ~ Being released by 4RV Publishing in Spring 2012



Today's point? Don't cut corners on your cover (or on any aspect of publishing, for that matter). Trust in those who do that craft for a living. Trust your publisher. Trust your editor. Trust your artist. If you've done your research, you'll know who to trust.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Creating a Detailed Character & Setting Outline Doesn't Just Help the Author.

by Aidana WillowRaven

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a writer. And, if I ever do successfully write a book, I doubt I'd consider myself one then, either ... lol. I also completely stink at outlines. I hated doing them in school, and hate them today. Good thing I'm not a writer, huh? But, for a writer, I've read over and over how crucial they are to the writing process, whether it be before or after the story is written. Do you know who else can benefit from your character or setting outlines? The cover artist or illustrator in charge of giving your book a visual 'life'. 

If the author is writing well, a lot of character and setting description, unless you're building an alternate world, tends to get twiddled away with editing. The more the author slips into 'show not tell,' the more the repetition of character or setting detail should disappear. This is a good thing, unless you are the cover artist having to literally dissect a manuscript trying to figure out if the main character, who's being recreated for the cover, has long or short/straight or curly hair. 

Even if you're one of those authors who just sees the whole story in her/his head before setting pen to paper, try to remember that the artist doesn't have your entire story and back-story engraved in her mind, too. It would be a great help to them, while saving time and potential misrepresentation of your character, if they were presented with an outline of the characters, scenes, and settings.

I bet your thinking, They should read the manuscript.

Truth is, except for very short books, like picture books, very rarely does the artist get to read your manuscript. In most cases, they are handed a rough outline or description by the publisher, or only get to see a scene or two before starting a project. This goes a long way to explain why a cover will often not match the text.

At smaller PHs, we may be allowed to see the MS, but rarely have the time to pick apart a manuscript for that one line of text that may tell us what the main character's hair should look like.

Not to pick on my friend Beverly, but the latest cover I did for her for a book coming out soon, is the perfect example of what I mean. First, let's compare the new book to the previous cover I did for her.

With the book Just Breeze, the entire premise of the story was based on the main character's looks, and how she perceived herself vs how others perceived her.

The book itself acted as an outline. I knew EXACTLY what Breeze looked like, and exactly how to show her personality through gesture and pose.

She has vivid, wild, gorgeous red hair, chews her nails (lacquered in blue nail polish, to match her toe nails), feels tall and gangly, and has blue rubber-bands on her braces.

I drew Breeze in less than hour, I was so confident I knew her.

When I was presented with Beverly's manuscript for Life on Hold, I was excited to be working with Beverly again, but also wanted to be sure I didn't mimic her covers, since I knew this was not a series.

I couldn't have had less reason to worry. The two books are COMPLETELY different. Not only are the characters different, but the book's focus was different. Looks were not the main topic. Emotion was.
Now, illustrating emotion wasn't my dilemma. That is done through gesture, expression, pose, and believe it or not, color.

Besides being conflicted as to how much detail to add to the scene, or even what scene to use that portrayed not just one event, but the book's mood as a whole, I didn't have a blaring detail from the text as to what my main character looked like.

I did see early on that she had 'camel' colored hair:

• I opened my eyes and weighed the possibilities. My father was my father. I was tall like him. I had his hair—caramel brown, Mom called it. Okay, he had blue eyes; I had gray. Wasn’t gray a shade of blue? My mom’s were brown. Did eye color prove anything, anyway?

That's good, but I needed a little more.

I gathered that she was of average weight and height by the fact that it wasn't really mentioned otherwise.

But was her hair long or short? Was it curly or straight? I hadn't the foggiest. And, I had the advantage of having the rough copy of the MS, and still didn't know.

After reading and re-reading, I found it:

Cass eyed me. “You have to get ready for the concert.”

“And with your long hair, it’ll take awhile to make you glamorous,” Taffy said.

I held up my hands, palms out. “Just a sec.”

Taffy looked at her wristwatch. “A sec is up. Do you want me to curl your hair or leave it straight?”

“I’m not going to the concert. Someone misinformed you.”

 Finally. Months of trying to visualize this character was finally going to result in cover art. Whew! I was starting to sweat this one.

Once I had those two sentences (in red for you to see them better), it took one late night to do up Beverly's cover for Life on Hold. One night after months of uncertainty.

So the lesson for today?

Creating a character outline, no mater whether you need one to write or not, is a very helpful tool to have in your tackle box, when it comes to publishing.

• It helps some authors gather their thoughts prior to writing. 
• It helps other authors be able to pitch their books easier. 
• It also helps the artist who has the important task of attracting 70% of the book buying population to your book in a much more efficient manner.

So what ya waiting for? Go get that outline ready for me ... lol.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Is illustrating a poem or story different than a book cover? Yes & No ...

by Aidana WillowRaven

I belong to various artist networks that, at times, amaze me with the artists' skill & craftsmanship. What's unfortunate, being an Art Director who's always looking for fresh, undiscovered illustrators and cover artists, I rarely find work that convinces me the artist knows what is needed for a good book cover. Sure, many of the works I see are gorgeous, and would make a great wall hanging. Many would be perfect for complimenting a magazine's story or a book's poem, but when I am looking for a potential cover artist, I am not looking for someone I need to coach about bleed, gutter, or negative space for back cover blurb, spinal text, title and byline.

I'm not saying EVERY piece you do has to be cover art ready. After all, it takes a different approach to space and composition, and sometimes as artists, we're just not feelin' it. I get that. But I am saying, if you want to get into the cover art business, the AD has to see that your work could be used for a book's cover without too much extra attention needed by a designer to make it usable. Time is money. And at a standard $45/hour rate, let's show the PH we can save them some money by showing we can create cover art as well as stand alone art. Publishers like it when we save them money ... lol.

Early in my fine art studies, knowing my eventual goal was to become a fantasy book cover artist, I not only studied the masters (DaVinci, Michelangelo, Renoir, Dali, etc), I also studied fantasy book cover legends, like Micheal Whelan (Dragon Riders of Pern cover artist, among others). He published a couple books containing interviews with various authors he graced covers for over the years. He also shows sketches, and offers commentary, on some of his more popular works that helped turn those books into bestsellers. I still study them when I need inspiration.

If I try to emulate him in any way (since I can't touch him artistically ... lol), it's in his use of composition. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but he states how he tries, while catering to the dimensions and needs for a book's front cover or cover wrap (jacket or paperback potentials), he deliberately sets it in his mind to make the piece stand alone, too. To create a piece of art that just 'happens' to double as an excellent book cover. Well, that 'happens' is no accident. That means a lot of planning goes into composition long before any final painting is done. You can probably guess, that this piece is for a front cover. See the room he gave for title and byline, along with trim room for the printer? Yet, he still follows the laws of a great composition. Those 'negative spaces' are not void of interesting material, they're just non-essential elements - elements that if hidden by text wouldn't affect the main subject in the scene, and will not obstruct good titling. As a matter of fact, I can't be 'certain' this one was a book cover. But if it wasn't, it would surely show an AD that he was fully capable of accommodating one. Wouldn't it?

Now, if you look at the piece to the left, or the White Dragon piece above, it's apparent these would make awesome cover wraps. The central focus is on the right (ideal for front cover use), while the central and left areas, though never lacking in interest or beauty, are obviously not the focus, and would accommodate a spine and back cover info, perfectly.

Notice, again, plenty of room for title, spine and by line.

Now for testing one's own work against a master cover artist. Remember, we are looking at my composition, not comparing my painting ability against Whelan's ... lol (I'm no fool).

Not too long ago, Vivian shared one of her poems with me, and it got my mind a buzzing, This would make an awesome art piece! So I bullied her into letting me illustrate not only that poem, but a gaggle of others similar in mood. Like my unbeknownst mentor, I tried to look at the composition as a cover piece. You never know, she may want to publish the poems and use this work as the cover. So I planned ahead, and set to work.

When Death Sat Next To Me

When Death sat next to me,

I thought she looked familiar.

I asked, "Have we met?"

Elegant and attractive in black,

she offered a sad smile,

her luscious lips glossed in red

tilted slightly at the edges.

"Oh, yes, I've walked many

a long mile by your side."

If you click the image, you can zoom in and get a closer look.

First, I created the main character, Death. The poem describes the hair clearly, so I decided on a sleek dress with dramatic drapery and folds. Something elegant and eternal, out of current fashion, but still glamorous. Frayed at the bottom from eons of dragging the ground, yet silky and flowing. And of course, the scythe was a must. It's Death's calling card, even though the poem never mentions it. In a later post, I'll go into more detail as to why I chose the elements that I did.

My biggest decision was her placement in the scene. I needed her facing the audience, and the 'victim' while encouraging them to maybe open that potential book to see what's inside. Her pose had to not only be sitting, but be graceful, elegant, dark, and alluring. 

While accommodating the details of the poem (this is only the first stanza), I still had to remember to leave negative space for tile and by line, if ever needed. At the same time, I want to make sure if they are not there, that the piece could stand alone, and not feel lacking, in a frame or on canvas. In this instance, the subject matter called for a haze, a sort of obscurity, like the person meeting  Death face to face, notices nothing but her and the grave. This also wasn't spelled out in the poem, but it just 'felt' that way.

Why don't you judge? Look to see if my composition would not only make a believable stand alone piece for a magazine, poem, or frame, but also a potential book cover?

• Title room: check
• By line room: check
• Bleed/ Trim room: check
• Main elements unaffected by the above needs: check

So how did I score? 

Maybe next time you are planning a composition, with the idea of attracting a publisher or Art Director, you'll compose it as a potential book cover? And maybe, just maybe, your next commission will be as a cover artist.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

"How do I get into the business?"

by Aidana WillowRaven

I get asked this a lot. Artists see that I am a cover artist, and a book illustrator, with over 100 books in print with my work on or in them, and inevitably ask me how I got started.

Honestly, by networking. But how did I know what those that would hire me want to see? And how would I get those that I wanted to see my work, see it?

Again, by networking. But networking to the right people, in the right places, showing the right material is the key. The next few tips apply to authors just as much as artists, just maybe in a slightly different way.

• 1. READ!

I can't emphasize this one enough. To be a cover artist or illustrator, it takes something more than being able to 'create pretty pictures.' It takes being able to tell a story. If you can't effectively tell a story, whether it be with you art or your writing, you're not going to get too far. And how do you learn how to tell a story? You read. A lot. Then you read some more. It just makes sense, for both authors and cover artists/illustrators.

• 2. For the artist who wants to be a cover artist or illustrator, you also need to study the covers on your favorite books (even on your not so favorite books). Haunt the library and bookstore.

How does the composition differ for a book rather than for a stand alone piece?

How does it differ from genre to genre?

How does it differ from book style to book style (paperback to hard cover)?

How does this cover tell me what I can expect to find inside?

All these questions must be asked an answered for every book. I mean, admit it, we still judge books by their covers. Regardless of what we're taught.

Now, the best cover artists have learned how to make their art be able to stand alone, while still being suitable for a cover. But how do you know if your work is suitable for a cover?

This is a stand alone original recently done just for my portfolio. Could this double as a book cover? Why or why not?

Is there room for a title? A by line? The blurb on back? The spine? Believe it or not, an Art Director or Editor will be looking at that, just as much as your style, technique and story telling ability, when looking at your portfolio. And when I say 'room', I don't mean blank or negative space. But rather, unimportant elements. Things that can be covered by text without ruining the 'story'.

So back to the first problem. How do you get the Publishers, Art Directors, and Editors to see your work. Work that you have purposefully built to be cover art friendly?

• 3. Remember that word 'network'? 

• You read everyday.
• You work on your art everyday.
• Now you must mingle everyday.

But who with? I see a lot of artist hanging out with other artists. They put their work up on sites like Renderosity, Deviant Art, Zazzle, ImageKind, and many more. Which is good. But, publishers and Editors rarely lurk in those galleries or forums looking for artist to outsource to. Not never, mind you. But rarely.

• 4. You need to think of it like a business. Who is my customer? 

• Authors. 
• Publishers. 
• Agents. 
• Editors. 
• Art Directors.

So where do you need to hang out? WITH THE CUSTOMERS.

• Join author groups that welcome outsiders (many do not - so pay attention).
• Befriend writers, publishers, etc. on Facebook.
• Follow authors and publishing pros on Twitter.
• Get TweetDeck, and keep search colomns up of keywords publishing pros use when putting out calls for artists.
• Lastly ...  PUT YOU WORK EVERYWHERE.

You need to be an artist (or author) first. At least in public networking. Taking about your cat is fine, but what do you want someone to see if they stumble across your FaceBook page? Certainly not how many games you play all day or how you got wasted last night at that party.

Keep it professional at all times. And people will see you as a pro.

• 5. Oh yeah ... and READ!

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

What Questions Must be Asked & Answered, Before Creating a Novel Book Cover?

Part 3

by Aidana WillowRaven

In my last two posts, the topic has been on how basic cover design rules tend to remain the same from cover to cover, title to title, genre to genre. But, we need to remember there are some important differences, too.

To repeat the original post's paragraph on this topic: “When contemplating what is needed for the cover of any given book, some basic rules apply to every design or composition. You need to know what the title is saying. You need to know what the title isn't saying. And you need to know to whom the author is saying or not saying the title.”

So far, I've used both an Easy Reader and a MG/YA cover as examples of the points being made in this topic. Today, I'll be showcasing a mainstream novel as my example. Let's ask the same questions with the cover I designed.

What is the title saying? What isn't the title saying? Who is the author saying it to? (I’m using 4RV Publishing’s Stolen by Vivian Gilbert Zabel for the example).

What is the title saying? Something has been 'stolen,' obviously. Judging by the font, there is a frightening and chaotic, almost violent mood implied. Since the title is so basic and short, and a little intense, we’re going to have to look at what isn't the title saying to get more clues as to what we'll find inside the book.

What isn't the title saying? Although there are not that many elements on the cover, it is telling us loads of information, giving little hints as to what has been 'Stolen,' and surprisingly (if you pay attention), from whom and where. First, if you look at the 'ground,' you get the hint of wall paper ... of an older style. So this is an old fashioned home, most likely. Second, the wall photos that are askew show us that there has been a struggle or conflict. This conflict, whether it was physical or emotional, is emphasized with the broken glass in the right frame. That frame is a clue in and of itself. It is telling the viewer that the seemingly happy union has been broken, destroyed, shattered. Let's look at the other frame for the third clue. The image is falling from the frame. The siblings are clinging to each other and seem to be at a public place, like a park, as they are being seemingly ripped from the safety of the very ornate frame. The children are represented in a black and white photo rather than in living color, almost like they are a memory rather than in front of us. Even the fancy frame for the kids, vs the more modest frame for the wedding couple, tells us that the children held the primary love and focus of the characters in the book. As you can see, there are a lot more subtleties to an adult novel cover design than that of a child's book or even a young adult book. Even the book's colors a representative. Blue is the author's favorite color, and the book is a fiction based on true events that happened in the author's life. 

To whom is the author saying the title to? Any parent or grandparent, especially a mother or grandmother, are going to immediately key into this cover. It's attacking one of their basic fears and doing it in a seeming 'safe' environment. This is a marriage and family destroyed at the home level. It's personal. It's emotional. It's tragic. The title and cover are warning people to fear what they fear. That monsters are real and that they live in our walls. They come into our homes and the steal our lives, our souls. They try to, anyway.

Next week, the topic will be: 'The Story', as it applies to Cover Art and Illustration. (I’ll be using a promotional piece for 4RV Publishing’s Aldric & Anneliese, by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr, for the example.)

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Book Promotion: The Foundation

by Karen Cioffi

Every author has thought it, said it, and heard it: promotion is the roll-up-your-sleeves, and dig-in part of writing. It’s the much more difficult and time consuming aspect of writing that every author needs to become involved with . . . if he wants to sell his books.

To actually sell a book, you need to have a quality product. This is the bare-bottom, first rung of book promotion . . . the foundation.

The Foundation: Create a Quality Product

The very first step in book promotion is to create a quality product. Hopefully, you noticed I said create a quality product, not just a good story. What this means is that all aspects of your book need to be top notch.

A. The Story

To start at the very beginning, the first factor to be dealt with is to be sure your story has all the essential elements. According to Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, there are five major elements of a story: characters, setting, plot, point of view, and theme.

All the elements of a story should complement each other, should move each other forward, draw the reader in, and end with a satisfying conclusion. They should work together to create a story that will be remembered.

Suppose your story is action packed and plot driven, but it lacks believable and sympathetic characters, it will fall short. The same holds true if you have a believable and sympathetic character, but the story lacks movement. Again, it will be lacking. As with all things in life balance is necessary, the same holds true when writing a story.

B. Join a Critique Group

Yes, this is part of creating a quality story. Even experienced authors depend on the unique perspective and extra eyes that each critique member provides. They will help find: grammatical errors, holes in your story, unclear sentences and paragraphs, overuse of particular words, and weak verbs, among other elements.

They will also provide guidance and suggestions.

Check out this article for more information about joining a critique group:
Critiques are Essential

C. Editing

Yes, again, this is a necessary step to take to ensure your manuscript is in the best shape possible before it becomes a book. Look for an experienced and qualified editor to help tweak your manuscript. But, before you send it off to be edited, self-edit it first. There are a number of articles out there in cyberspace on self-editing. Take the time and read a few, then go over your manuscript.

D. Cover and Design

This step is more relevant to those who decide to self-publish, or use a Print-on-Demand (POD). The cover is the first impression a reader will usually have of your book, next is the interior design. These aspects are just as important as the story itself. I’m sure you’re familiar with the expression that you only get one shot at making a good first impression. Well, you can relate that to your book cover.

Don’t skimp on time, effort, or money when coming up with your book’s cover and design.

Tip: If you are writing a children’s book, do not do your own illustrations unless you’re a professional illustrator.

~~~~~~~~~
Karen Cioffi is an author and ghostwriter. For writing and marketing information visit http://karencioffi.com and sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World. You’ll get 2 free e-books on writing and marketing in the process, and two more free e-books just for stopping by.
Author of Walking Through Walls

What Questions Must be Asked & Answered, Before Creating an MG/YA Book Cover?

Part 2

by Aidana WillowRaven

In my first post on this topic, I touched on the fact that basic cover design rules tend to remain the same from cover to cover, title to title, genre to genre. But we need to remember there are some important differences, too.

To repeat the opening paragraph from part one of this topic: When contemplating what is needed for the cover of any given book, some basic rules apply to every design or composition. You need to know what the title is saying. You need to know what the title isn't saying. And you need to know to whom the author is saying or not saying the title.

Last week, I started my example using an Easy Reader cover. Today, I'll be showcasing an MG/YA (middle grade, sometimes also considered "tween"/young adult), in my example. Let's ask the same questions with an MG/YA cover I designed.

What is the title saying? What isn't the title saying? Who is the author saying it to? (I’ll be using 4RV Publishing’s Just Breeze by Beverly Stowe McClure, for the example).

 

What is the title saying? Just Breeze, hmmm. 'Just' anything hints to the idea of commonness, normalcy, nothing special or extraordinary. But, would there even be a book about something that was 'just' anything? Especially a breeze? Regardless of what the story is about, it needs to be, well, 'just' a cover. So, I kept the background plain. But how do I make a plain background interesting? I decided to position the character in an unusual pose and have her acting bored or distracted. It makes the viewer want to know what she is thinking about. It gives them a reason to open the cover and look inside. I even have her eyes leading the viewer towards the opening edge of the cover.

What isn't the title saying? Here is where little hints about the story comes in. But unlike with the children's book I discussed last week, where the only real hint was the giraffes, there are several hints about what is to be discovered inside. This is targeting an older audience, 10 to 14-year-old’s. It needs to be a little more complex, while still remaining simple, or 'just.' Breeze is really the main character’s name. The story isn't about a type of light wind at all. It's about Breeze, the girl. So naturally, she has to be included on the cover. In order to maintain that lonesomeness, or singleness that 'just' implies, I drew only her. Not her friends or family. I also used a font similar to varsity or junior varsity lettering to show a lot of her life and self image revolves around school and her friendships.

To whom is the author saying the title to? As I mentioned above, the book is targeting 10-14-year- old’s. More importantly, the book is targeting girls. Girls who feel 'just' anything. Just plain, or awkward, or too tall, or too short, or .. well … just about every 10-14-year-old girl out there. They feel alone; they feel isolated; they feel plain. Breeze thinks her hair is too wild, too red. So the hair was a major element that needed close consideration. Breeze wears braces, braces with blue rubber-bands (which also matches her blue finger and toe nail polish). She's different. But the final hint about the story is that she's gorgeous! I didn't draw an awkward, gangly, pimply, messy-haired kid. I drew her precisely how everybody else sees her, but herself. She's beautiful. That is the most important part in the portrayal of her character.

Next week, we'll look at a more advanced read/genre, a mainstream novel. (I’ll be using 4RV Publishing’s Stolen by Vivian Gilbert Zabel, for the example).

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

What Questions Must be Asked & Answered, Before Creating a Children's Book Cover?

Part 1

by Aidana WillowRaven

When contemplating what is needed for the cover of any given book, some basic rules apply to every design or composition. You need to know what the title is saying. You need to know what the title isn't saying. And you need to know to whom the author is saying or not saying the title.

For example, I will use a children's Easy Reader, I illustrated and designed, about a little boy and his day at the zoo. What is the title saying? What isn't the title saying? Who is the author saying it to? Let's look at it (I’ll be using 4RV Publishing’s Being Jacob: A Day at the Zoo by Suzy Koch):

What is the title saying? It's saying this story is about what life is like 'Being Jacob' and what happens when he spends 'A Day at the Zoo'. It may seem pretty basic, but I still have to mention it. Obviously, we need to see Jacob, the main character of the series, and we need to see something that is typically only seen at the zoo. Jacob, an exotic zoo type animal or two, and the enclosure to the animal's habitat, clearly depicts a kid not on safari, or in his back yard, but at a zoo. There could be more elements, but be careful not to over do a cover with too many objects or characters, especially for kids. We want to get the point across without over shadowing the title.

 

What isn't the title saying? It isn't saying Jacob is excited about a giraffe. That is a visual hint about something specific in the story. Yes, giraffes are typical to most zoos, and, yes, I could have drawn a gorilla family, but I chose the giraffes, specifically the mother and baby giraffes, because of a special situation in the story. Think of it as a subliminal message, in a way.

To whom is the author saying the title to? Look at the font (which should also match the genre and story – It's part of the over all piece). It's written much like a little kid would write. A bit sloppy, some letters over powering other letters, etc. The author (and publisher) want the smaller kids to relate to this cover. It looks like it's 'written for them, by one of them.' Look at the scene's colors. High contrast. Bright against dark. Kid's are naturally attracted to high contrast. People often mistake this idea to mean primary colors. That works, too, for some pieces and styles, but when a realism style is being used, 'real life' colors, just maybe intensified, should be used, too. We want the reader to see this boy as a 'real' kid, like them, not a cartoon character. Primary colors that are used in excess will give that cartoon impression, and will attract more preschoolers, rather than 6-8 year olds. Which comes to the last point: This book is targeting Easy Readers (also known as Early Readers). That is ages 6-8 or sometimes 8-10, depending on word count and the main character's age. The artist must know what attracts readers of what ages. What colors, what styles, what themes. The artist also needs to know who is ultimately buying that book. A parent. So they have to know how to catch his/her eye, too.

Next time (two Friday's from today), we'll look at a more advanced reader/genre, MG/YA (middle grade/young adult), and go over 'What Questions Must be Asked & Answered, Before Creating a Children's Book Cover?'. I’ll be using another book I designed, and did the cover art for, 4RV Publishing’s Just Breeze by Beverly Stowe McClure, for the example. 

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing