What You Should Know Before Hiring a Book Designer

by Cheryl Rogers Smashwords Edition Copyright 2011 Cheryl Rogers, Tampa, FL Smashwords Edition, License Notes This ebook is free and may be copied, printed and given away for non commercial !ses as long as it distrib!ted in its entirety, witho!t changes" Preface Like most writers, yo!re probably not thinking too m!ch abo!t how yo!r book will look" #o!ve been b!sy $!st foc!sing on what it will say" %!t if yo! are planning to self p!blish, yo!ll need a professional book design, inside and o!t" &ts likely yo!ll want a professional designer, one who will help yo! capt!re yo!r readers attention" Thats tr!e even for ebooks' the book cover needs to attract interest in a virt!al store" What You Should Know Before Hiring a Book Designer tells yo! in ten easy steps what yo! show know before yo! hire anyone" ((( )o, that gem yo! are writing is almost completed" #o!re thinking ahead" #o! want to p!blish soon and yo! want to begin work on the book design" *hile yo! are p!tting the finishing to!ches on yo!r man!script, and gathering feedback, yo!+ll want to begin shopping for a book designer" #o!+ll want to find someone whose style appeals to yo!, someone whose skills match yo!r needs" #o!+ll want someone who is capable of creating a professional looking book cover that attracts yo!r target a!dience and entices them to b!y" #o!+ll want to hire someone who is capable of capt!ring the heart of yo!r book, in one image" ,on+t wait for the last min!te" #o! may want to seek referrals from other a!thors and shop the yellow pages, Craig+s list and yo!r local print shops" #o! may want to solicit online thro!gh social networks like Linked&n and $ob sites like -lance" %efore yo! pick a designer, consider these tips. ( /ave a completed man!script, a man!script that has been edited, polished and is ready to print" *hy is that so important0 *hen yo! change the te1t, yo! can change the book length and page layo!t, creating e1tra work for yo!r designer" #o! cant e1pect that e1tra work to be free" &f yo! are $!st ep!blishing, its okay to have a designer work on the cover while yo! finish !p the man!script" %!t yo! will need to know where it will be ep!blished, so yo! will know how the cover m!st be si2ed" ( %ecome familiar with the designers+ styles" *hat are their specialties0 ,o they design book covers0 ,o they also do c!stom cover art0 ,o they design book covers !sing photographs or clip art0 ,o they !se artistic type effects0 )ee samples of their work" Choose someone whose work s!its yo! and yo!r book"

( 3now what si2e yo! want the book to be" There are lots of options" ,o yo! want the si2e that is cheapest to print0 ,o yo! want a pocket si2e book0 4ny other partic!lar dimensions0 ,ecide before yo!r designer lays o!t yo!r book, not after he or she has completed the work" &f yo! don+t, yo!+ll likely have to pay for revisions" ( #o!r printer may have special re5!irements re5!irements that co!ld re5!ire alterations to yo!r book design later in the game" &f yo!+ve decided on yo!r printer, it+s best to p!t yo!r designer in direct contact with a print shop representative" There may be restrictions on the n!mber of pages, pl!s page si2e, trim and photo editing re5!irements" #o! also may need yo!r printer to estimate the book+s spine width, based on yo!r paper type and estimated n!mber of pages" *itho!t this information, the design is likely to need e1tra tweaking before it is !sable" #o! may wind !p paying for e1tra design time, either from yo!r designer or printer" *hile yo! co!ld be an intermediary in the transfer of this information, it+s probably 5!icker and more acc!rate to have the designer and printer confer directly" ( /ave an !nderstanding abo!t how m!ch the pro$ect will cost" 6et a flat rate or reach an !nderstanding abo!t what is a reasonable n!mber of ho!rs for yo!r pro$ect" ,on+t leave it open ended, and do respect yo!r designer+s time" 3now !pfront how many revisions are incl!ded in yo!r flat rate" &f yo! keep asking for revisions, yo!r price may be revised" ( 3now what yo! want" *hen yo! know, yo!+re more likely to get it" 3now yo!r intended a!dience and the look yo! want to create" 3now what will draw yo!r a!dience to yo!r book" ,o yo! want a bold look0 *hat color scheme is most effective0 )ho!ld the book appeal to children, teens, men, women, or both men and women0 The more detail yo! give the designer, the more likely yo! are to be pleased with the final prod!ct" &f yo! don+t know, e1pect to pay more for yo!r designer+s time as yo! review cover designs and style !ntil yo! fig!re o!t what yo! want" ( 3now how yo!r book will most likely be sold" 4re yo! e1pecting most of yo!r sales to come from speaking engagements or bookstores0 &f yo! are e1pecting most folks to b!y yo!r book off a bookstore shelf, the design has to be engaging to browsers in yo!r genre" &f yo!+re not planning to pay for bookstore distrib!tion, and yo!+ll mostly be selling yo!r book at speaking engagements, yo!+ve got a captive a!dience" #o!+ll sell yo!r book from the podi!m" 4ll yo!r cover has to do is cinch the sale with its professional appearance" &f yo!r book will be ep!blished, it m!st entice readers to click on yo!r book cover or link to find o!t more abo!t the book" ( 3now yo!r b!dget" &f yo! want a top class designer b!t yo! cannot afford one, don+t waste everyone+s time" -ither raise the money or settle for stock art, fewer revisions, or a b!dding designer with less e1perience" &f yo!r b!dget is small, yo! don+t want to pay for three or fo!r versions of the cover to give yo!rself the l!1!ry of choosing between them" 7ick a designer whose style yo! like and content yo!rself with tweaking his or her design, developed based on yo!r vision" ( Tap into yo!r designer+s e1pertise" #o! may find yo!r designer also does print brokering or can give yo! a great referral for a printer" &f yo!r designer works reg!larly with a printer, the $ob may proceed more smoothly if yo! !se that printer" ( 8ake s!re yo! have the legal right to !se any art or photos yo! plan to !se" &f yo! are

asking yo!r designer to locate stock art or photography, yo!+ll want to be s!re it is properly licensed from the copyright owner" &f there are any identifiable people, yo! may want to have them sign an agreement which acknowledges yo! have to legal right to !se the photo9art on yo!r book cover or inside yo!r book"

!out the uthor Cheryl Rogers is a freelance writer, photographer and desktop designer based in Tampa, Florida" 4 self p!blished a!thor and print broker, Cheryl offers her services to help fellow a!thors write, p!blish and print books" Cheryl, who holds a %"4" in :o!rnalism and )ociology, worked for 12 years in the newspaper b!siness honing her writing, interviewing and copyediting skills" )he then la!nched a home based desktop p!blishing company offering typesetting services to print shops" )he also brokered printing $obs for clients who hired her to design and print broch!res, stationery and b!siness cards" Cheryl lives in Tampa, Florida, with her h!sband Rick and family" Connect with her online tho!gh Facebook, )mashwords, or Linked&n" ;isit her Fast Track to ;ictory blog" 4lso available on )mashwords are. *hat #o! )ho!ld 3now 4bo!t )elf 7!blishing, a primer for all interested in self p!blishing" What You Should Know About Self Publishing will help yo! develop yo!r book idea into a salable book" &t incl!des tips abo!t book research, ill!stration, printing, and marketing to help yo! avoid costly mistakes" Fast Track to ;ictory, 4 Christian 6!idebook, a <0 lesson devotions book aimed at new and yo!ng Christians" Fast Track to Victory teaches the biblical principles that set !s free to live a victorio!s Christian life" #o! learn how to tr!ly love and forgive others, why its important to set aside pride, how to deal with tragedy and death and lots lots more" Fast Track to Victory also will enco!rage yo! to spend time reg!larly with 6od, walking in his victory" 8aking Choices. Life is Like 4corns, a children+s %ible st!dy aimed at = to 10 year olds"

Making Choices !ife is !ike Acorns is abo!t a baby s5!irrel named 7eepsy" 7eepsy+s mama teaches him how to h!nt for acorns' 7eepsy learns sometimes acorns look good to eat, b!t they are rotten, or the shells are empty" /e learns things are not always what they appear to be" Children learn 6od $!dges o!r hearts > and not by appearances" This book is intended to be read with a parent, grandparent, )!nday school teacher, or similar caregiver" :!st Like :onah *ail Tales, e1aggerated tales of woe that teach preteens and teens theres price to pay when yo! disobey" This short story collection feat!res modern day characters that make bad choices, land in whale of tro!ble, and t!rn to 6od $!st like :onah in the %ible" 4s always, 6od is faithf!l to change their circ!mstances"