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The focus is Book Covers -- what makes an effective design, what to avoid, and how you can create one on a budget...  Take a peek inside...
Self Publishing: book formatting, marketing and design
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What's Inside:
• Which Book Cover is The Right Book Cover?
• The Author's Image

• YAC Highlight: The Impenetrable Spy: Sneak Peek of Book #2 & #3
• Ebook Formatting
: Sigil Tutorial: Splitting Pages  & Adding Images
• Ebook Formatting Kit 3.0 - 20% off

Creating a Book Cover Design

February 24, 2012


It has been a crazy 4 wweks. My promise to write every day was successful, just not in the way I had hoped. I have set a writing deadline of April 1 for my own childrens book "The Darkside of Aural" but, alas, I am failing miserably.

I spent the entire time hunched over my computer editing, testing, revising and formatting the update to my e-book formatting kit -- and it still isn't done. The difficult part is to make the process easy for all users AND be compatible with Kindle and everyone else (ie/ epub). "Children (epub and mobi) - play nice."

Even with the release of KF8 in January, my hopes were dashed when it came to fixed-layout books -- primarily children's books. The process is not simple and to top it off, translation between Kindle and epub ... well, it just don't work!  Again I yell - "why can't everyone play on the same playground!"

With the Apple's release of the  iBooksAuthor app I thought, 'hey, someone finally gets it' -- wrong. They hold your book hostage, even more so than Amazon's Kindle select, and it is only available for Macs -- so, "What's the Beef?"

It seems to me that creating a program that will work for basic formatting should not be that hard. Epubs and Mobis are essetially webpages afterall. So, why the hold up? I plan to find out.

I can see another e-book kit on the horizon (and possibly my own software/program).

Happy writing,

Suzanne

Cover Design by Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott, "Jimmy Jones and the DarkSide of Aural"

Which Book Cover Design is Right?

Do you trust your cover artist? Just because a cover is eye-catching doesn't mesn it is the best cover for your book. Remembering your target audience turns a great cover into an eye-catching cover for the RIGHT audience.
Read More >>


Ebook Formatting: Sigil
Splitting Pages and Inserting Images

The open-source program Sigil is conintually updating, and improving. When creating your epub files, here is an easy way to split your book into chapters without having to manaully do each page. A huge time saver for books with multiple chapters, such as poetry books and non-fiction.
Read: Splitting Pages using SIGIL's SGF Chapter Break >>

In Addition, you can easily insert any image from your IMAGES folder directly onto your page.
Read: Adding and Inserting Images >>



Young Authors CornerThe Author's Image

by Deborah Riley Magnus

Yes, I mentioned this last time … The Author’s Image … it’s one of my pet peeves! It could be because I’m a baby boomer, it could be because I’ve spent so much of my career helping to repair clients image after a faux pas. Sometimes a little oopsie is enough to cause your prospective fan and book buyer to look the other way, sometimes it’s a major blunder. You don’t want to deal with either, so let’s talk about IMAGE.
Read More >>

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OTHER NEWS:
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Highlight: The Impenetrable Spy

Meet Agent Zack Carter aka Spencer Brokaw. I deem The Impenetrable Spy, Spencer’s first novel, a huge success for one so young. He has since written the sequel: The Impenetrable Spy, Future Dreamer and is currently working on the third book in the series.

Originally written when he was 10, and published when 12, I think Spencer deserves our “Special Highlight.”
Read More >>


 

Ebook Formatting Kit 3.1 (beta)
or How to Publish to Kindle and Epub

Kit 3.1 is up and avaialble. If it chock full of goodies. I am still tweaking the BONUS Supplements:  Poetry, Drop Caps,  Marketing, etc.
Best of all you get free email help and FREE KIT updates for Life!  

Details >>


As a newsletter subscriber I am offering 20% off the Kit. Just apply the Code:  NEWS12   at checkout.  Valid until February 27, 2012.


Upcoming Events

Audio Podcasts
Cherie Burbach, Author of 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter

Ken Thomasma, Author of the "Amazing Indian Children" Book Series


COMING 2012

 BOOKS & KITS

Ebook Formatting Kit 3.0
BUY NOW!
Receive 20% off until 2-17-2012.
Apply code: NEWS12 at checkout.

Get Published and Promoted in 25 Days, or less

How to Make a Kindle Cover in One Hour
Ebook Formatting Kit for Non-Fiction
50 Ways to Build Your Author & Book Platform
The Authors Guide to Twitter Marketing
The Authors Guide to SEO

NOVELS

The Bully of Burke (title to change)
Greedy the Troll & Other Odd Tales

Jimmy Jones and the Darkside of Aural


e-Courses, Workshops & Webcasts
  • ePub 101
  • Twitter 101
  • Facebook 101
  • Marketing 101
  • Author SEO 101
  • more...

QUESTIONS?
email me at:
blog@unrulyguides.com
Copyright © 2012 Unruly Guides - DIY Publishing Guides, All rights reserved.