3 Art Resources for Indie Authors

Today I'm giving you 3 links to help you with your cover art if you plan to indie publish a title.

Let's face it, most of us writers simply aren't blessed with an aesthetic sense. Since book covers are so important, don't cheap out on this because nothing says cheesy ebook like an unappealing cover.

Good covers make you pick up a book in a store, and good covers make you click to read the product description online.

I recommend testing your cover image on as many people as possible. Show it then ask: what's the first thing that pops into your mind when you see this?

Sure, you want a cool cover, but, more importantly, you want a cover that instantly conveys what kind of book this is. By that, I don't just mean mystery or suspense or horror or romance. The cover should promise what kind of reading experience will be had by getting that book.

If it's a humorous, sexy contemporary romance, you should know that immediately by looking at the cover. If it's grim, dark, and violent, the cover should make you feel that.

The cover should convey: genre, style, tone, and possible reading experience. That's no easy feat, and that's why professional artists do it so well. The overriding rule is: don't mislead the reader because an unhappy reader can make you regret taking their money.

Back when Chick Lit was so hot, publishers were slapping those cartoon covers on everything. A lot of unhappy readers found they couldn't pick up just any book with that kind of cover and get a lighthearted, feel good, laughing experience.

Some books were simply not chick lit, and readers spread the word. A lot of good authors fell into the dreaded death spiral, due, not to their fault, but the fault of the publisher's marketing department.

Of course, chick lit died. Publishers have a way of running a good thing into the ground. Fortunately, for those who like to read chick lit, it's alive and well online.

3 Art Resources for Indie Authors

These three links are all to blog posts I've written on the subject in Exclusively eBooks on Joan Slings Words, my other blog.

Good Book Cover Design

A discussion of what constitutes good book cover design.

Freelance Artists For Book Covers

A listing of experienced book cover artists. Print or bookmark for future use if you don't need one now.

Art Resources For DIY Indie Publishers.

Micro-stock photography sites where you can purchase rights to a photograph for your book cover.

Takeaway Truth

Indie publishing has great rewards for authors with a can-do attitude. Just make sure you deliver a professional product because discerning readers won't settle for less.