The Power of Editing

Editing is not science, or art, but a perfect mixture. There are times when deterring from known grammar absolutes is deadly to your book or article. There are also times when keeping them presents a lose to the story you're crafting. This is why editors much understand the voice of the author. This is the power of editing.

Book Trailers ~ Necessary Marketing Tool

Book trailers are relatively new for the average author, though the idea of trailers has been around for a long time now. A trailer is a video sampling of what the book has in store for the author.

Now before I go further, let me say that not all books are as good a candidate for trailers as others. Mystery, suspense, romance and thrillers are great candidates. Some nonfiction are great candidates. Children's books can go either way, depending upon the trailer designer. Poetry is not a very good candidate unless samples of the poems are read as a voice over.

Trailers can be expensive, but the benefits of having trailers are endless. Recently, we did an author's trailer for Lacresha Hayes. This was a totally new thing for us, but it focused on building/branding her name rather than any particular book. Since that time, we've earned Living Waters Publishing Company, Steel Waves Publishing Company, and Whitlock and Marshall's business to do a trailer for the company.

Don't overlook the power of digital! See some of our work at http://hayesdesign.weebly.com

Latest Cover Design Sample

This cover is a sample of the work we do. This is just a sample. The actual cover has been finished and will be posted soon. As you can see, we use quality photo stock to make sure your cover is crisp and clean.

I will soon post some of our illustrated and drawn covers, much more expensive, but easy to customize.

Illustrations

I've gotten several emails from potential clients asking about the number of illustrations that are standard for a children's book.

First of all, some will say there is a standard, but I don't necessarily agree. I believe it depends upon the book.

Some people say industry standard is 16 illustrations per book, but many children's books will not support that number. Some say 12, and I can say that may be closer to accurate. Personally, the majority of the books we illustrate have about 10 illustrations per book. Again, it depends on the book, the writing, etc.

Cover Designs

I've seen some really great book covers. I've also seen some that were good, but had absolutely nothing to do with the interior of the book. Then we've all probably seen some covers that left more to be desired.

When designing a cover, or having one designed for you, make sure that you have a grip of what your story is really about. While the cover does not need to be too obvious, it does not need to be shrouded in mystery either, like the Holy Grail. It needs to speak for your book.