When I say this is a GAME CHANGER, I mean to say I don't have to pay anyone to either format my books or to do the cover design. That's literally 100% of what I was paying Xlibris, iUniverse, Palmetto, and others in the past to do. I would write the book, then I'd pay to have them format it, trim it up to the size of the book I wanted, and then design a cover for me. I don't have to do that anymore!! I can literally do it on my very very very very own. I just completed my first book cover and I only cussed for two solid hours! You can chalk that up to being a freakin' miracle.
Everyone tells you that using Canva or CreateSpace, etc. is so hard, and that you can't figure it out yourself, or that the trim has to be exact because if it isn't Amazon will kick it back to you and you'll have to trim it up again. OK. Well, now I can do that. I was faced with that issue with my book Periwinkle. I didn't know what I was going to do because the book size hadn't changed when I published it in 2005, but apparently, Amazon is no longer making books that size. I have to redo the cover. I didn't know how to do it myself, but now I do.
I know how to think of a book title, write a book, edit said book, trim it and format it and save it as a PDF and then download it into a file so I can upload it onto the publisher's site. I know how to come up with a cover design, trim that, create it, add text, and photos, and even change up the fonts and colors!! I will only get better as I go. I'm not ever going to pay another publisher; just the printer and distributor. I think, if I'm not mistaken, Ingram Spark isn't even charging us to upload our files now. I may be wrong, but I will find out. I will upload my new book "Murder Book" on Thursday of this week and then when it's set I'll order one to see if it's perfect. If it is I'll have it set for distribution!! Woot!!
I got so excited about knowing how to do the book cover that I made the book cover for the next book. I'll continue to do this for all of my Nick Posh books now, and my romance books, and just have them waiting on me to write the actual books! I'll have 15 book covers ready by Saturday probably. I know me. I will do that. I really will. I have too many stories in my head, and without having to pay anyone I can write and upload like a crazy woman. Yes, I can!! I'll have 10 books written and uploaded by this time next year I'm sure. I just have to find the time to promote them so people will know they're out there, ready to be bought.
I'm going to download the printed books in 5"x8" and the eBooks as well. The eBook cover is easy too, and the trim for it means I have to transfer my PDF to an EPUB file; I'll YouTube that tomorrow. That's the next step so I can get "Of Kilted Pleasure" out there. I have to do an eBook cover for it, but again, not a problem. I am just too too too happy right now. Really, no, really. I'm super happy. The neighbors probably think I'm fit to be tied because the entire time I was learning how to do the manipulations from my files to Canva, I was cussing and fussing, and calling the YouTubers everything but good. I was really upset because the videos were old enough that the Windows program and websites are different now, and I couldn't figure it out. I couldn't get my freakin' photo to stretch, then it dawned on me that it was because I had resized it before I had uploaded it. I shouldn't have done that.
We live, we learn, but before we learn we swear like the Devil and ask Jesus to forgive us over and over and over again. At least I do. I don't know about you. OK, so I have Murder Book's cover, and I'll post it now. It's simple by design, and there is a reason it looks the way it does. You'll just have to read the book to find out.
Photo Credit: ME!
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