10 Useful Photo Sites for Book Cover Images (Paid + Free)

Guest post by  Ivy Attie

Although you are not supposed to, judging a book by its cover is a skill we all employ from time to time. Whether standing in a queue at a bustling bookstore or reviewing thumbnails on our favorite digital platform — the cover is often the only element we have time to peruse.

If you are a writer, you will agree that you usually don’t have the time or the resources to carry on a customized photoshoot for your book covers. Especially if you are an independent publisher, you may not boast the budget to hire a professional illustrator to do the artwork for your book. In that case, stock photographs come to the rescue and provide you with readily available material for book covers.

What Are Stock Photographs?

Stock photos are a repository of pictures or illustrations taken by photographers. They are available in numerous categories, are high quality, and boast similar attributes as a professional shoot.

Most of the stock photo sites offer images for free. However, various reliable stock agencies charge a nominal amount for the license they provide. These agencies have professionals working for them who ensure the images they receive are from the copyright holders. The images are also more competent and less overused than the ones available on free photo sites.

But of course, the final choice of agency depends on your budget. To help you make the selection, here is a list of stock photo sites, both - paid and free, for your print and design needs.

Best Paid Stock Photo Sites

Let’s start with some of the best sites where you can get high-quality stock images.

1.    iStock

iStock by Getty Images offers an exclusive and extensive collection of photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, and music clips. They have over 20 years of presence in the stock photo industry and curate some of the most outstanding genre images for your publishing needs.

When it comes to pricing, iStock is not the cheapest. However, they have some flexible payment plans that let you choose between monthly and yearly plans along with single image purchases, on-demand packs, and bulk purchases. You can also take advantage of an iStock discount and save money on your purchase.

2.    The Stock Alchemist

The Stock Alchemist is a boutique-style stock photography site that specializes in book covers and album sleeves. The exclusive collection is hosted by Regina Wamba, a renowned personality popular for her creative brains.

Here, you will find a range of book cover options for different genres, including romance, science fiction, and dystopian. You can download a low-resolution file for free. However, a substantial fee applies to each image for license and high-quality versions.

3.    Shutterstock

Shutterstock offers one of the largest collections of stock photos and vectors. They also regularly update their database, so you will be no short of choices on this platform. One of the best features of Shutterstock is that it allows online editing directly from the browser, besides integration with Adobe Creative Cloud apps.

The pricing plans of Shutterstock are pretty manageable. Besides on-demand packs, the company offers subscription plans for teams and enterprises. You can also receive a free trial of 10 images for a month. All you need to do is sign up with their services and receive your free credits.

4.    StockPhotos.com

Stockphotos.com is probably one of the newest additions in the stock photo industry. Created by a team of stock photo experts, the site completes all the requirements you have for a photo site and more. New pictures are also added daily to the site.

One of the best things about stockphotos.com is the resource page. Here, the team covers everything you need to know about stock photos, licenses, and editing limitations. So, if you are still discovering the industry, this is the website you should visit.

5.    DepositPhotos

DepositPhotos is one of the most affordable options on this list. It boasts an exquisite collection of pictures, vectors, illustrations, and videos with a royalty-free license. The license allows you to use stock assets in any way you want without giving attribution to the original owner or the agency.

The pricing plans for DepositPhotos start at $9/month. You can choose to go with either bundle subscription packs or on-demand packs. An app for iOS and Android is also available for members to pick pictures on the go.

Best Free Stock Photo Sites

Now that we've covered some paid options let’s look at the free stock photo sites for budget-conscious authors. Before using images from these sites, you must check out their license details & terms and conditions to remain legally safe.

6.    Pixabay

Pixabay is a go-to solution for designers and marketers looking for a quick and free option to fill the visual gap in their projects. It contains a massive database of more than 2.4 million photos, vectors, and illustrations.

Pixabay operates under its own license that allows anyone to use the pictures wherever they want. You also don’t have to give credits to the original author (even though it’s a good idea to do so).

7.    Pexels

Pexels is another free photo site you would definitely enjoy. And just like Pexels, you can use the images found here any way you want without giving credit to the original photographer. The collection is extensive as well, with new photos added daily.

One of the best features of Pexels is its search filters. You can quickly vet down your choices through the easy-to-use interface according to the niche, subcategory, orientation, and even trending topics. You can also modify the size of the picture you download - saving you tons of time in post-processing.

8.    New Old Stock

As the name implies, New Old Stock is slightly different from the others present in the stock photo game. This site features pictures from the past era - primarily black and white for the history buffs out there. So, if you are writing about history or nonfiction, this site is for you!

Images presented here are available under the public domain license. This means that all pictures are available by the public and for the public - without any cost.

9.    StockSnap

Another freebie stock photo site is StockSnap. The pictures offered here are free from copyright restrictions and can be used in any way you want.

One of the best collections at StockSnap is their landscape and scenery collection. If you are curating pictures for a travel-inspired novel, this site is a must-check. You can also choose the images you find here and integrate them with other artworks to create a unique yet beautiful book cover picture.

10. Unsplash

Last but not least is Unsplash. In fact, a list of stock photo sites will be incomplete without the mention of Unsplash, as it has one of the largest free stock photo libraries with over 1.5 million assets. And just like others mentioned in this list, Unsplash boasts a well-curated collection of professional photographs.

All the photos found here are entirely free to use. They can be used in any project, including personal and commercial, without giving attribution to the owner.

Final Words

Hopefully, the above 10 sites will give you a good start at designing your book cover. Do your research before making the final choice to ensure you are using the pictures legally and ethically. And if you are looking for professional help, feel free to contact us at Working Type to let us handle your book. Happy publishing!

Book Cover Design for September 2021

A few of our recent covers and cover drafts, covering the usual broad range of subject matter. Striving for high contrast and high impact and interesting type combinations.

Steve Nurse Discusses his New Book "Cycle Zoo"

Steve (right) with Jesse Heath, OzHpv Challenge 2021 Photo John Hagan

There is a saying in recumbent bike manufacture, “The best way to make a small fortune making bikes is to start with a large fortune” and the same thing can be said about self-publishing a book. Its hard to rely on self-publishing to make money. It might happen, but don’t bank on it! In the first instance self-publishing should be about wanting to get your message out. 

To get to my book story, I have been building and designing bikes since about 1987, went on the first long-distance rides on bikes I’d built around 2000, and wrote the first version of my Cycle Zoo book in about 2009. Back then I wrote, edited, illustrated and laid out the whole book, and supplied finished pdfs to Publishing Solutions. They then organised the ISBN and printing of about 1000 copies.

After that it was up to me to sell and distribute the books but that was difficult. Sometimes I’d take books to bookshops to sell, and they’d never pay. It was impossible for me to sell all the books, so I still have boxes of books in the back of cupboards at home. However the first edition of the book helped with entry into an industrial design master’s degree which gave me paid work designing bikes for 2 years. Putting it out was worth it just for that.

I’ve stayed in touch with a couple of the contacts I made after the first book. I designed a cycling board game and Anki Toner put that on his cyclingboardgames.net website. Link here. And I was interviewed by Chis Starr at 3cr. I usually attend local recumbent bike gatherings and this didn’t stop. As well I’ve kept on building bikes, and became the editor of the Australian Human Powered Vehicle Magazine Huff.

Somewhere along the way I got the urge to write a book came again, and I had enough new material to add to my previous book so set about rewriting Cycling Zoo. Fairly early in the process I got editor Neil Conning and book designer Luke Harris on board. I conversed with and interviewed a few people involved in cycling to broaden the book’s appeal, and I’m happy how the stories came out. So Adam Hari about spoke about speedbikes, Gayle Potts about refurbishing bikes for refugees, Nell Sudano about electric bikes and teaching cycling, and Alyson Macdonald about boardgames and her cycling.

Publication for the new book is by print on demand, so the book is available anywhere in the world, and is printed in quantities as small as one in the nearest printing centre including Melbourne, the UK and the USA. I have ordered and sell or give away copies for myself, family, friends and reviewers. Normally I will give away books to reviewers. An example is Chris Starr who volunteers for and runs the Yarrabug Cycling show on 3cr.

Where to buy Steve’s book:

On Bookdepository

On Booktopia

On Amazon

After a phone interview with Chris, she mixed the show and put up a podcast page for the show, a resource I can use to let people know about the book. She deserves at least a free book for her efforts. The weblink is here .

Anki Toner really only wants to document every cycling board and card game no matter how obscure, and a lot of these are based on European races such as the Peace Race, Tour de France, Vuelta D’Espana and Giro D’italia.  An example is here, analysis of the games is well researched and concise. But he was happy to showcase a new game I had developed and put online, called Cycle Challenge. He’s included a link to my book page in his excellent coverage of my game which is all you can ask for.

Adam Hari features in my chapter about speedbikes, which are fully enclosed, highly aerodynamic cycles designed to break speed records. I was happy to mail him a book at cost, and he was happy to publicise it on his Instagram, showing a video of the book pages involving him and his machines.

Coming up in early October  I will be part of the Laidbackbike report Youtube series but meanwhile I will continue improving websites, contacting potential reviewers, contacting those mentioned in the book, and working on ebook versions. I put a book poster on the side of one of my bikes yesterday and have already been asked about it (a mum and her kids caught up to me on their electric bike and were chattering furiously) so will work on improving that too.

Have fun promoting your book. Selling oodles of copies and making money might be your initial aim but you might come away with something more valuable..

Leaning trike with poster.

Book Covers for August 2021

A few recent book covers, from thoughtful spiritual tomes to legal advice…

8 Steps to Self-Publish Your Book Like a Bestseller

Guest post contributed by Chloe Harris

If you have an idea under your belt that you genuinely believe should reach a wider audience, consider publishing your own book. Historically, authors need an agent who can convince a publisher to take a look at their manuscript. In fact, many publishing companies work only through established agents, which makes it difficult, especially for first-time authors.

Self-publishing may sound outlandish, considering all the work needed to be even noticed by readers. But with meticulous planning, creativity, resourcefulness, and proper implementation, your book can be the next bestseller.

1. Edit Thoroughly

Even you’re self-publishing, the book will go through the hands of people who will judge it. Minor errors can hinder its success. If you’ve never edited a book before, here’s a guide on how to edit a book.

Do the following to get you started.

• Wait at least a week before editing so that you can look at the book with fresh eyes.

• Review the plot and characters. Take note of significant structures. For example, do the characters have dynamic personalities? Is the conflict sensible? How is the audience going to feel about the ending?

• If you’re not ready to edit the significant elements, start with line edits. Are you using the right voice?

2. Ask for Feedback

Feedback is invaluable. The book may sound perfect to you, but are you sure that’s how readers would feel? Share your manuscript with trusted individuals and ask for feedback.

To help them make more candid feedback, create an online form to share opinions on specific elements. Also, ask them how you can improve.

Feedback may be obtained from friends, family, book critics, and writing communities.

3. Format Your Book Properly

“A professionally-formatted book sends a good impression. This part can be a bit more complicated for self-publishing authors because your book must be 100% ready for publication after this. Many authors are anxious about formatting; after all, it’s an entirely different skill from writing.”, explains Direct Appliance Rentals CEO Karina Wolfin.

Here are some formatting options.

Free formatting software: Apple Pages and Kindle Create provide free templates. However, they also cater to their own platform, which means all or some formatting options will be discard when you upload to other retailers.

Paid formatting software: Vellum ($200) and Scrivener ($45) creates beautifully formatted print versions and E-books. Plus, you can format as many files as you want with a licensed account.

Professional typesetters: For print on demand, authors usually hire a typesetter to ensure immaculate formatting. This is the most viable option, especially for printed editions, because you don’t want unevenly spaced text and images.

4. Choose a cover that converts

The cover creates the first impression to the readers. A strong cover is attractive and lets those who see it know that the book was made for them.

Consider these tips for the book design.

Striking yet sophisticated. Whether it’s a photo, an illustration, or typography, the cover should look professional.

Indicative of the genre. Some design elements are associated with specific genres. Your book cover must conform to these principles to reach the right audience.

Spine and back cover. This is only for printed versions.

Unlike formatting, the cover should be made by a professional. This is your most crucial marketing tool, and you shouldn’t take risks.

5. Maximize Your Book Description

The book description is another element that can attract readers. Here are the basics of writing a good description.

Hook the readers. Use a dramatic headline, such as a quote from a book or a strong review from a known critique. The point is to intrigue the readers.

Introduce the storyline. Don’t give away everything, though! Instead, give readers a sneak peek of what they’re going to find inside.

Create a cliff-hanger. End the description with a hint of a shocking twist or an intriguing question.

Read the descriptions of some bestsellers of the same genre, and you’ll definitely see a pattern.

6. Prepare the launching

The launch will raise awareness and jumpstart the hype about your book—just like a movie trailer.

Consider including the following in your launch plan.

Build a website. A large fraction of modern-day consumers rely on the internet for information; therefore, your book should be there. Hire a web designer to build a dedicated website for your book and follow the pointers we gave for the cover design.

Ask for the support of family and friends. People will be looking for social proof, so it would be beneficial if your family and friends promote your book on their social media accounts.

Ask for book reviews. Contact known book reviewers and politely ask them if they can review your book.

Organise a virtual launch party. Partner with influencers and send them party packages. Give a speech and ask attendees to share their thoughts about your book.

7. Publish

You’ll be glad to know that self-publishing can be fast on Amazon and other platforms.

For printed editions, the process is a bit longer. But you should have no trouble if all the materials are ready.

8. Market Your Book

The work doesn’t end after publication. The marketing campaign has started during the launch, but you still have more legwork to do.

• Reach out to relevant blogs and ask if you could write a guest post to promote your book.

• Organise events at bookstores. This can a signing, reading or Q&A.

• Work with a third-party advertising agency. Self-marketing can be exhausting, especially if your fan base is still in its early stages stage. Instead, consider hiring the services of an ad agency that specialises in reading materials.

 With so many titles being released each year in Australia, it can be hard for your manuscript to find its way to the publisher’s desk. If you think self-publishing is the best method for you, contact WorkingType for design and print solutions.

A Backpackers Progress

Jason Rebello’s excellent Red Earth Diaries about his travels around Australia as a newlywed is due to launch soon, and he has left absolutely no stone unturned in placing information on all the social media services and print on demand and ebook services. Here are some of the links…

The book is available for preorder on the below online bookstores (more will be added in the coming days):

Amazon, Kobo, and Booktopia, Barnes and Noble, Google Books and Apple

Travel and Inspirational Blog: https://theevolvingbackpacker.com/

Author Website: https://evolvingwordsmith.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theevolvingbackpacker/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheEvolvingBackpacker

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordsmith_jason (wordsmith_jason)

Cracking Author Websites

Independent authors should have a place online where potential readers can discover more about them and their work. It might be a social media page or a website. Here are two websites that do an excellent job of providing information about the author in a professional and interesting way. Nic d Alessandro’s and Mary Garden’s respective sites are high impact, easy to navigate and provide extended information about their work.

Keywords are the Key

The most important part of uploading to Amazon KDP with ebook files is getting the metadata right. This turns out to be a little more complicated than one might expect. Fortunately, others have done the legwork and put the information out there for KDP users.

The following two free titles are well worth consulting on this front:

Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran

Ricardo Fayet's How to Market an ebook

and David Gaughran posted some verypractical tips recently:

https://davidgaughran.com/amazon-book-category-kindle-categories/

and he put up a video too on a related topic before that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fXU8R0cHOM

Joanna Penn goes into this topic too in some detail:
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/book-categories-keywords/

https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/the-basics-of-book-metadata-and-keywords

Useful Texts for Independent Authors

Independent authors face a tough road promoting their work, but there is a huge amount of information out there to assist them. The following four titles bring order to that information — I highly recommend all four:

Recommended texts for Independent authors:

Euan Mitchell's Your Book Publishing Options

How to Be an Author from Fremantle Press

Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran

Ricardo Fayet's How to Market an ebook

Tips for Marketing Your First Book

Guest post by Chloe Harris.

Marketing your first book is never easy. And it so much harder for self-published authors these days. Thousands of titles are published in Australia each year, and Amazon alone offers around 30 million books on their website.

But don’t despair! With the right blend of marketing techniques, you could become the next best-selling author.

1. Start Marketing Months Before You Launch the Book

Creating a buzz just two weeks before the book launching won’t build the momentum you need.

According to Alister Clare, Credit Capital’s senior financial planner, the marketing should start at least 6 to 12 months before the book is released to the public. He says, “This way, you have sufficient time to build momentum. You need months to collect followers and earn their loyalty. There should also be intervals between marketing stunts so that your book can properly permeate the mind of the audience.”

2. Establish Your Brand

Figure out the persona that you want to portray. Do you want to be a mysterious whodunnit writer or an all-smiling romance novelist? Ensure that your persona reflects on the book cover, website, teasers, emails, social post, etc.

Consider asking the guidance of a branding expert on effectively building a persona.

3. Ask for a Review

Many readers base their decision on what they should read next on the reviews. Approach a respected journalist or book critic for their insights. You can also find Australian book reviewers and bloggers here.

It might take a while before they get back to you, consider thousands of other writers are also asking for their review.

4. Build a Website Dedicated for Your Book

Did you that, as of January 2021, there are already 22.31 million internet users in Australia? So, if your book still doesn’t have a dedicated website, it’s probably losing many potential readers.

Solidify your book’s online presence by investing in a professionally designed website. Make sure it has the necessary plugins to allow sharing through social media platforms.

You don’t have to load the website with information; just input the following:

●       Your biography with a recent photo

●       Summary of the book and a few teasers

●       Links to your social media profiles

●       Links to online stores where the book will be available

5. Intensify Social Media Presence

Engage more with potential readers through social media. Tell them to drop questions, and you’ll answer as much as you can. Reply to their comments on your post. Share the posts where you’re tagged. Create a unique hashtag. It’s only essential to maintain your brand voice.

6. Consider Paid Advertising

Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Amazon Ads, Bookbub Ads, etc.

Calculate if you can afford daily paid to advertise. If yes, it’s advised to hire an expert on these types of ads to maximise your investment.

Various factors can affect the performance of your ads. These include the targeted audience, relevance score, ad copy, social proof, and timing. All of these should be aligned to get the best cost-per-conversion.

Working Type is an established provider of design + layout and print solutions. Through our expertise, creativity, and passion, we’ve helped numerous authors reach the right audience.

Inspired by a Greek Island

Local author Tony Whitefield has just simultaneously launched both his mythical tale “The Queen of Limnos” and his historical saga “George’s Cafe” at Golf House Hotel in Ballarat. Both books draw upon the history and culture of the beautiful Greek island of Lemnos. Tony and his wife usually spend several months a year living in Lemnos, and will no doubt continue to do so once Covid 19 abates. Both books are available online.

Ebook version: https://www.booktopia.com.au/george-s-cafe-tony-whitefield/ebook/9780645100853.html

Print on Demand: https://www.booktopia.com.au/george-s-cafe-tony-whitefield/book/9780645100822.html

Also available from Amazon, Dymocks, Book Depository and other outlets.

How to be an Author — an Invaluable Resource

Highly recommended by an author client, How to be an Author’s blurb begins with:

This is an indispensable book for writers. Between its pages is everything you need to know about the business of being a writer, from people who live and breathe books. Keep this book by your side as you pursue your publishing dream.

“‘From Nandi Chinna’s advice on how to tackle the dreaded writer’s block to Natasha Lester’s tips on how to gracefully accept rejection, this book provides both the expected and unexpected advice on questions many have pondered or never considered.’ ”

— Underground Writers

Available from Fremantle Press.

Recent Cover Design Drafts

Mutton Birds are Go!

Ganga Powell’s lovely children’s book “Do Mutton Birds Have Maps and Other Poems” (brilliantly illustrated by Eileen Curd) has been selling very well at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy. Here’s the Facebook post from the bookstore in question. If you can’t make it all the way to Port Fairy, the book is also available on Amazon and Booktopia.

Thoughts on a Year as a Self-Published Author

Independent author Gail Meath writes well-researched historical romances. She has summarised her first year as a self-published author in some detail, with plenty of practical tips and advice, and has kindly allowed us to post her thoughts below.

My First Year Self-Publishing:

 All or most of these sites are probably familiar to authors, but my purpose is to share my experiences and, in part, to give great credit to some sites that have either been good promotional sites or simply because their customer service was so outstanding, I wanted to pay tribute to them for helping me in my self-publishing endeavor this past year.  

 (I compiled the following list from my own experiences during my first year of self-publishing.  Everything listed should not in any way be misconstrued as advice, suggestions or any type of guidance to other authors.  I am a new author, not a best-seller or veteran, and these are my opinions only.) 

 Goodreads: 

A great place for both readers and authors.  Actually, it is an excellent place for authors!!!  My definition of this site, “The best place ever where Indy authors come together to help one another.”...through endless groups and discussions.  There are also some great author blogs that help you promote your books even more.  And, of course, a lot of fantastic readers!!

 Thank goodness I found Goodreads even before I started publishing.  I won’t go on as most/all authors know about the site, but I can’t believe how everyone has been so wonderfully helpful and I’m so grateful to all!

 A couple things to remember:

Groups have Rules!  Yes, I shamefully admit that I’m guilty of posting a link where I wasn’t supposed to (oops).     

Don’t contact readers directly to promote your book.

 Try not to change your book covers too much....you cannot get rid of the old ones!!

 Sometimes, scammers infiltrate Goodreads, so beware.  There is a ‘flag’ option for inappropriate posts (needed that once the past year).

 I’m sure their giveaway promotions are great.  The cost has been out of my reach.

 AllAuthor.com:  Free to upload books

I cannot say enough nice things about AllAuthor.com.  First, it is an extremely professional promotional website for authors that includes creating your own marketing mockups of your books: even GIFs, if you’re premium, which is about $40, I think, for four months.  Uploading and updating a book is a breeze, the author page is great with tabs for awards, reviews, etc.  And free.  They have several different promotional packages that are very reasonably priced and worth the cost.

 While the site is run by a ‘Team AllAuthor’, I have only had contact with Mady Joshi, Business Development Head.  He is fantastic to work with, answers all your questions, sends unique book mockups every week for premium and they have instagram and Facebook accounts that you can join for additional promotion opportunities.  He is exceptional.  If I were rating these sites, AllAuthor would by far surpass all others.

 VoraciousReadersOnly.com:  Free Intro/$20 Evergreen Program

This is a great site if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to reach new readers and gather some reviews...if you’re willing to give away books.  For me, I limited my book giveaways and received more reviews from their FREE intro offer rather than their $20/month Evergreen program.  They send review reminders to readers who receive your book, but during the six-week program, I received very few.  Much more during their intro.

 But Larry is wonderful to work with.  He’s the man behind-the-scenes and he will answer all your questions quickly and personally.  I was involved in this when I first started publishing and I was able to compile a nice start-up mailing list.  I grew tired of giving books away, but it was a nice place to start   

 ReaderFavorite.com:  Free to upload books and request reviews

I do love this site, too, although I believe that their ‘free’ reviews come few and far between.  For $59 you can receive a professional editorial review, which is what I believe they hold out for.  They do offer paid promos and contests...one of my books won their 2020 western, so that may explain why I’m partial to them. 

 But, despite that, I had a book that I worried wasn’t as good as my others and contacted them to see if I could pay for a review and write a message to the reviewer beforehand asking them for a brutally honest review so I could determine whether to publish the book or not.  One of their reps instantly contacted me.  He understood my dilemma and was willing to ask their top reviewer to look at it, knowing the person would be, well, brutally honest. 

 To me, he went above and beyond my expectations, so I highly recommend this site to anyone interested in what they have to offer.  I don’t believe there is anything better than having internal people/reps who are willing to help authors in any way they can.

 Bookbub.com:  Free to upload books

Another very professional site and very easy to upload books with a nice author page.  They also offer different promotion opportunities, from reasonable to costly.  I have two complaints. 

 To change a book cover, description, etc., you need to send them a note then wait until the change takes place.  At least a few days – AllAuthor, it is instant.

 Also, I set up a five-day-promotion for one of my books and used their ad template, rather than uploading my own.  My promotion began and within less than 6 hours, I received an email from them saying that I should halt my ad and change it as there hadn’t been any ‘clicks’ to it.  Huh.  I tried uploading my own ad template, but it kept getting rejected.  I gave up.

 I do know that Bookbub is supposedly a great place to market books.  Unfortunately, I am one of the few where it was not.

 Amazon KDP/AuthorCentral:

Like Goodreads and Facebook, all/most authors are already using these sites so there isn’t a whole lot more for me to add.  I use Kindle Create to upload books to Amazon Kindle and it’s a breeze, including paperback.  I had changed some book covers and a month later, I ordered author paperback copies so I could have a copy of the new cover and I received the old cover copy.  I contacted them and their rep was so very helpful.  They tossed the leftover old cover paperbacks and assured me that only the new ones would be sent in the future.  They were great.

 I do like Author Central’s new ‘author page’ setup.  They’ve been very helpful to me a couple of times.  Lately, I keep trying to bold the first line of my book descriptions and once that’s done, their fine for a while, then bold disappears again.  I need to contact them about that, but otherwise, I have enjoyed working with them.

 Draft2Digital.com/Books2Read.com:  Free marketplace for books

Only recently I discovered these sites.  They go hand-in-hand...Draft2Digital to upload books, Books2Read to connect to different retailers.  It was extremely easy to upload my books and kind of fun to watch all the retailers accumulating. 

 I did have a little trouble (surprise!) after customizing my UBL (universal link that gives buyers a snapshot of all retailers/costs for your books), I ended up with 2 UBLs each.  Their rep was super helpful, corrected the problem, walked me through each step and sent me a cool easy reference page of instructions.  I love great customer service people. 

 I haven’t been on this long enough to say much else, but I was so very impressed by them.

 Smashwords.com:  Free marketplace for books

I have a few books on this site.  Uploading books is easy, until it comes to being approved for the premium version.  This was pretty time-consuming and confusing, at least for me.  I struggled a ton with the Table of Contents.  You can download a huge file of instructions, but I finally contacted them.  One of their reps responded and was very helpful...apparently, there were hidden bookmarks in the Table of Contents and I finally, after a great deal of time, was able to fix that.

 They have a nice reporting system.  And promotional opportunities at a reasonable cost.

 Facebook:

Well, this one is universally known, so I cannot add much about it.  They do offer reasonable promotions where you determine the cost and choose targe audience.  I also belong to several other FB groups that focus on my genre of books and those are great to meet other authors and promote your books to readers.

 Pinterest.com:  Free to join and post

I use Pinterest for book specials/promos only.  You can set the amount you’re willing to spend and choose your target audience.  I usually do a $10-20 ad for a few days.  I don’t have a huge following there, but I know I have sold several books every time I advertise there.

 Alignable.com:  Free to join - Local business contacts

I believe this is available nationally, I’m not sure.  It is a sort of local business yellow-pages, although you have your own ‘page’ and can earn other business’ recommendations.  I’ve been using to connect with people in my area.  I’ve made a lot of friends there and I post my book promotions for free under ‘events’.  They also offer a paid promo through their weekly newsletter.  It’s an additional site that doesn’t consume a lot of time.

 RWA.com:  Contests & Membership - For Romance Authors Only

I was first introduced to RWA through entering one of my books into their 2020 contest.  I was not a member and the cost for me was $35 to enter.  After I won for the historical genre, I joined the group.  The cost was $124/year (I hated to spend the money, but...I was so thrilled to have won!  I received a really cool plaque and supposedly, I will be invited to an awards ceremony in FL next spring.) 

 This is a huge group and for a more social romance author, it’s probably worth the cost.  They do send out a booklet with a lot of great writing information, but it does seem to me as though they spend way more time deciding upon/voting for new admin people, than anything else.  And all their conferences, contests, etc., cost additional money rather than being included in the membership fee.  Which I kind of resent.

 BookSirens.com:

In this site, you request approval of your book before any cost passes to them.  All I can say is, they have quickly rejected all my books without any reason or explanation or even an email informing of the rejection.  I needed to go back onto the sight to find out, so I gave up on them.  Honestly, I would have thought at least one of my books deserved inclusion.  But that’s me and obviously not.  I would not rule them out until you try! 

 There are sites like Netgalley ($$ over my budget) and Bookviral (over $200), and several others, that are too expensive for me to even consider their promotions.  They are probably super sites for authors, but I cannot afford the cost.

 Several ‘smaller’ sites that offer Twitter-only to promote: 

I have not had any luck with these, but perhaps other authors have.  I didn’t want to post specific sites here, but I have been, shall I say, suckered into paying $20-50 for a few of these in the past with zero return.  Again, other authors may have had better luck.

How to Promote Your Book—5 Strategies for Authors

Guest article from Chloe Harris

Books with compelling content are often passed over due to ineffective promotion. Convincing people to read a book is quite different from convincing them to buy clothes, cars, and houses.

We’ve gathered a few useful strategies to promote your book:

Choose a Professional Book Cover

The old saw runs “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But people do judge a book by its cover. A 2017 study revealed that a whopping 52% base their decision on the jacket artwork.

Work with professional book cover designer in conveying the right message, attracting the right audience. Your ideas will be the basis of the design, while the artist manipulates the elements to arrive at a professional, attention-getting result.

Author-designed covers run the risk of potential readers identifying the work as self-published, and therefore passing over it.

Use Social Media Effectively

“As of January 2020, over 3.8 billion people are using social media. This means that by simply introducing your book through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you could stir the interest of many. However, you will have to optimise social media use for this happen.”, said Alistaire Clare, Credit Capital’s business consultant.

Social proof is vital in earning recognition. With an official page, it will be easier for potential readers to find your book. Make sure to include the following:

• A high-resolution photo of the book

• A photo of yourself with a short biography

• A snippet about the book

• Some testimonials from those who’ve read your book already

Facebook ads are also useful in reaching specific targets in terms of location, gender, age, and preferences.

Organise an Event in Local Bookstores

Avid book buyers visit local bookstores to hunt for old and new masterpieces. So, make sure not to miss this fanbase. Here are 21 charming bookshops in Australia.

Many local bookstores regularly feature new authors. Often, they also have a relationship with local book clubs that could review your book. 

• Prepare a good pitch, explaining how the bookstore can benefit from your book.

• Ask if you could display promotional banners and posters.

• Plan an entertaining presentation

• Hold a live Q&A

• Sign books for free or hold small contests

If things go well with local bookstores, you might contemplate further events in larger venues.

Reach out to Book Reviewers

It’s essential to gather as many reviews possible, mainly if you’re selling online. Books with more reviews get more visibility. They also create an impression that the content is promising.

Search for book reviewers who are interested in your genre. Ask them to leave an honest review. You might have to send a free copy, but that’s totally worth it, especially if the reviewer has a large following. Here are some great choices:

• Aussie Reviews

• Booktopia

• Ragamuffin Books

• Readability Australia

• Lost in a Good Book

• Goodreads

Also. try sending a letter to Australian Book Review. ABR is an independent, non-profit magazine that publishes book reviews.

Are you an independent author who wants to have a professionally-designed book? Working Type offers design, layout, and print solutions that can transform your manuscript into a best-seller. We also assist in e-book publishing and digital and print promotions. Contact us now for more information!

An Independent Author Talks About Getting Her Book Right and the Process of Designing the Cover

Jacqueline Hodder, author of the fine historical drama “The Sentinel” has some kind words about the cover design process at WorkingType Design, and also some very interesting thoughts overall on the process of bringing out a work of fiction and getting all of the elements right.

David Gaughran is the Bomb

In a world of hucksters and over-promising, David Gaughran stands out for producing material with some integrity and a lot of detail. He produces a great deal of free material (alongside paid information) relating to the effective digital marketing of books — an essential part of book promotion these days, accelerated still further by the covid debacle. His free Starting from Zero course should be an essential starting point for any digital marketing neophyte. He approaches the Amazon borg with curiosity and humour, and demystifies the algorithms that increasingly rule our online lives.

From Lakes Entrance to the Isle of Man

The indefatigable Pat Kelly, author of several engaging historical novels has released Beyond the Seas, available on Amazon and other online booksellers. As usual, she has been promoting her latest book effectively around her hometown (Lakes Entrance) and also much further afield. As a former resident on the Isle of Man, she has used her connections there to organise an article in a Manxian publication. The reference to South Africa is a little astray geographically, but otherwise, a great summary of Pat and her work.

PDF to Word Document conversions

Authors often download Acrobat/PDF files when researching a particular topic, then experience issues in bringing that text into their word processor. Copy and paste is of limited utility, and loses local text formatting such as underlines, bolding, italics and superscripting. Fortunately Adobe (the creators of Acrobat) maintain a free online conversion utility: https://www.adobe.com/au/acrobat/online/pdf-to-word.html

A list of other conversion utilities is maintained at the base of that page.