Francesca T. Barbini's Blog, page 9

Creating Great Covers Even If You Can't Draw for ****

If you are so lucky to be able to draw as well as write, then your battle is half won, and your set-up costs will be greatly reduced. If however, you can't tell the tip from the eraser of your pencil and only use the Apple Pen to sing along with DJ Piko-Taro, you need to get creative.Last week we looked at the importance of a book cover. Ideally you want a professional, but when the budget is tight, there are other acceptable ways around this.1. Phone a friend.Ask yourself: Do I know someone who wants to start their own business as a designer and needs help creating a portfolio for potential clients?  Ask around: you're in the same boat.2. Offer what you can to your friends.Tell it straight: I am about to release my self-pub book, and I am looking for a cover artist/designer. All I can afford to pay is £... and offer full accreditation and references.3. DPSDesktop publishing software, can be pricey. They run on monthly subscriptions, and if all you need are a couple of covers a year, then they aren't worth the cost. However, there is free software out there, like Gimp, a free and open-source raster graphics and image editor, which has been around for donkey's years and it's perfectly capable of assembling a cover image for you. YouTube has loads of tutorials for Gimp - let them inspire you. https://www.gimp.org/4. Invest in fonts.You can purchase fonts online and instal them on your computer. Some of the fonts that come with basic software can be a little bland. Especially if you don't have Photoshop or the likes. (https://www.fontsquirrel.com/) http://www.myfonts.com/5. Photography.An incredible amount of book covers are not drawings, but photographs, and it is a very acceptable alternative these days. I would resist the temptation of fishing in Google images, as the risk of infringing copyright or using the same images someone else has already used several times, it's a real possibility. There are many websites which allow you to purchase stock images, like Adobe Stock. However, they cannot stop anyone from utilising the same picture for their projects, so if you do go down this route, alter the picture by using software. My advice is to get out of your bat writing cave, camera at hand (or phone at hand) and get clicking. No matter where you live, I'm sure you'll find plenty useful shots. And maybe even inspiration for a book you have not yet written! I always look around me when I walk through Edinburgh, and when I see something interesting, I take a picture.There are many apps on the market for image manipulation. They come free, but it's worth investing in the Pro version which only costs a few pounds. Again, if you are versed in Photoshop or Gimp, you have the world at your feet.These are simply some ideas to get around cutting set-up costs. Have you tried something different? Any advice for other self-pub authors? Feel free to share them here!Thanks!

Castleview Primary School - Who is the Winner?

I had a cracking morning with the Primary pupils of Castleview School, yesterday, and it was Children in Need day too, so they were all dressed up!I was invited to participate in the Craigmillar Book Festival, a fantastic week-long event organised by the Craigmillar Literacy Trust. As you know Luna takes most of my time these days, so to be invited as author-me, was really great. We talked about the ZED lunar perimeter, where the Tijaran Tales adventures take place, and the obstacles we face when setting up a space-world. The kids had loads of suggestions for really cool inventions. Next thing, they were all busy creating the invention of the future.The brief for these lovely nine year old children was to:1. Name the Invention2. Draw it3. Label it4. Describe what its purpose was.The tough job for the Luna team was to pick the winner and the 2nd and 3rd place. We did, and here they are: 1st place - Nikolas! Well done! And don't forget to claim your prize from the teacher!2nd place - Steph! We're already planning to use the tube as a slide, when there's no food coming up.3rd place - Jake! Awesome robot (you can now improve the battery efficiency ;)The kids were all super curious to learn about world-building in space and, more generally, what's it like to be an author. A massive thank you to Ågot Bugge and Susan Elsley from the Craigmillar Literacy Trust and to Ms Kate Carter, the wonderful teacher of Castleview Primary.I had a great time, and all the inventions were fantastic, so I am going to add them all here, and share them with you. Enjoy!

The importance of a Book Cover

[image error]We judge all the time. Our eyes are the first point of contact with the world, and in a second your brain has already decided how pleasant, or not, something is to us. We grew up being told 'don't judge a book by its cover', and yes, it still holds true when applied to the opinion we make of others. But can we honestly say that this also applies to the publishing world?True enough, there have been many cases of books with glorious covers and insipid content, and vice-versa. Still, I think that the cover does work as a book calling card to an extent. Think about when you browse the book stalls at a fair - where are your eyes drawn to? What makes you stop? Is it the title? The tag line? The images? So, in one word, is it the 'cover'? In which case, we need to ask ourselves: what must a book cover do?It seems that most of all, it has to make an impact. An impact can be made in many ways: the combination of colours, the use of one bold colour, a simple line art drawing, a full-blown landscape, one element, etc.Hint: your cover must stand out and look good in tiny icon form - thumbnail - which is how most people will see it, through Amazon, Goodreads and other retailers' websites. If you have something with too many details and intricate writing, the reader will miss the info. It risks appearing as an indistinct mass of lines and letters. That little icon-sized image is your first point of contact with a potential reader.Covers can also be manufactured to point to a genre, no matter how many stereotypes are used. A fantasy reader may have never heard of a book, but if the eyes see sword/dragon/castle/hooded figure in any combination, the brain will probably register and perhaps push for a blurb read.  1. Working with a designer.If you are working with artists you will be able to trust their instinct, after all, it is their job to be visually creative. Don't stop at the first one though. An artist will need to be paid, so you must be positive that he can deliver something you are proud of. Once you have a few in mind contact them, find out if they do cover work, and if so how much they charge. You need to know this in advance because if they show you a gorgeous image and a bill that means remortgaging your house and selling your dog's liver, there is no point in wasting time there. If the price is right, pitch them your idea and ask to see a quick sketch before committing. A good, interested artist will be able to provide you with one, and even if it is only a sketch, it will 'talk' to you if it's the right one.2. Cover DIY.If you are doing the cover image yourself, because you are one lucky multi-talented human, it would be a good idea to: a) take a look at covers for similar genre books and decide if you wish to follow the current trend or if you rather take a new direction; b) discuss your ideas with other people, as they may help you develop a seed into a full-grown concept and c) prepare different versions and get others to give you feedback - your social media are a great place to look for feedback. Obviously, if you want to surprise your readers with a new cover, and keep it secret until the end you really have no choice but employ the help of your friends.Next week I'll tell you more about creating great covers even if you can't draw for ****.3. DON'TsA DIY cover may be cheap, but it can also be very easy to spot. I have seen things on Amazon that made my blood curl: titles truncated in half, the writing on the spine bent over the edges, blurbs written in four different fonts. The old adage 'don't judge a book by its cover,' gets ripped apart here. Someone browsing online who sees that is either going to move to the next one (the majority of cases) or is compelled to click on it to the first page, just like drivers slowing down when they pass a car crash ... Please ask for feedback from people who read a lot of books, especially mainstream books, because let's face it, you're up against them.4. Think Series.No matter who does the cover, if you are writing a series, you must remember this word: continuity. This extends to lettering, to the way you position your text all around, and of course to the style of the design. Readers collect series and recognise one by all the details mentioned above.Let me give you an example with my YA SF series, Tijaran Tales. I started off as a self-published author and made the covers myself. At the time they seemed pretty cool to me, and no one threw up on my stall at fairs when they saw them. On hindsight though, they had nothing on the current ones. In my defence I would say that at least I picked the same background and style for the sake of continuity - I wasn't a total loss :)Take a look at the first two covers I created, White Child and The Oracle of Life.When I was about to release the third book, The Nuarn Rift, I crossed path with artist Jay Johnstone, who, as a designer as well as a traditional painter, taught me a thing or two about the importance of a cover. The series was slowly taking off, and I was adamant I should continue on with my dream, so I decided to give it a cover overhaul. Jay took my input on board. At the time I was bent on going down the route of anime style, so he prepared different versions: what I asked for, and what he 'saw' from his personal, creative point of view. Needless to say, we went with his instinct. As soon as I saw 'Julius McCoy' on the cover, I fell in love. I had found him.By then the first two books had already come out. In Jay's mind, he knew he was working with a series. It didn't particularly matter how many instalments there would be in the series, the important factor was 'continuity'. When he showed me the first three covers, two for the existing books and the new one, the common theme had been developed, it was visible, it was bold, it was high impact.You may think I'm partial because it's my series. Be as it may, take a look, judge for yourself and remember the concept of continuity.What changed once you got new covers, I hear you ask. Sales went up, and I was signed up by Canadian publisher, Oloris. So yes, from personal experience I can tell you that the new covers did make a difference: they helped a self-published author getting noticed.Next week we take a look at 'Creating a great cover even if you can't draw for ****'.

"Final Diagnosis" is in Pre-Order!

We are very proud to introduce "Final Diagnosis", by author Peter Garrett and artist Simon Walpole."Final Diagnosis" is the second project from our A Thousand Word Picture section: illustrated novelettes where artist and writer work together to bring a story to life.Peter Garrett joined the Luna family a year ago. He is a physician with Medecins Sans Frontieres, a Visiting Lecturer in Nephrology at the University of Ulster, and a writer of both fact and fiction. For Luna Press he has combined his writing skills, his passion for SF, and his medical knowledge, to deliver a gripping detective story:"In the port city of Searcy, murder is no longer a common occurrence, despite its history of violence. But when a senior psychiatrist is found with his head quite literally emptied out, it seems things might be about to take a dark turn. For DI Shaymie Sjaemusson, it marks the beginning of an investigation unlike any before, even as he’s forced to confront a deep trauma from his childhood.As if things couldn’t get any stranger, all evidence points to a perpetrator that may not be human. And then, a myth from the dawn of human sentience appears from the shadows."Simon Walpole is no stranger to the Luna family. He won the opening year of Beyond Realities, Luna's writer and illustrator contest, creating the cover of the book. He then gave us "The Lord of the Grins" cover illustrations, before teaming up with Peter for "Final Diagnosis"."Most of my illustrated work," says Simon, "is a mix of pen, ink and markers. However, for this project, I thought I’d try something different. In keeping with the noirish tone of the story, I decided to draw a mix of white charcoal and white pencil on black paper. To keep a certain amount of mystery and ambiguity, I also decided to pull back on the detail and opt for more tonal values to help you, the reader, to create Peter's world in your imagination."We asked Peter to share a bit of the background of "Final Diagnosis":"Although it wasn't something often discussed, I had known since childhood that dinosaurs, a technologically-advanced culture, had not been destroyed by accidental catastrophe but rather had left Earth deliberately, in order to escape an ecological disaster of their own making. The realisation that this fact is not universally accepted dawned on me only very gradually.How to correct this knowledge deficit without appearing a crank? Fiction struck me as the best method. I would allow a member of a rump faction of dinosaurs who had remained on Earth to explain the situation in a psychiatrist's office, and how he had come to realise his own genetic heritage.Vampire novels (a category that does not include Final Diagnosis) are extremely common, but very few attempt any biological explanation of the vampire phenomenon. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow had introduced me to the concept of an alien predator species mimicking the phenotype of an otherwise completely different prey species. In Firefall, Peter Watts's vampires are also aggressive mimics, but of a species closely related to humanity. Phenotypic convergence by aggressive mimics from a completely different species struck me as more likely, and more satisfying.The part-Celtic, part-Nordic city of Searcy had been created as the setting for a planned novel. When the novel's ambition outgrew the scanty framework of my talent, the project collapsed and Searcy was left unpopulated. And therefore ready to be the setting for the psychiatrist's office of the new tale.I was pleased with the resulting short story, seeing it as complete in itself, so was surprised when peer readers asked, what happens next? I hadn't considered this possibility but, once it was raised, the answer came very quickly: a post-modern detective story.Once this had been decided, the piece wrote itself over a six week period. The only remaining problem was how to insert the self-awareness of one character into the nervous system of another. The answer to this involved Roger Penrose's quantum theory of consciousness, expounded in The Emperor's New Mind, as well as a sexually-transmitted xenovirus.If the symmetry of the structure suggests intricate plotting, this is a false impression. The plot is in fact very simple: one of the main characters meets a series of interesting individuals in the course of a murder investigation, while the personalities of other two coalesce into a single entity who goes on a mountain walk and then returns. Events merely follow their course.Although writing Final Diagnosis has been enormous fun, it could not have happened without the help of my peer readers (Fergus Smith, Rachel Sargent, Gillian Walker, Jennifer Sanders, Gwen Garrett, Jen Becker, Lyvia Dabydeen, Colin Lancely, Steve Becker, and Matthew and Sarah Garrett), the support of Robert S Malan and Francesca T Barbini at Luna Press Publishing, the firm but sympathetic hand of my editor, Kat Harvey of Athena Copy, and, of course, Simon Walpole's stunning illustrations.If you have anywhere near as much enjoyment reading Final Diagnosis as I have had writing it, then I will have succeeded."FINAL DIAGNOSIS will be out on the 30/11/17 and is NOW IN PRE-ORDER! 

Pricing E-books: How Much is too Little?

There are many readers in this world who are more than happy to donate the equivalent of a pint to buy an e-book, in exchange for several hours of cerebral entertainment.Writing is a job, as well as a pleasure. It is only fair, therefore, that writers should receive compensation.A few months ago, I wrote an article titled, “Thou shall not grudge the price of a paperback”. More recently I came across a line from Philip Pullman, Chair of the British Society of Authors, saying that the war to cheapen a book price for bulk selling is essentially cheapening the book itself, in other words, reading. And by reflection, writing.It was a very interesting thought, and one not necessarily shared by everybody: some people accused him of wanting to earn more money, other defended his views as he is the spokesperson of British authors. You can read more on this in the article, "Why do authors need to go to conventions?", bottom paragraph titled 'The Dark Side of discounting bulk sales'.Leaving the print version of a book aside, I want to spend some time talking about the digital format and the issues revolving around pricing an eBook.One of the biggest issues I have is when people say: “It doesn’t cost anything to make, why should we pay more than £0.99 or £1.99 or £2.99?" These seem to be the “recommended” cheap rates for e-book these days. And please keep in mind that in the US people are willing to pay more for e-books than in the UK, judging by their respective Amazon's sites. Also, I am not referring to "sales" here, where you lower the e-book prices for a determined amount of time - that is a given in retailing.As a writer and a publisher, I can categorically tell you that eBooks don’t grow on trees. Sure, no printing costs to add there, but someone has indeed written the book, someone has edited the book (and that is not cheap!), marketed the book and, as a one-off, someone has indeed created the digital files for the various services. Therefore, the profit made from its sale should take all of this into account.Say for example that a paperback retails at £10 and that £5 is printing costs. The profit of £5 will then be split in the following ways:a)    solely to the self-published author b)    between the publisher and the author, when sold directly through the publisher’s website c)    between the wholesaler (Amazon, Apple, Waterstones, etc.), the publisher and the author, which let’s be honest, is the most common sale.Would it be, therefore, so out of order to charge £5, or a more customary £4.99, for the eBook version?We are moving towards digitisation of many things, from money to books, to pictures. Suddenly, what was concretely existing in your hands, in your wallet inside a frame on a mantelpiece, is no longer there, but in this "cloud" realm. Still, these objects are important and have incredible value.Let us not make the mistake that just because they "don't exist in the physical world they are less valuable", because it is a wrong assumption.This summer, as some of you know, I was at Worldcon 75, selling for Luna Press. As most of our stock became sold out within the first two days, people began to purchase our eBooks. It was the first time we ever sold eBooks during a convention, and we were quite anxious that people would complain about the pricing. Alas, no one did. It was way cheaper than the print format, of course, but not £1.99 cheaper. We believed our prices were fair eBook prices, that would still reward the author for the work done, and everyone else involved in the publishing process.At a time when wholesalers dictate the market price of eBooks and drive it to the ground, I want to thank our customers for supporting the Luna family. We may never be able to compete with the big online guys, but rest assure we'll always do our best for our authors.

Nina Oram Joins the Luna Family!

When Beyond Realities Vol II received Nina Oram's submission, "The Session", the team was in full agreement about it being the winning short story. Blending concepts of  Irish folk music and lore with modern day life, it transported us into the world of a fateful musical performance at an Irish pub, with a fast and seamless pace. The musical instruments were brought to vivid life in our minds as we read word after word, knowing full well this was a one way road of events.It was at the second Luna birthday dinner that we finally met Nina in person. Her enthusiasm for Irish culture was evident in the way she spoke, and we were only too happy to ask to see more of her work.A year later, Nina returned to us with a YA Fantasy trilogy, once again steeped in Irish lore. The Joining trilogy made its way to our offices and it was clear it would fit right in with Luna.Nina says:"Looking back, it was almost inevitable that the very first thing I would write would be 'The Joining'. My desire to write comes from my childhood, and so does my love of ancient history, legend and folklore. As a child, I was enthralled by the books of Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, British and Welsh folklore woven into modern tales of dark, sinister adventure. I grew up in a countryside rich in ancient British history; coming to live in the west of Ireland, surrounded by another ancient history, maybe it was natural to write a YA fantasy trilogy, to start with the child within.'The Joining' began with a visit to local Neolithic stone tombs.  Perched on a hill, I walked up the track towards them, gazing at the granite towering high above me, and thought of my childhood walks with my best friend, the two of us making up stories.  At the top, I was able to slip inside one of the circular tombs and sit, quiet and alone, in the centre of something man had built five thousand years ago.  The very next day, I began to write."We look forward to presenting you all with book 1 of The Joining trilogy and, once again, a huge Luna welcome to Nina Oram!

Apollo Unbound in pre-Order!

Scottish Writer Chris Kelso and Hawaiian artist Jim Agpalza have created Luna's first comic, the surreal, Lynchian journey, Apollo Unbound, where Hollywood icon Apollo Calloway wakes up in the unlikeliest of places - rural Ayrshire.Apollo Unbound is now out for pre-order, and will be available at Kilmarnock ComicCon, on the 18th of November!You can pre-order the e-book through your usual avenues, but you will only get the pre-order discount on our website! Our subscribers will also get an extra discount voucher in the 1st of November newsletter. If you are not on our monthly newsletter list, there's still time to sign up!Praise for Chris Kelso:“Someday soon people are going to be naming him as one of their own influences. He’s worth checking out.”– INTERZONE magazine“His writing is transgressive, erudite, shocking.”– Mary Turzillo, NEBULA winner“Will Self meets Chuck Palahniuk”– Former People magazinePraise for Jim Agpalza:"Jim Agpalza's art is 100% pure concentrated aggro. Disturbingly terrific." - Seb Doubinsky, author of The Babylonian Trilogy"Agpalza's art and Kelso's writing come together for a definitive weird experience. Genuine underground magic" - Garrett Cook, author of A God of Hungry Walls

Luna & Astro: It was written in the stars!

Would you look at that! We are so thrilled to be working with Astro Edizioni, Italy!Starting with Anthony Laken's 'One Cog Turning', we look forward to give our authors the opportunity to be published in Italian: new market, new opportunities!Luna & Astro: we didn't do it on purpose, honestly! It's like it was written in the star! 

Astro Edizioni Acquires Italian Rights for "One Cog Turning" by Anthony Laken

Astro Edizioni, Italy, has acquired the Italian rights for "One Cog Turning", by Anthony Laken."I am absolutely thrilled about the deal with Astro," says Anthony. "Seeing your work even get published is a joy, so to have it released in another country is a wonderful feeling!"Anthony's debut novel has already gathered 5 star reviews from its readers.  A political thriller disguised as a non-traditional steampunk adventure, One Cog Turning can be appreciated for the well-rounded characters, the plotting, scheming and the right dose of humour.If you have not discovered Anthony's debut novel, visit our store or your usual outlets.

What's New on the Website

The open submission week is in full swing and we are receiving entries at a steady pace. We are delighted with the synopses - which of course means that deciding which ones to explore further will be really tough.The website update was meant to happen before the Open Sub Week, but time got away. Still, it's here now. What's changed?1. At the end of the summer, while staring at a calendar of projects to keep us busy for months to come, we took the decision to suspend Chapter One. As you may know, this training programme for the community was based on offering our team's time and skills for teaching how to create publishing files. The customer made the request and the trainee would be paid for the work. We are sorry to let this go, but time is a price to pay for small businesses. 2. Most of you know how Luna started, where we are at and where we are going. If you are new to our family, I have created a page called "Francesca & Luna: The Short Story of a Press". I thought you might like to know :).3. The Flash Fiction page from 2017 is now gone. BR-FLit successfully replaced our classic Beyond Realities short story contest this year, while we dealt with the increase in work. It is our intention to return to BR, hopefully next year. You'll know, for sure.4. I wanted to raise awareness of our Patreon page, in case you should stumble upon our name on that website. I started it two years ago, but never actually activated it. I am aware that similar sized businesses have also created one. I'll give it some more thought before making a decision.5. Finally, a reminder that we now have a Loyal Luna Reward Card for those of you who buy through our store directly. This is because, when you do that, our authors receive more royalties, as we cut out the middle man. Plus, I like to reward loyalty :) .Thanks for your patience, and happy reading!Francesca