Michele DeFilippo - 1106 Design

3 Ways to Sell Books from Your Author Website

Often we are asked by authors, “What will a website do for me? I already have a Facebook page….”

Having a Facebook page is really quite essential these days, even if it seems the daily slog to get people to “like” your page can be too much. Basically, you need to grab every opportunity to gain exposure for your book. A website, Facebook page, Twitter profile, Instagram account, a page on Goodreads…everything adds to your author profile and helps build your community of […]

How much assistance should you give your book designer?

A graphic has been making the rounds on social media (again). You might have seen it. It’s a pricelist of fees, presumably for a graphic designer. The prices start at $100 for “I design everything” and increase to $200 for “I design, you watch.” The prices rise progressively as the client (you) get more and more involved in the design process, until ultimately the final fee is $3,400 for “You design everything!”

Naturally this graphic is popular with designers. It resonates with us because we’ve all been there. As […]

The Real Cost of Book Cover Design

It’s one thing to get a book cover designed, but it’s quite another to turn it into an actual book cover.

Getting a front cover designed by a freelance designer or graphic artist, whether that’s someone sourced on the Internet or someone local, is a popular option among indie authors. While we’ve seen some great designs, the main goal of authors who go this route is to save money. However, once the cover design is selected, the covers must be sized and submitted for print, tasks that often are left […]

Author Story: Gary L Stuart

We managed to catch up with author and lawyer Gary Stuart as he publishes the third book in his popular western “Angus” series, The Last Stage to Bosque Redondo. Gary is a busy man. In addition to having published eleven books, Gary teaches creative writing to law students at Arizona State University and continues to practice law part time. He also teaches Legal Ethics, Legal Writing, and Appellate Advocacy at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the Dean at the ASU […]

Are you sabotaging your book?

As a leader, entrepreneur, or specialist in your field, you know that publishing a book is key to your future success. Authors are held in high esteem by just about everyone; knowing that you were able to write a book and publish it is very impressive! Writing a book is proof that you’ve accumulated enough knowledge to fill a couple of hundred pages and have managed to achieve something that most people never hope to accomplish. People want to buy from successful people, and publishing a book is proof […]

Author Story: Daniel Martinez

Daniel Martinez is a retired therapist who has heard many painful stories from his clients, in addition to going through tough times himself. These stories are the inspiration for his books, and they serve as the basis from which he extracts ideas on the human experience in painful relationships.

Forgive Me Never is Daniel’s latest book. It is the harrowing story of Olivia, a Latina single mother who is struggling between two cultures. She discovers the terrible secrets of her childhood and the real reason her mother suddenly disappeared nineteen […]

Can I Use Microsoft Word for Book Layout?

Can Word be used for book layout?

Well, of course.

Hah! Anyone who follows this blog would not expect that answer from me, but the truth is who’s stopping you? Go for it.

But you’ll need to understand the trade-offs.

On the upside, you will save money, at least initially. Just about everyone has access to Word, so there’s no need to go out and buy new software. Probably you used Word to write and correct your manuscript, and you feel quite comfortable using it and confident that you’ve developed some level of […]

Author Story: Shary Williamson

At first glance, Shary Williamson’s author story seems simple and even a tad predictable, unfolding as one would expect.

Retired school teacher writes children’s book based on the magical elfin world that she and her husband created in their backyard for their five young grandchildren to enjoy. She finds a great illustrator and self-publishes her book. The author had fun and the book is successful, and so she writes another.

Except, when you start to dig a bit deeper, you discover a little more, and a little more.

Much […]

5 Things Every Author Needs to Hear Before Self-Publishing a Book

Every so often I am asked what one piece of advice I would give authors seeking to self-publish.

Boiling down everything an author should know about self-publishing into one piece of advice is almost impossible. So my advice is to listen to these five things that many authors don’t really want to acknowledge, but should hear.

1. There are people who will take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the self-publishing business.

On the one hand, it’s getting harder and harder to differentiate between companies in the self-publishing industry that truly […]

Want to Publish a Beautiful Children’s Book? Here’s How.

Illustrated children’s books have two integral ingredients: A good story told well and fabulous illustrations.

Compromising on either of these ingredients can jeopardize the book’s success.

But in truth, the first thing a potential buyer will notice—be it a child pulling books off the shelves at Barnes & Noble or a relative buying a gift—is the book’s cover.

And the cover must, of course, feature a wonderful illustration.

An intriguing, fun, colorful illustration on the cover should encourage the reader to open the book and flip through the pages, and the illustrations on the inside […]

About Michele DeFilippo

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