When I got serious about Indie publishing, first came the professional edits, and then my cover art. After the success of the Splintered Series covers, there was no question that I would reach out to the same amazing artist, Nathalia Suellen. I was pleased to find that her prices are reasonable and she is also a delight to work with one on one. She took the primitive and rough mockup I made with my graphic arts program:
And transformed it into this lovely, polished masterpiece:
And she knew all about picture resolution and spine width based on the page number and size of a book (mine happens to be 5.5 X 8.5). These are things I would never have considered if I’d been making my own cover.
So, with the outside of the book and the MS edited, it was time to format. Having gone the traditional route first with my young adult books—converting a book for print and online use and formatting it (so it fits printable and loading guidelines) felt daunting to me, especially when I already had writing and editing deadlines I was under for my traditional publisher. I didn’t have time to spare for the learning curve. Thankfully, a talented author pal, Serena Chase, recommended Polgarus Studio. Miranda and Jason are an amazing team. They’re patient with an author’s many questions and nit-picky requests (my personalized chapter headings and scene separators, for example), and they’re reasonably priced. They took all the stress out of getting my MS into publishable shape.
And the end result? See for yourself:
Beautiful! Polgarus also provides editing services, for any authors seeking an editor.
Next, it was time to send out e-arcs for reviews, and another wonderfully talented author friend, Marcy McKay, directed me to BookFunnel. This tool has saved me an abundance of time because all I have to do is upload a mobi and e-version of my books, make a link for the readers to follow, and then BookFunnel walks them through the process of getting the proper format for their e-reader, no matter what device they have. BookFunnel has a working knowledge of all the major devices and apps, and does the trouble shooting for me so I can spend my time writing, promoting, and editing.
And last but not least, every Indie author needs an awesome virtual tour coordinator. I love RockStar book tours! I’ve used them for most of my YA novels, and will continue to use them for all my future books. Jaime and Rachel are professional, organized, and huge advocates for authors. They’re in it for the love of reading, and it shows in every tour they host.
I hope this information helped, and good luck on your indie venture!
Final note: For a plethora of indie author advice and wisdom, be sure to visit Marcy McKay’s blog. She takes you along for the ride from the beginning of her own indie-publishing adventure to the successful publication of her first book.
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