Your book cover is your most important marketing piece. A professionally designed cover is the main focus of your brand and self-promotion materials. Utilize your graphic designer to create materials that engage and reach your target audience. A graphic style complements your book cover and visually builds your brand. It’s essential to be consistent across…
There’s always something to learn about book marketing. I recommend the following books for authors and writers. Put these on your reading list for 2017. 1) Online Marketing for Busy Authors by Fauzia Burke. This is an easy-to-read book with a concrete, step-by-step process for beginning authors to follow. Small-business owners who are just starting…
A blast from the past—a vintage poster we designed long ago. Fond memories of a favorite project surfaced when I found old photo negatives* of a concert while I was searching for something else. Creative challenge: Design a commemorative poster to welcome musicians Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, who were doing a concert to benefit…
The St. Louis Cardinals have been a colorful franchise for generations. The name, “Cardinals,” combined graphically with two birds perched on a baseball bat, have adorned the baseball club’s uniforms with great pride and distinction since 1922. The Cardinals logos and uniforms are among the most recognized and admired brands in all of sports, and…
Challenge: Have you ever seen a photo online that would be perfect for your needs, but you can’t find the original image? That’s what happened to my client, Donna, who is an editor of her company magazine. “Have you tried a reverse image search?” I asked. She was not aware that this was possible. Here’s…
When a client sends large files via email, it can be problematic. That’s exactly what happened when my client, Raquel, sent me two illustrations and asked for an estimate for tweaking the drawings. Raquel trusts me, as her designer, to give her an honest assessment of any material she sends me, and that is what…
Book-marketing podcasts are valuable sources to learn about current tools, resources, and services for authors and self-publishers. What follows are descriptions of some that may be worth checking out. Please note: N-K Creative does not endorse these services; neither my clients nor I have used them. I recommend that you do your homework before you…
Here are 25 invaluable tips for authors who work closely with editors and book designers to produce exceptional books. It is vital to have the right creative team and to understand and implement the following guidelines: 1. Understand what editors and designers do. If you don’t know, ask them. 2. Read a good book on…
Go for the gold and buzz about the summer games in Rio was at hand for the Society of the Sacred Heart (SOSH), who wanted to support the Olympic athletes, many who are alumni or connected with their network of schools. Someone from one of their schools designed a logo mark using the Olympic rings,…
Are you considering updating your 2nd edition book? Author Jan Torrisi Mokwa asked me for guidance and a “high-level process to follow,” prior to starting her project. I told Jan I was available to update her book and assured her that I still have the original files, including covers, interiors, illustrations, photos, and fonts. I…