Christopher D. Schmitz's Blog, page 23
June 6, 2018
Book Covers: The Last Thing Writers Think About but the First Thing Readers See
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I’m a broken record. Yeah, I know. But let’s talk about the most important aspect of your marketing for a moment: the book cover. I’ve been toying with the idea for a year now of opening a small, regional publishing house, sort of a micropress hybrid… the main reason for this? the amount of really bad book covers that I see on books put out by small, traditional publishers.
The fact is people judge books by the cover. It is your very first opportunity to say something about the book—your first introduction—and it speaks volumes and on a pass/fail basis. Think of a bookstore shelf like a formal party; if you wear torn sweatpants and forgot to shower and do your hair when everyone else is in tuxedoes and evening gowns you are not going to make it past the bouncer. Your book might need to freshen up and see a tailor.
Most of these duds don’t even meet industry standards and if chain, retail booksellers decide to start cracking down on their own guidelines, a lot of titles from smaller houses will disappear from the shelves. I predict this will happen in the future. With the glut of books being released despite shelf-space disappearing, something is going to give way at some point and there will be a crackdown. If your book somehow made it to an open seat at the dinner party despite the dress code, it might not get to stay to enjoy dessert.
I mostly pulled these tips from a design blog post (Tugboat’s 7 common cover design mistakes.) I have previously written a guide with a different list of cover no-nos including:
Extreme close up
Bad CG stock art
Poor font choice, textures, and text overlays
Bad photo manipulation
Spelling errors and text placement
Improper blending of pasted elements
Overly complex/simple artwork
Amateur hour/refrigerator art (I see lots of indie childrens’ books that are just scanned crayon/marker drawings… that doesn’t translate well to mass production.)
Transparency/opacity abuse
Landscaping time (stock photo of unrelated background used as cover graphic—that’s only a good choice if your book is about gardening)
I liked the article from the Tugboat blog and wanted to expand on my list; some of their elements weren’t on mine. There are several things to keep in mind for a book cover.
On a marketing note, remember that it makes the target continue looking at the book. Part 1: don’t turn the reader off by committing the above fatal mistakes (the sweatpants at the ball). Part 2: this one is a little trickier, but make the viewer actually want to read the book. This means using the marketing tactics we’ve been looking at for weeks, now. Use emotion and imagery that communicates a story and draws him or her in. A picture is worth a thousand words, so make them say something. Make that something be “you need this book and here’s why.”
Don’t try to match every detail of the book perfectly. That’s a great way to paint yourself into a corner with stock art that is not a good fit. Yes, the models might have all the right physical details, but the emotion and tone of the art might be wrong. The object of the cover is to get a reader to continue holding the book and consider a purchase… it is not to communicate minutia and book details.
Don’t break the mold. I’ve written about this regarding the content of books before. There is always someone doing something bold and new that rocks the literary world to its knees with such a clever stroke of the pen. Guess what. It’s probably not you. If your goal is to get people to read this book, then don’t be too different. Your photos of Rorschach diaper smears might very well be examples of artistic genius that we mortals cannot easily comprehend; so give us something that we can. Look at covers by bestsellers in your genre and use it as a guideline—those norms and stereotypes help the cover tell a wordless story. It communicates the genre without ever saying a word. If readers can’t guess who will like this book at a glance, the only thing they will take away is “this book is not for me.”
Ask yourself what you want readers to see first. Use contrast, color, font and text size to determine what the focal point will be on the cover. The geography is limited so give this some consideration.
Remember to obey industry standards ! The cover’s thumbnail should be easily read (including the title and author name!) The ISBN should have a code and the 13 digit number must be human readable. The spine should also be readable with publisher, author, and book names included.
You can read more about industry standards for both Covers and a book’s interior/formatting at the Independent Book Publishers Association website.
June 5, 2018
Review: Helm of Darkness
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A.P. Mobley’s Helm of Darkness looks incredibly promising. Mobley knows how to tell a story with good pacing and that picks up on timeless themes, and I’m a sucker for apocalyptic stories.
It was well paced and the storytelling was tight. Mobley has a great concept and I was looking forward to this book for a while, and the book ends with a setup and promise of a sequel. This was a great YA book which would be a solid read for anyone who reads mythology-styled fantasy (and reminded me somewhat of We Journey No More.)
Helm of Darkness has a feel like Rick Riordan meets Stargate (the movie), or maybe Road Warrior meets Clash of Titans.
I got a copy for free to review at Inside the Inkwell blog, but you should head over to Amazon and pick up a copy.
June 4, 2018
State of Writing
Very little writing done this week… But I guess it’s not all about the keyboard. I did get a few very minor things accomplished. Mostly, however, I worked on my rental property that got trashed by renters (but at least they also jacked me on 5 months rent, too.) I’ve spent every spare scrap of time these last two months doing major renovations and I finally finished! The market’s hot, so hopefully I can flip this thing and recoup some lost income and pay down debts!
As for my goals, I did not finish my short story. I don’t think I can venture a guess about its eta. I’m pretty well consumed by this month of camps I’m in charge of. It’s a ton of spinning plates and it seems that people are insisting on trying to knock them off.
Still, keep your fingers crossed. I might yet get to it. Also, please stop by and visit the big SF/F event at Roseville MN Barnes and Noble that I’m co-hosting with some friends this Saturday! It’s gonna be a fun one.
May 30, 2018
Ten Copywriting Formulas You Can Use Right Now
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Coming up with sales copy can take forever and feel tedious. Try these proven tactics to help craft effective ad text in no time flat. Click the Read More tag to get a free list of 10 copywriting formulas to help sell your book!
These formulas are meant for very brief interactions… i.e. the “scanners” that we mentioned last week. These are especially good at communicating the sales pitch at a glance. Combine these principles with last week’s principles to craft sales copy that sizzles. (These examples are mainly for nonfiction, but the principles from the last article can help adapt these for fiction.)
Before – After – Bridge. “Here’s your world … Imagine what it’d be like, having Problem A solved … Here’s how to get there.”
“Writing sales copy for your book feels like the most frustrating task in the world for many authors. Imagine having a blueprint to guide you. Click the Read More for 7 tips to make your text move books.”
the 5 Basic Objections. Write something that overcomes these universal sources of resistance. 1. I don’t have enough time. 2. I don’t have enough money. 3. It won’t work for me. 4. I don’t believe you. 5. I don’t need it.
“Coming up with sales copy can take forever and feel tedious. Try these proven tactics to help craft effective ad text in no time flat. Click the Read More tag to get a free list of 10 copywriting formulas to help sell your book!”
Picture – Promise – Prove – Push (PPPP): Picture – Paint a picture that gets attention and creates desire. Promise – Describe how your product/service/idea will deliver. Prove – Provide support for your promise. Push – Ask your reader to commit.
“Writing Ad Copy can finally be easy. This list of reusable formulas will do most of the heavy lifting for you. Subscribe to the mailing list and get these tips and more, immediately!”
Star – Chain – Hook. Star – Your product/service/idea. Chain – A series of facts, sources, benefits, and reasons. Hook – The call to action. The right facts, sources, benefits, and reasons can help get them there.
Here’s an example from my bestselling book.
“Data, research, and stories about American pastoral decline. Statistics identify the top ten Ministry Killers and what congregations can do about them. Click to learn more about Why Your Pastor Left.”
The Approach Formula:
Arrive at the problem
Propose a solution
Persuade the listener why your solution will work
Reassure that you and your solution can be trusted
Orchestrate an opportune opportunity to sell
Ask for the order (or response)
here’s an example for my book, John in the John
“There’s never enough time in the day to read spiritual, uplifting content. John in the John is a hilarious Bible Study and the perfect #2 solution—read funny stories with deeper purpose and leave the book on the toilet tank! Click this link to try it free, or over here to get it at Amazon.”
The 4 U’s. Useful – Be useful to the reader. Urgent – Provide a sense of urgency. Unique – Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow unique. Ultra-specific – Be ultra-specific with all of the above.
Here’s an example from my book, The Indie Author’s Bible.
“You’re writing a book and need help breaking in? This guided process to getting your book in print shows you how to get published at zero cost and on your own terms. Prepare for success and get The Indie Author’s Bible before you write another word!”
Features – Advantages – Benefits (FAB). Features – What you or your product can do. Advantages – Why this is helpful. Benefits – What it means for the person reading.
“Inside the Inkwell Blog is a complete guide to staying on top of the Indie writing world. Weekly updates help keep your publishing game on-point. Click to follow this blog and never miss a post.”
Problem – Agitate – Solve. Identify a PROBLEM. Agitate the problem. Solve the problem. This is different from Before–After–Bridge because it focuses instead on life if the problem were to persist.
“Can’t seem to get anywhere in the publishing world? Let your writing dreams shrivel and die OR get The Indie Author’s Bible and take charge of your writing destiny!”
Star – Story – Solution. Star – The main character of your story. Story – The story itself. Solution – An explanation of how the star wins in the end.
An example from my YA/NA series:
“Claire Jones is like any normal college student until a Cthulhu-like monster sends his reptilian body snatchers after her. Caught between dimensions, she finally finds a weapon that can defeat this evil, if only her alien doppelganger would cooperate. Check out Wolf of the Tesseract.”
OATH Formula. This includes four stages of your market’s awareness of your product/service/idea: Oblivious, Apathetic, Thinking, Hurting. Tailor your message to your target… The spectrum runs from the completely unaware (“oblivious”) to those in desperate need of a solution (“hurting”). Knowing where your audience stands can help determine how you frame your writing.
“Still devastated over how Fox cancled Firefly? Need more Serenity in your life–get what SF fans have called the next best thing to a Browncoat revival: Dekker’s Dozen. Click to get a free story in the series!”
I am not an advertising text guru. I’m not even good at it, to be honest; while I excel at in-person sales such as conventions and meetings, my online/digital salesmanship abilities have always felt lackluster. My best content is borrowed and I’m pulling in some great info from an article titled If Don Draper Tweeted. (Check out the article for an expanded list,) I’m using my favorite ten for this list.
Remember to check out my book The Indie Author’s Bible for tons of tips and how-to guides and be sure to follow this blog! Next week I will lay out some sample formulas to help you craft sales text (like the first paragraph in this article.)
#ammarketing #indiewriter
May 29, 2018
Huge news: Wolves of the Tesseract 2 Through the Darque ...
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Huge news: Wolves of the Tesseract 2 Through the Darque Gates of Koth is finally out!
“Claire Jones is more than your average girl: her bloodline ties her to the all-powerful Architect King. Only she can stop the creatures that dwell beyond the known dimensions… and the forces of the enemy have multiplied. Check out Wolves of the Tesseract 2: Through the Darque Gates of Koth.”
Three years after the sorcerer Nitthogr’s failed attempt to awaken an ancient evil, Claire Jones channels the Prime spirit. She has become the rightful heir to the throne of the Architect King and seems to have returned peace to the multiverse. But when a traitor forms a dark pact with the trickster demigod Akko Soggathoth, malevolent forces again destabilize reality. If Claire and her friends cannot stop a new cult’s foul rituals, the ravenous nega-god may yet find entry into our world—but journeying through the Darque dimension to stop it might cost Claire her very mind.
The series is a high concept urban fantasy that is something like Percy Jackson vs Cthulu!
May 28, 2018
State of Writing
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I got to spend all weekend at a SF con and hang out a little with one of my literary heroes who inspired me to begin writing my own SF in a round about way. Sold some books, met lots of great people and made some solid contacts! (Timothy Zahn put me in touch with his son who is a pro editor, so keep your fingers crossed there. Maybe something comes of it.)
Though it was a successful con for me, it had lots of downtime–good for networking and writing. I outlined my new short story I’m doing and wrote another 500 words. I’m about a thousand in so far and want to keep it between 10-15k. I guess my goal is to finish it by next week… two weeks tops… also to catch up on sleep. I hope to still be in bed by the time this auto-posts in the morning. I love cons. I hate the travel and hotels.
May 25, 2018
Super Spiffy New Interview
I got my ego all polished up recently and did an author interview! It’s been something of a banner month for me. Things are crazy busy and I’ve kept a lot of plates spinning in my personal and author life. Lately I’ve spent more time on the business side of writing, though, now that the convention circuit has really kicked off. (In fact, right now, I’m sitting next to super-famous SF writer Timothy Zahn at a Minnesota Science Fiction Convention called Manticon!)
Firstly, You should totally check out my interview over at H. Kates’ website. Number 2, you might even do her a solid (I’m sure I’m saying that wrong) and click to follow her.
May 23, 2018
How to Write Sales Copy that Sells Books
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Writing sales copy for your book feels like the most frustrating task in the world for many authors. Imagine having a blueprint to guide you. Click the Read More for 7 tips to make your text move books.
Continuing on our recent topic of marketing and promotion, let’s talk about writing sales pitches that sell. Your sales copy needs to sizzle, be creative, and be succinct. Here are a few principles to help in creating it.
Know your audience. Know who you are writing for. How do they think and what do they need? This should also be part of your strategy for your book description. If you don’t understand them your text will feel phony.
Understand that Ad Copy is important! If you are just going through the motions the copy won’t feel “irresistible.” The goal is to simply get them to read the next line. People don’t read ad copy for fun, you are fishing, and you can’t do that without an effective lure.
It’s got to be brief! The attention span of shoppers (especially shoppers who weren’t intentionally looking for you) is very short—so you’ve got to set a hard hook and do it fast. Remember, your objective is not to tell them all about the book, it’s to get them to take it home and discover it for themselves.
It should be emotional. Nothing sets a hook like making a reader feel something;
Answer the question. At some level, all books meet a need. In fiction it may be just being an entertaining story. The text should indicate that the reader will gain something valuable from reading it.
Call the reader to action. This is a marketing term which is designed to prompt an immediate response (buy the book, in sales marketing). Some of the more clever ones don’t have to say “buy now,” instead they craft such urgency that it motivates the reader to purchase.
Understand that there is a difference between online sales copy and printed copy. Online readers are like wild animals on the hunt for information or products and decide in a fraction of a second whether or not the scent they’ve picked up will result in what they are after. If it feels off, they will move onto the next trail. What does that mean? Online sales text must effective at a glance—your audience scans the content, they do not read it. Write for Scanners, not for Readers. (Click for the best resource I’ve seen on this topic.)
Remember to check out my book The Indie Author’s Bible for tons of tips and how-to guides and be sure to follow this blog! Next week I will lay out some sample formulas to help you craft sales text (like the first paragraph in this article.)
I mentioned Chris Syme last week. She has an excellent blog post about this week’s content over here for more reading.
#ammarketing #indiewriter
May 22, 2018
Review: A Change in the Wind
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I read William Alton and John Saxon’s A Change in the Wind. This is a sleeper pick for great reads this year. It immediately felt like I was reading something by GP Taylor (Shadowmancer, and others) although more refined. The setup grabbed me right away, too, and felt similar to the plots put out by Hellboy/BPRD’s Osiris Club or Heliopic Brotherhood. The plot is great: historical bad guys consult dark powers to obtain their nefarious goals.
Right from page one it grabbed me. The writing is tense and keeps the narrative flowing. Between the authors’ skill and the quickly unfolding narrative this book gets right into the adventure. It really did beg me to keep reading.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room for a moment. The cover is godawful. Like, really bad. If you read some of my blogs about what not to do in a cover, this book seems like the list of “do nots” was a checklist. If I had not read the back cover pitch before I saw this cover I would’ve never touched it… however, this book is one of those that defies conventional logic. We all judge books based on covers, and this one is a prime example of why we should not (actually we should—but this book is really good.) The title was also a little bland and the series name makes a much more compelling title—Reichsfall (that’s a cool name. It ought to be on the cover somewhere!)
I could continue to talk about the cover, but this is really a great read and the content should overshadow the book. Alton and Saxon do a great job of sprinkling in history and little cultural nuances such as Germanic pronunciations to lend a cultural flavor to the story (and it is expertly done and seamlessly integrated… I also appreciated the occasional footnote for anything the authors thought might be obtuse for the reader.)
All in all, this is one I’d recommend for people to pick up and is one of the best “history meets occult/paranormal” stories I’ve read to date.
I got a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review for my blog. You can get a copy or check it out by clicking here.
May 21, 2018
State of Writing
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Almost forgot to do this! (I usually write them the evening prior).
I had a good week at the big statewide comic convention… I got to connect with some friends and buy some cool stuff in addition to selling a bunch of books and meet lots of new people.
I didn’t write much… I started a piece of short fiction that I’m working on, but it may take a bit to complete, and I’m not worried about that. My current focus is on the convention scene and promoting some events I’ll be at (the June 9 multi-author book signing and my upcoming con this weekend: Manticon, a sci-fi convention I’m excited to be at… Timothy Zahn will be there and I’m totally stoked. If I don’t post on monday, it’s because I’m in jail for stalking.)
My goals this week are not for writing: they are to paint the exterior of my investment property so I can put it up for sale by June 1. I’d also like to have something to report on the 3 Maesters Literarium, by then, but it’s out of my hands.
