Selfpublishing allows you more control over your book, but also gives you more responsibility. He organized the list by genre, making it a lot easier to find the best fit for your book. There are two things that are nonnegotiable in my opinion for indie authors who want to sell books. He discusses what book covers have in common with other forms of product packaging, and where they differ. Derek murphy s book cover design secrets should be mandatory reading for any writer who is on the verge of publishing, whether the writer intends to make their own cover or hire it done. Derek murphy is the bestselling author of several books including book cover design secrets you can use to sell more books. I made this video for the indie author fringe fest. Derek used a process of trial and error, presenting all kinds of alternatives that helped us to work towards. Derek murphy has been a book cover designer, writing coach and publishing consultant for almost a decade, working behind the scenes with hundreds of indie and selfpublishing authors to make their books more successful. Three foolproof book cover design layouts for any genre. I had a nebulous idea in my head as to what the central images would be but couldnt articulate them properly. View derek murphys profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. This book is packed with information he includes advice on everything from common mistakes made in cover design that inhibit sales, to the color combos that. The easiest way to design a professional book cover, without hiring an.
Derek murphy february 11, 2020 book marketing, book publishing be the first to comment. This blog exists to help you get that book into peoples hands. Designing a book cover is your most important creative decision after writing the book. I watched the detailed easy to follow videos to format my novel. Creativindie book cover design professional book cover. A professional ebook cover design is the best marketing tool available for attracting new readers.
Derek murphy continues our discussion on book cover design. Need an optin offer or free ebook cover that doesnt look like a monkey went to town with ms paint. Selfpublishers dont have to reach very high to meet this standard. Ill probably let it go soonish, but for now ive removed the contact form because i cant imagine what youd want to talk to me about. Jealous every time your author buddies show off their pretty new promo graphics. But mostly i write books and binge netflix and try to. Its gorgeous, but it has no emotional resonance through character.
Thanks to derek murphys cover design secrets, not only did i save a thousand dollars maybe more and precious time that i could otherwise devote to writing, but i have a deeper understanding of what it takes to create an effective book cover that will sell lots of books. Weve both made the mistake of trying to make our book covers stand out, but many designers will tell you that a cliche book cover may do really well because its what the audience wants and lets them know what the book will be about right away. Now you can make your own professional looking book marketing images. Diy book covers free book design templates and tutorials. His book taught me a ton about what i should be looking for in a book cover. Book cover design secrets you can use to sell more books kindle edition. In todays episode, i talk about book cover design with derek murphy, who designs all my book covers, plus we discuss the importance of artists also being entrepreneurial. Unless youre an experienced cover designer like derek murphy of creativindie, diy covers using stock photos will put your fantasy novel at a serious disadvantage. Written by derek murphy, audiobook narrated by matt stone. So the first cover, through all initial iterations, was about the medical specimens and anatomy. Now i write ya fantasy novels and design book covers. I generally say no because kickstarter wont give you an audience, nor help you figure out how to package and position your book to appeal to them. Finally, an easytouse tool for making book mockups and 3d covers. Sell more books with less effort 95% of book marketing actually happens before you publish.
Cover design secrets you must know if you want anyone to buy. If you are taking orders for 5 dollars, you probably arent the next monet or van gogh. I wrote my ma thesis on harry potter and my phd thesis on paradise lost. Furthermore, they probably dont have a lot of experience in book covers. So i design resources to help people make their own professional book cover designs easily, without spending a lot of money. Get inspiration from them and order your book cover design today. The cover is crucial for your books success and i have witnessed hundreds of authors stick with a cover that they like even when its killing sales, and need to spend 10x more resources and time on book marketing. Choose the mockup design thats most suitable for your branding or promotional purpose. Derek has a wealth of experience in the publishing industry as a professional editor, cover designer, consultant, keynote speaker, and bestselling author.
Derek murphys cover design secrets should be mandatory reading for any writer who is on the verge of publishing. The main takeaway is that its not about the book cover i want but the book cover that will sell. Creative book cover design for bestselling authors. Diy book design is created by an author derek murphy for authors. I love how tothepoint derek murphy is with his information on book covers. The 10 best freelance book cover designers for hire in. Derek used a process of trial and error, presenting all kinds of alternatives that helped us to work towards the finished product together. Book cover design secrets you can use to sell more books book. Creativindie get paid well for the creative work you. These days he mostly writes young adult fantasy and science fiction, while. Derek murphy of creativindie has written a useful article on design secrets used by publishers to get us to buy books. But you cant change the world with a book thats still on your hard drive or in a box under your bed. Derek murphy of creativindie, i had only given him the themes.
Derek murphy takes some of the guesswork out of selecting a font by arranging them by genre. Derek murphy has been a book cover designer, writing coach and publishing consultant for almost a decade, helping thousands of authors put their books out into the world. Derek murphy s cover design secrets should be mandatory reading for any writer who is on the verge of publishing. Want your book to stand out, attract readers and sell more copies. How to design book covers for a series of books duration. Average designers can make what you want, or make something that is clean and functional, but they probably wont know what kind of covers are. You can convert a flat design into a 3d cover or group mockup in 3 simple steps. Hes been featured on cnn and spoken at dozens of writing conferences around the world. You might not be able to find exactly the font you like, but dereks post will give you an idea of what the title of, say, an sf book should look like. Cover design secrets that will help you sell more books. Derek murphy outlines what a good cover will always have. These book mockups and 3d devices were carefully selected, and can be arranged into limitless unique pairings and groups. Designing beautiful ebook covers that sell with derek.
Derek murphy is a cover designing indie author enthusiast, finishing a phd in literature and shopping for a castle in europe. More than just listing the dos and donts of effective covers, read. Check out these examples of beautiful book cover designs. As a new indie author with one unsuccessful book launch, i needed a way forward. Im a fine artist who became a book cover designer, then started writing young adult scifi and fantasy. We try to respond to all support requests within 2448 hours. Derek murphy is a starving artist turned professor of literature.
And thats what the guerrilla publishing course is everything needed to produce and release a book, all in one. If youre interested in learning how to design a book. Professional editing and professional cover design. Simple examples you can use for a book cover that sells, using three basic layouts. First you need to design the book professionally and upload the files to createspace and kindle my preferences. I ran across this excellent blogpost he did cover design secrets publishers use to manipulate readers into buying their books if youre an indie author who creates your own covers, or someone who buys a lot of premades, like i do, the article is definitely worth the read. Having an online business is a challenging blend of personality and professional image. Derek murphy is a book editor turned book designer with a ph.
Book cover design and entrepreneurship with derek murphy. And finally, derek murphy has compiled a list of fonts you might use on book covers. May 25, 2014 explore cindyleenewmans board derek a. Derek murphys book formatting templates are a like a lighthouse in a sea storm of confusion that is associated with creating a novel. Book cover design examples custom book cover portfolio. But truthfully, formatting is just a small piece of what. Derek murphy creativindie book cover design creativindie covers.
Book cover free font free fonts search and download. I dont paint anymore now i sometimes design book covers or help authors publish. Combine them with the free templates at for some eyecatching book marketing graphics you can use on social media, launch emails or advertising campaigns. The master package of book formatting templates has over 100 options to make your book beautifully unique, a package of genrespecific templates, and a whole new video series on book formatting thats more indepth and easier to follow than the free version. The best website for free highquality book cover fonts, with 37 free book cover fonts for immediate download. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover dereks. Derek murphy book marketing and publishing consultant. And if youre writing fantasy, youll want to find a designer who specializes in that genre and knows how to create covers worthy of a rick riordan novel. Some of these book covers represent the work of major writers and publishers. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. You need someone who can help make your book successful.
People often ask me if its worth crowdfunding your book to get the resources you need to publish. I understand that not everybody wants to spend a lot of money on book cover design. I could have spent hours poring the internet and refining my methods, but why would i when it is all in one place. Although im pretty good at book cover design, im finding that a lot of my value lies in knowing how to make a book succeed, with positioning, building an author platform, marketing and publicity professional design is a necessary starting point to publishing success, but its still just the beginning of a. The 7 musthaves with derek murphy indie author fringe 2016 elements of emaginette says. Book cover design secrets you can use to sell more books. Derek murphy is a book designer with a phd in literature. Ebook launch is one of the best book cover designers i knowespecially for the trickier covers which call for more creative, out of the box solutions. As a book designer and guerrilla marketing expert, derek has helped tens of thousands of authors finally realize their dream of publishing a. But often what we are attracted to is not necessarily what. Derek murphys book cover design secrets should be mandatory reading for any writer who is on the verge of publishing, whether the writer intends to. In this book, derek reveals the free or lowcost tools, tips and strategies that successful authors can use to get an edge drastically cutting costs from the expenses of.
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