Why familiar book design often serves your readers better When authors want their book to stand out, sometimes they try to get creative with format ideas. Unique trim sizes, unconventional layouts, or unusual design choices can feel like a shortcut to differentiation. From life in the design trenches, what I’ve
One of my favorite sayings is, “The only page that doesn’t need editing is a blank one.” It’s simple, and it’s true. Every traditionally published book goes through professional editing and design. Not because the author failed, but because collaboration makes a good book stronger, clearer, and more enjoyable to
A few months ago, I wrote about three ways to leverage your presence on Amazon, one of which was utilizing A+ Content. Much to my delight, I recently heard from an author who took my advice and did just that. After doing a little happy dance that my newsletter is
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat… My brain tried to place the unfamiliar sound as my dog and I walked down the street. The sound grew louder and a car came into view, limping along with two flat tires. Tat-tat-tat… mystery solved. A couple of minutes later, the driver gave up the struggle and pulled
On our recent trip to Turkiye, my husband and I spent quite a bit of time visiting historical sites. Most of that involved wandering among ruins on foot, but we had one day booked to kayak over a sunken city, which sounded really cool. And it was, even though our
Who doesn’t love something for nothing? How about more Amazon real estate for your books? Yes, please! Here’s a look at three marketing tools available to KDP authors for free! They are, in my opinion, seriously underutilized and fully deserving of your attention, given that they offer decent bang for
At last the moment arrives—your manuscript is complete! You’ve read it and re-read it one, two, three times. You’ve made tweaks, fixed typos, run spelling and grammar checks, and read it one more time for good measure. You may think your manuscript is polished to perfection, but before you hand
Do those words bring to mind doodling in a notebook during class? I certainly found myself doing that back in the day, especially when the subject matter was less than riveting. More recently, in my work supporting authors through the publishing process, I’ve come to understand “writing in the margins”
“I don’t know why they call this self-publishing. I couldn’t have done this without you.” That’s an actual quote from an author I helped. It’s one of my favorites, but I’m not sharing it to toot my own horn. Rather, I’m highlighting it to acknowledge all the players who contribute
“I don’t know why they call this self-publishing. I couldn’t have done this without you.” That’s an actual quote from an author I helped. It’s one of my favorites, but I’m not sharing it to toot my own horn. Rather, I’m highlighting it to acknowledge all the players who contribute