Two Things Desktop Publishing Authors Should Do

Think about the last time you were in a bookstore. How did you choose a book to read? You sure have your favorite sections, but chances are you’ve looked at the front cover, back cover, and (if you’re the picky type) inside the jacket. If you look around the store, you will see that everyone else chooses books in the same way. The entire process takes two to five seconds.

If you self-publish, you may be tempted to skimp on some parts of the book publishing process. The way people choose books to read in a bookstore teaches self-publishers something very important. There are two areas in self-publishing that are not worth doing cheaply; the cover and the title.

Spend some time finding the right cover artist for your book. If you do an internet search for “book cover design” you will come across a plethora of websites and freelancers offering professional cover design services. Spend some time looking at their galleries and any previous work they’ve posted. Once you’ve decided who you’d like to work with, find their contact information on their website and ask about their availability. Avoid any “desktop publishing company” that offers cover design as part of a package. Many of them are based on pre-designed templates. You are putting your heart and soul into this job. You and your book deserve better.

If you want your book to be commercially viable, then your title has to be commercially viable. Many well-known and highly successful books began under other titles.

According to Dan Poynter, the father of desktop publishing:

• Tomorrow is Another Day became Gone with the Wind.

• Blossom and the Flower became Peyton Place.

• The Rainbow Book became Free Stuff for Kids.

• The Squash Book became the Zucchini Book.

• John Thomas and Lady Jane became Lady Chatterly’s lovers.

• Trimalchio in West Egg became Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

• Something That Happened became Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.

• Catch 18 became Catch 22

Being a self-publisher, you probably don’t have the resources to do the market testing that big publishers do for their titles. So until you are in a position where you can afford market testing, here are some tips:

The shorter the better; Very few titles are complex. Did you notice how the titles above use four words or less?

The title must please the ear. Did you notice how four of the titles listed above use alliteration?

The tiles above also help you create a mental image or mood.

You may have a brilliantly written book, but that means nothing if no one reads it. Give your book every possible chance of being bought by using a great cover artist and title.