Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Different Places essays

Different Places essays The noon day sun beat down on the red clay infield at Harry Harris Park. Runners on first and second squinted from the glare as they watched the pitchers mound for the opportunity to run. Advise for the runners as well as the batter was screamed and from the stands of spectators. Adding to the din of noise was the chant of the infield and outfield, Hey, batter, batter! The smell of popcorn and barbeque permeated the air. Water bottles emptied as players sought to stay hydrated from the suffocating source of heat that surrounded them. The ball field was alive with action! The midnight moon lazily lit the ball field. The red infield clay reflected a rusty tone lightening ever so slightly at the pitchers mound. The moon light on bases lit up their lonely abandoned positions. Dew on the grass of the outfield announced the outer limits of the game area. Silver spectatorsstands invited the moon light to bathe them. All was still, stationary, secluded. The night blooming jasmine mixed with the salty sea breeze and perfumed the air. Still all was so spectacularly serene. Yet, pause, listen carefully, this is the place where hopes and dreams can be heard. ...

Monday, March 2, 2020

6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer

6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer 6 Tips for Briefing your Book Designer Last week, we revealed through a survey on social networks how much importance indie authors place on working with a professional book designer for their covers. After all, big part of the what makes self-publishing so attractive is that authors retain all creative freedom over their work. This means it is up to you, and you only, to choose your cover designer and brief them properly.As in any other creative business relationship, the briefing process is the most important part of the collaboration. A good brief will save you and your book designer both time and money. To help you refine your future design briefs, we’ve asked some of our brilliant designers on Reedsy what their main advice is for authors. Here are their answers!1- Know your audienceYour cover design will be your most powerful marketing tool. It will influence your discoverability as well as your buyer-to-reader conversion. Therefore, it must follow the #1 rule in marketing: know your target market and focus on them.â€Å"Different colors and fonts appeal to different readers. Different genres have different looks that you would want to utilize in your cover. Marketing to everyone is the same thing as marketing to no one. Your cover design should be a marketing tool to find readers who will like your book†. - Ellie Bockert Augsburger2. Give the designer an idea of your tastes and expectations 6. CommunicateThis might sound obvious, but communication is the best way to speed up the process and make sure you end up with the perfect book cover. This doesn’t just mean briefing your book designer accordingly, it also means staying in touch, giving feedback on the early comps and sharing ideas as they come along.â€Å"The #1 way to avoid miscommunications in the design process is to speak in person†, says designer Brian LaRossa. â€Å"If that is not an option- which is often the case- a video chat or phone call is still much better than an email.†If you don’t know much about the design process and are unsure about what your artist wants or needs, just follow the tips above and let them take the lead. After all, as Michael Kellner puts it: â€Å"experienced designers will know what questions to ask an author about their book: it’s subject, themes and spirit. It’s style, plot and characters. Where the story takes place, and so on.† If you trust your book designer, communication will be easy.Click the following links to learn more about professional book cover design, illustration, or book layout design on Reedsy.