K.B. Jensen's Blog, page 2
March 28, 2014
A Cover's Worth A Thousand Words
I’m not going to quote you that quote, you know the one about not judging a book by its cover. It’s a cliché way to start talking about cover design. But there’s a reason everyone always starts with that when they talk about covers, because of course we all do judge. I had 6,000 people download my book on a recent free day and I think a lot of it had to do with the cover.
I’ve been asked a hundred times about the painting of the woman on the front of the book. 1. Did you paint the picture? 2. Is that you? 3. Who did it?
The answers are: 1. Heck no, I’m not that talented. 2. No, it’s not me. It’s a self-portrait of the designer. 3. This amazing designer called Zoe Shtorm on 99 Designs.
Would you believe I scoured the world for my cover? I had entries from all over the globe. Sixty-three designers submitted 299 designs to my cover contest. My top entrants were from Italy, Russia and lord knows where else. I won’t say it was easy. There were stock images, images pulled illegally from the Internet and so many designs to give feedback on. I kept compulsively checking my phone and computer. I spent a week obsessing over every entry as they poured in. There were also some really talented folks to choose from, but Zoe stuck out in her originality and professionalism.
So what did I learn about using 99 Designs?
1. Know what you want but give enough leeway for the designers to come up with their own ideas. They are the artists, after all.
2. Remember that many designers are from other countries so make sure you are clear and don’t use a lot of slang when you give them directions.
3. Seek a design that looks good as a thumbnail.
4. Try to have them design an image that doesn’t give away anything you don’t want to give away plot wise. Keep this in mind when giving designers instructions.
5. Create a poll but don’t feel like you have to do this democratically. Be a design tyrant. Technically, I chose my second-place winner. It was neck and neck, and, to be honest, the one that came in first was too literary looking. Think about the genre and audience of your book. It may be different from your friends.
6. Tell them upfront if you don’t want any stock images. If you are using stock, make sure you get information on how to pay for it. Make it clear you will disqualify any entrants using illegally sourced images. You must respect copyright law.
7. If a designer shows real talent but does not have a design that is what you need, give feedback and ask them to submit something else. Zoe’s first design was beautiful but gave too much away and wasn’t what I was looking for. I asked her to submit another design and that was the one I chose.
I’ve been asked a hundred times about the painting of the woman on the front of the book. 1. Did you paint the picture? 2. Is that you? 3. Who did it?
The answers are: 1. Heck no, I’m not that talented. 2. No, it’s not me. It’s a self-portrait of the designer. 3. This amazing designer called Zoe Shtorm on 99 Designs.
Would you believe I scoured the world for my cover? I had entries from all over the globe. Sixty-three designers submitted 299 designs to my cover contest. My top entrants were from Italy, Russia and lord knows where else. I won’t say it was easy. There were stock images, images pulled illegally from the Internet and so many designs to give feedback on. I kept compulsively checking my phone and computer. I spent a week obsessing over every entry as they poured in. There were also some really talented folks to choose from, but Zoe stuck out in her originality and professionalism.
So what did I learn about using 99 Designs?
1. Know what you want but give enough leeway for the designers to come up with their own ideas. They are the artists, after all.
2. Remember that many designers are from other countries so make sure you are clear and don’t use a lot of slang when you give them directions.
3. Seek a design that looks good as a thumbnail.
4. Try to have them design an image that doesn’t give away anything you don’t want to give away plot wise. Keep this in mind when giving designers instructions.
5. Create a poll but don’t feel like you have to do this democratically. Be a design tyrant. Technically, I chose my second-place winner. It was neck and neck, and, to be honest, the one that came in first was too literary looking. Think about the genre and audience of your book. It may be different from your friends.
6. Tell them upfront if you don’t want any stock images. If you are using stock, make sure you get information on how to pay for it. Make it clear you will disqualify any entrants using illegally sourced images. You must respect copyright law.
7. If a designer shows real talent but does not have a design that is what you need, give feedback and ask them to submit something else. Zoe’s first design was beautiful but gave too much away and wasn’t what I was looking for. I asked her to submit another design and that was the one I chose.
March 18, 2014
It's in the Hands of Strangers Now
On Thursday, over 6,000 people downloaded my book for free, shooting it to 27th on Amazon’s top 100 free books, second in free crime and third in free mysteries with a female sleuth. I’d like to give a big thanks to all who downloaded the book.
I'd also like to give a big thanks to all the wonderful folks who helped promote the free day, including Freebooksy.com, Ebookhabit.com, ireaderreview.com, freebookdude, dailyfreebooks.com, Jungle Deals and Steals, as well as the blog, Pebble In the Still Waters, which recently interviewed me. To read the interview, please visit http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...
I’m really hoping some of the people who downloaded the book will review it and tell their friends about it. Only time will tell. In the mean time, I find myself waiting with fingers crossed. You see, I’m an author who has always been afraid to share my writing. I keep my notebooks tucked away in drawers. When I try to read my work in front of a group, my hands shake and my voice trembles. I’m what they call a bit shy. It’s kind of like stage fright. So here I am, with my work in the hands of 6,000 strangers, taking a deep breath and hoping for the best.
I'd also like to give a big thanks to all the wonderful folks who helped promote the free day, including Freebooksy.com, Ebookhabit.com, ireaderreview.com, freebookdude, dailyfreebooks.com, Jungle Deals and Steals, as well as the blog, Pebble In the Still Waters, which recently interviewed me. To read the interview, please visit http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...
I’m really hoping some of the people who downloaded the book will review it and tell their friends about it. Only time will tell. In the mean time, I find myself waiting with fingers crossed. You see, I’m an author who has always been afraid to share my writing. I keep my notebooks tucked away in drawers. When I try to read my work in front of a group, my hands shake and my voice trembles. I’m what they call a bit shy. It’s kind of like stage fright. So here I am, with my work in the hands of 6,000 strangers, taking a deep breath and hoping for the best.
March 13, 2014
Free
Today, March 13, 2014, you can download the Kindle version of my book, Painting With Fire, for free until the stroke of midnight.
I must admit I have mixed feelings about the whole free thing. I wonder, will people see the value in something that’s free? After they’ve downloaded it, will they really read it? I have high hopes. I hope people will like the book. I hope they will review it. I hope they will tell others about it.
Art of any kind is meant to be shared. I like to think of my book as a little piece of art, maybe that’s presumptuous of me. I used to paint pictures when I was a kid. I gave it up around middle school when I realized I could paint better pictures with words. Here’s a chance for me to share my daydreams with others, to let them into the world of my imagination. Does it really matter if it’s without a monetary transaction?
Well, as nice as that is, I don’t want to be a starving artist. After years of hard work on my book, it would be nice to get paid. I guess the moral of the story is if you like the book, please review it and tell your friends, because that’s the real value in a free day, spreading the word.
I must admit I have mixed feelings about the whole free thing. I wonder, will people see the value in something that’s free? After they’ve downloaded it, will they really read it? I have high hopes. I hope people will like the book. I hope they will review it. I hope they will tell others about it.
Art of any kind is meant to be shared. I like to think of my book as a little piece of art, maybe that’s presumptuous of me. I used to paint pictures when I was a kid. I gave it up around middle school when I realized I could paint better pictures with words. Here’s a chance for me to share my daydreams with others, to let them into the world of my imagination. Does it really matter if it’s without a monetary transaction?
Well, as nice as that is, I don’t want to be a starving artist. After years of hard work on my book, it would be nice to get paid. I guess the moral of the story is if you like the book, please review it and tell your friends, because that’s the real value in a free day, spreading the word.
March 12, 2014
The Dirt on the Pen Name
Someone recently asked me for advice on whether a pen name is a good idea for an author. Here are some tips, if you are considering one.
1. Google your name. Do you share it with an axe murderer? Another author perhaps? How unique is it? How difficult is it to spell or remember? Are you a top hit or buried behind three million other people named Smith?
2. Consider the impact on marketing. If you use a pen name, you shall be cursed. You shall be cursed with two Facebook accounts, two Twitter accounts, two email accounts, two Google Plus accounts, etc. It takes time to build an online presence and you may have to start from scratch with a new name.
3. Realize anonymity is a myth. A pen name will not protect you. Everyone you know knows it’s you because you have to promote the book. The moment someone snaps your pic at a book signing, for example, you’re out there. Facial recognition software is not a thing of science fiction dreams anymore.
4. Factor in your own creativity. Does a pen name excite you? Do you feel more free writing under another name? Have you always fantasized about writing as someone else? If so, go for it.
So what did I choose? Despite all the downsides, I went with a pen name, K.B. Jensen. Why the dual identity? Am I an eccentric, reclusive millionaire? A criminal hiding a secret past? Am I hiding something?
No, of course not. It’s just that I’ve got one of those exceptionally rare names that is impossible for 99.9 percent of the population to spell and pronounce. People don’t return my phone calls because they can’t understand it sometimes. Add to that the fact that I have a professional identity as a journalist as well. Google my real name and you’ll get a ton of hits about everything from stories about animal-assisted therapy to photos of CeaseFire rallies in the Chicago suburbs. I’d like to maintain a professional identity separate from my fictional world.
I’ve also always been worried people will read my work and think I’m crazy. Let them think K.B. Jensen is crazy. It takes a certain amount of freedom to write. You have to let your mind wander in ways beyond the ordinary everyday. So what’s in a name? Freedom.
For more blog posts, visit www.paintingwithfirenovel.com.
1. Google your name. Do you share it with an axe murderer? Another author perhaps? How unique is it? How difficult is it to spell or remember? Are you a top hit or buried behind three million other people named Smith?
2. Consider the impact on marketing. If you use a pen name, you shall be cursed. You shall be cursed with two Facebook accounts, two Twitter accounts, two email accounts, two Google Plus accounts, etc. It takes time to build an online presence and you may have to start from scratch with a new name.
3. Realize anonymity is a myth. A pen name will not protect you. Everyone you know knows it’s you because you have to promote the book. The moment someone snaps your pic at a book signing, for example, you’re out there. Facial recognition software is not a thing of science fiction dreams anymore.
4. Factor in your own creativity. Does a pen name excite you? Do you feel more free writing under another name? Have you always fantasized about writing as someone else? If so, go for it.
So what did I choose? Despite all the downsides, I went with a pen name, K.B. Jensen. Why the dual identity? Am I an eccentric, reclusive millionaire? A criminal hiding a secret past? Am I hiding something?
No, of course not. It’s just that I’ve got one of those exceptionally rare names that is impossible for 99.9 percent of the population to spell and pronounce. People don’t return my phone calls because they can’t understand it sometimes. Add to that the fact that I have a professional identity as a journalist as well. Google my real name and you’ll get a ton of hits about everything from stories about animal-assisted therapy to photos of CeaseFire rallies in the Chicago suburbs. I’d like to maintain a professional identity separate from my fictional world.
I’ve also always been worried people will read my work and think I’m crazy. Let them think K.B. Jensen is crazy. It takes a certain amount of freedom to write. You have to let your mind wander in ways beyond the ordinary everyday. So what’s in a name? Freedom.
For more blog posts, visit www.paintingwithfirenovel.com.
