Let’s talk Book Covers – what makes a great Book Cover?

Hi again.

Confession; I RARELY find a book cover I am so enamoured with that it sways me to buy a book without reading the first page or two, or at the very least, 2-3 reviews (hence why reviews are so important). Having said that, it would be a lie to say book covers do not sway the buyer, me included.

Sadly, they often sway me the WRONG way. Here are a few things that make me roll my eyes or simply skip completely.

• I can’t read the title – Now I’m not talking about the small print on Amazon, I’m talking about when I open the damn thing on my Kindle and someone has convinced the Author to go with some crazy font that
  1. Either my Kindle can’t read
  2. My eyes can’t take
  3. both
• Overly busy covers – Again, there is a time, place, genre, for busy, but honestly if I’m doing a book cover version of ‘Where’s Wally’ then I’m unlikely to want to read the book because
  1. I’m already over the cover
  2. Subliminally I am already thinking the novel will reflect the cover and I’ll be pulled in 100 directions looking for the point.
• Too bold and bright – Again, there is nothing wrong with bold and bright, but it must be done with some reference to the novel inside and the cover needs to allow my eyes to ‘rest’ a little too. Personally (and this is entirely personal) I am not fond of covers with too much orange or sunbeam yellow, I find those colours, when they dominate, to make me feel hot and sticky. Again personal preference, other people will love this but
  1. If your novel is not set in a hot & sticky setting, Summer time island setting, India during the monsoon period, as examples, that’s the impression it gives, even if people don’t know it
  2. And/or if your theme is not hot and sticky, think steamy erotic scenes, then the cover will not match either
  3. If you are going for a complete contrast to the theme and setting with your cover, more power to you, but you need to keep in mind that some people (like me) will skim right past this cover (unless it has been recommended)
• Really stupid marketing ploys – Sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially if you have assess to some illustration software and a desire to show ‘how creative’ you are. Not that long ago I read about a novel that had come out. I’d love to give you the title but, in the wisdom of the author and their publisher or agent or some intern in the marketing department, the novel HAS NO WRITTEN TITLE! I kid you not. Instead, there is an image of a group of people, their backs turned away, in a field in the evening looking at the stars. I think one is pointing but I could be making that bit up. The idea is that the ‘picture tells the story’ as in it’s called “Look Up” or something like that. Yes, it was a clever idea while on the promo cycle – I will grant you that, but what then? Someone is surfing the pages of Amazon or Smashwords (or wherever it is found – I have never checked) and there’s no title – Silly much? I can’t recall if the Author’s name is on the cover either.

And then there are all the truly jaw-droopingly obvious bits of advice I have read for improving/picking your cover-design. Comments like:

• Obtain Good Images (no! REALLY? Who knew?)
• Consider your format
• Use your imagination 

I could go on but honestly, why do people bother spending time writing this stuff, obtain good images… good grief! As far as images are concerned, yes OBVIOUSLY obtain good images, but more importantly, obtain images you are legally entitled to use. FYI, just because it’s on the net does not mean it’s free to use.

So, you may have noticed I’m a little bit ‘NARKY’ on this topic and that’s because everyone’s an expert. Truth is, it’s YOUR book, if you are with an agent or publisher, or if you’re doing this on your own, if you REALLY dislike your cover, stand up and say so. This is your career and this novel is a representation of you.

Here are my tips

1. Take your Writers Cap off and put your Readers Cap on. Look at the piles of novels you have around the house and those on your Kindle, and divide them by which covers most drew you in. Don’t think about age category or genre, think only COVER DESIGN. The reason for this is whatever you are drawn to is also a reflection of who you are and will likely help you discover how you want your cover represented. What you want is colour, imagery, design rather than girl-kissing-boy-love-story. Do you like the colours muted or bold and bright? Do you prefer the image to exactly reflect your novel or be a little mysterious – that sort of thing.
2. Now make a list of your favourite book covers and
   1. Either find out who the illustrator/artist is or
   2. Give it to potential illustrators/your agent/your publisher as a guide of what you like.
3. Write ½ a dozen 6-12 word pitches (that’s it no more) for your novel. This will help you clarify what your message/theme is as well as your audience. It’s a lot easier to create a cover when you know the theme in a few words and the audience it’s aimed at.
4. Avoid the obvious – in other words, picture clichés. There is nothing wrong with turning a cliché on its head, that’s called clever marketing, but if it isn’t done well, the cover becomes a dud.
5. Avoid too many images. Again, this is not a set-in-stone rule, in fact none of these are, it’s art and can be whatever you want it to be, but, busy images can confuse the potential reader.
6. Look into colours & mood – seriously. This is not some ‘new-age’ mumbo jumbo, there are scientific studies to show that specific colours and tones within that colour palate, evoke different feelings and emotions.
7. Go to a book store, the library, Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads and do a search on your category and genre and see what covers are out there, and see which ones do it for you – add them to your list.
8. If on doubt, throw it out. This is the hardest one. You may have an artist friend doing you a favour, perhaps for free or next to nothing, but you really don’t like the cover. It’s not going to be easy to say it’s not working for you but it’ll be a lot easier to do before the thing gets printed and you hate it and resent your friend a little too. Or you may have an agent, or publisher, or both, who have got their team of artists and illustrators… and they DO KNOW what they are doing. You should listen. You should try to learn. You should be prepared to compromise, however if you feel so strongly about the cover that is bothers you a day or two later, speak up before any more time or money is spent. Once it’s out, fixing the cover is not so simple.
9. Don’t skimp on design. Yes it’s not cheap, especially if you are going the SP route, but, just as a good editor and proof reader is vital to your novel inside, a good, professional cover is to the front. It doesn’t have to have an image of the cosmos that was taken on a space-station, but it does have to have a clear image with decent pixels that conforms to industry standards.

Lastly, I’ll refer you to Writer Digest (which for those of you who follow me know I think are a very useful author resource):

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/general/10-tips-for-effective-book-covers

They have 10-tips.

Many of them are the same as mine. I in fact read theirs after I had read mine and it’s interesting that we cover pretty much the same points. If you don’t believe me, believe them 🙂

*Lost Lynx* Wish-List & Submission Guidelines

Hello all, 

As promised, the Lost Lynx Publishing & Media website has now updated their wish-list and submission guidelines… both of which you’ll find under the website SUBMISSION button. There’s a fair bit of information, how-to’s and what Lost Lynx is most interested in… and so on. I’ll post updates here too, but for now, I’d suggest going to the website and taking a look.  http://www.lostlynxpublishing.com/

And you’d be wise to follow Lost Lynx on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LostLynxPub 

Where’s a little of what you’ll find on the two new pages:

Example of how your submission should look:

Attention Submissions Editor,

Please find my submission for (TITLE OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT), a (WORD COUNT) (CATEGORY & GENRE) which fits your current fiction wish-list.

(BODY OF QUERY)

(BIO)

Per submission guidelines I have attached my first (3 chapters/ 5000 words), 1.5 spacing (And this is where you tell us if it’s all prologue), and included my 1.5 spaced synopsis below my signature.

Regards,

YOUR NAME
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
(& if you want) Links to TWITTER/FACEBOOK/BLOG

All of the above will total 500-words + synopsis below here:

Lost Lynx Publishing & Media is currently closed for submissions, however, with the end of August only days away, we thought it time to let everyone know what we want and what we are looking for in the new year. Additionally, the website has also had a complete face-lift. You’ll also find out why the Lost Lynx name & the new MOTTO in Latin:  “Bene est enim numerus magnitudine; quid est defectus” (& the translation) on the website. Let us know what you think 🙂

& as always, feel free to post a comment on here too 😉

Overcoming the Dreaded Synopsis – or How to beat the Synopsis Devil

If Query Letters are the Spawn of the Devil, then the dreaded synopsis surely is the devil for most authors. Sadly, they are a fact of life, so let’s try to make them as painless as possible, which I grant you, is not easy – after all how do you condense your 90,000-word manuscript to 500-1000 words? – with a lot of research and even more patience.

Defining a Synopsis

The purpose of a synopsis is to plot out novel (plot, theme, characters, setting), while also banding together the ‘big picture.’ Quickly telling what your novel is about, start to finish, so that the editor/agent doesn’t have to read the entire novel – in other words, keep no plot twists or the ending a secret.

You have likely seen agents/editors all ask for differing lengths. Most ask for 1 or 2 pages, some ask for more and a few I’ve heard of ask for 300-words or even less. In other words, there are no ‘real’ rules to the length of the ideal synopsis – so you need to follow the submission guidelines.

Most agents/editors read 100’s of submissions every week so many will ask for your synopsis to be double spaced, especially those wanting more than one page. You have to think about how straining it is on the eyes to be reading 100’s of submissions. If an agent doesn’t specify if they want the synopsis single, 1.5 or double spacing, I recommend a spacing of 1.5 – you can write something like: Per submission guidelines I have included the (number of) pages and synopsis below. As you don’t mention the spacing preferred, I have used 1.5 spacing for your convenience.

You will not lose any good-will points for 1.5 spacing but you may gain some for being considerate. This is just a suggestion and, as long as there are no specific guidelines on the spacing, you can use your discretion. Also, unless specifically stated, your synopsis should be embedded in the email.

When writing your synopsis, focus on the essential parts of your story, and try not to include sections of dialogue unless you think they’re absolutely necessary, and then only very (very, very) short sections of dialogue. Personally I don’t like seeing dialogue in a synopsis as I feel that’s what the manuscript sample pages are for. However I wouldn’t reject based on one short 10 word section of dialogue – especially if it suits the synopsis and is a brilliant line.

What to avoid when writing your Synopsis

While there is no universal standard for the length of a novel synopsis, agents/editors usually favour one to two pages. Sometimes an agent might ask for a chapter outline instead, which is a synopsis of each chapter. Here are some tips on what to avoid:

• Too much detail.What you’re aiming for is a summary, just enough detail about the plot to give them a real feel of the theme and story-line direction.
• Editorialising. Don’t use “…this is a tender and emotional point in the story…” Here’s what the agent/editor might read from your editorial notes;

1. author doesn’t have confidence in their story
2. the story is full of unnecessary exposition
3. there could be a lot of work cutting to the meat of the manuscript
4. the author doesn’t understand the purpose of a synopsis and therefore perhaps hasn’t researched the writing profession
5. all of the above

• Unnecessary description/explanation. Make each word count.
• Don’t mention too many events – it’s not a shopping list.
• Don’t mention too many characters – It’s confusing for the reader to follow and unnecessary. We don’t need to know about the neighbours second cousin who visits every summer and makes the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet. Detail like this is left for the manuscript, not the synopsis.
• Writing back cover & not a synopsis. I’ve actually read some sites suggest writing a ‘hook’ for your synopsis – your query did that already. Your focus should be on giving the agent/editor a concise summary.

Synopsis Format

Paragraph 1-2:  Begin with identifying your protagonist, problem or conflict, and setting.

Paragraph 3: Should convey any major plot turns or conflicts necessary and any important secondary characters (note the word important – you are not mentioning the neighbour down the street that your MC sometimes passes the time of day with – you should be introducing secondary characters vital to the plot/twist/ outcome). Characters should be mentioned in the order they are presented in the manuscript.

Paragraph 4-5 This is where you mention the conflict, and ideally, a secondary issue/conflict/point of difference. Agents/editors want to know the story is not one dimensional for example, if you’re writing a romance, the main theme is the romance, but there could be a secondary conflict – something to do with the MC’s life such as a personal struggle, a family illness (perhaps a member of the family is suffering from an illness or the MC is a single parent raising a child, or there is a legal/mortal/financial issue that needs addressing etc). Other conflicts could be the world the MC is set in (historical /fantasy) which causes issues or a past the MC needs to protect/address/resolve.

For example: “Just as the relationship between Mary and John starts to develop, Mary’s estranged father, Mike, turns up at her doorstep wanting to reconcile…” and then you go on to explain what the issue is (briefly) with Mary’s father, why they are estranged and what threat her father poses to Mary.

Paragraph 6 – Summary conclusion. This is the ending of the story not your interpretation of the ‘inner meaning and symbolism within the story’ – let the reader of your manuscript decide what the story means and symbolises. Don’t anger an agent/editor or have them roll their eyes at what might come off as cliché, predictable or simply boring. You’ve got this far with the agent/editor, don’t ruin it right at the end.

Note I have suggested the length to be between 4-6 paragraphs. This is how you break up your synopsis size. For those agents wanting 1-page, you are looking at 3-4 paragraphs. For those wanting 2-pages, you are looking at 6, possibly 7 (depending on length of each paragraph).

Lastly and if you follow nothing else I have suggested above, take this one piece of advice as a RULE. Follow the submission guidelines – to the letter. If the agent/editor wants up to 500 words, make it 500 words not 510, but 500. It’s true that most agents/editors will not dismiss your submission because it’s over by 10-words, but it will surely be in the back of their minds. If the agent/editor wants double spacing in Arial with a smiley face at the end of each paragraph – then that’s what you do. Don’t ask why, you know why – that’s their REQUIREMENT – FULL STOP – simple! Don’t cut your writers throat by being ‘clever and original’ – that’s what your manuscript is for, not your synopsis.

Further Synopsis Research

I would also recommend sites with excellent ‘how-too’s  – many with examples of successful synopsis’

Sites such as:

• Writers Digest – http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/synopsis-writing
• Nathan Bransford – http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/08/how-to-write-synopsis.html
• Preditors & Editors – http://pred-ed.com/pubsubs.ht

There are many other’s available, the above is intended as a starting point.

How to Write a Killer Query Letter

Let’s face it, query letters are the spawn of the devil, but sadly they are the bread & butter covering that meaty manuscript filling and if you can’t wrap up your manuscript within an awesome query letter, often you’re not going to have a hope in high heaven to get your manuscript read.

I’m not going to tell you anything anyone else hasn’t said:

Hook

All consuming middle paragraph (or two)

Last paragraph that has voice, what’s at stake and who’s going to win and lose… blah, blah, blah… yep we all know the ‘rules’ trouble is writing is an art and art has no rules!

So I’m going to suggest a different approach… lets forget about the hook (for the time being) and let’s work on the second bit first.

Actually, let’s take an entire step back and do something no one has likely suggested, stay with me because some people are about to roll their eyes at me. You know that moment when you get a new idea, that brilliant moment when you have your main character, your setting and your bad-guy all sorted and you can’t wait to start punching your laptop keys? Guess what, that’s where and when you start your query letter process.

OK, stop rolling your eyes, seriously, stay with me, it’ll all make sense in about two minutes. When your manuscript is little more than an idea that you want to jot down so you don’t forget it, that is your moment of clarity –seriously.

Think back to every time you’ve started a new WIP and your partner or friends ask “what are you working on?” and you are able to tell them in a few lines, “My main character is a time-travelling witch who has no control of when and to which period she jumps…etc”

Its when there is perfect clarity of who the MC is, what is happening, what is at stake and who will gain and who will lose if the MC does or does not achieve their objective. Now, if you’re already working on your MS, it’s still not too late. You can still work out the crux of your story – by forgetting about the query and instead working on your pitch. Give yourself 30-60 words, no more, to nut out what’s really at stake, who will win and who will lose.

You see the issue with most queries is that they get lost in the muddy world of sub-plots and over-wordy mish-mash of stuff that is surely vital in the manuscript but not at all needed in a query. Once you’ve got your pitch ready, from it, you can create your query. Fill with a little meat, not too much, remember you want the editor/agent to ask THE RIGHT questions, that is, “I wonder what happens”, rather than, “Why is this and that important/happening?”

Still stuck?

OK, try this. Don’t try any more (for the moment), give it a rest and then, the next time someone asks you, “what’s your MS about?” after you’ve finished giving them your pitch (because spoiler alert- that’s what you’re doing), jot down what you just said. It doesn’t have to be word-for-word but I bet you it’s not a war&peace epic – right?

And now you’re ready for the hook.

And again I’m going to suggest something that is likely not often said – read other successful hooks. Learn from the best.  After all, isn’t the path to being a great writer filled with reading as many books as possible? So why would you think it different for hooks? Read hooks that worked in your genre and in others. See how they have used very few words to convey voice and create tension/interest.

Perfecting queries is just like everything in like, try and try again.

Look, it’s true, some people are naturals. Sometimes someone who has written their first manuscript just ‘gets everything right’ but that’s not the case with most of us.

Get your paragraph 2, 3 & 4 right first – then worry about your hook.

I’ll let you in on a trade secret; killer hooks are awesome and everyone wants to see one, but most agents and editors will forgive an average hook if the query is killer-hot, however if the hook is oh-myyy-gorrd amazing and the rest of the query isn’t, it’s almost always a reject.

Killer hooks is what you really, really, really want – but killer queries is what you really, really, really, need to get a request for more pages.

Hello & Welcome!

Lost Lynx Publishing & Media has been several years in the making; primarily because we wanted to get it right.

As we are very small we never intended to ‘compete’ with the big guys, to put it frankly, we can’t – however that doesn’t mean we don’t have something to offer and something to share.

So, after many years of research, here we are!

Before we talk about what Lost Lynx is, I’d like to tell you what it is not:

(i)                 we are not a vanity press – and never will be

(ii)               we are not another form or option for self-publishing.  While there is a place in today’s market for well written, professionally edited and marketed self-published books, our business does not include that

(iii)             we are not, nor will we ever be, a large traditional publisher — we’re talking ’boutique’ — we’re looking at somewhere between 2-4 published works a year — we’re hoping to offer a little more for the those with a unique idea, or voice, or theme or (hopefully) all three. We are not looking for the next ‘Twilight’ but rather the next new wave of author (although if we had a massive success we’d be popping champagne; promise).

Having said the above, you might be asking yourself, “OK so what do you do then?”

I’m glad you asked.

The Lost Lynx Blog will have two main functions.

(i) an additional avenue for aspiring writers to prefect their draft query letters

(ii) a forum for the promotion of topical events, launches and links to other useful Blogs & Websites

(iii) an avenue for talent that doesn’t fit into neat box. Cross-genres (think space-cowgirl who solves mysteries and crochet’s doilies), tough subject matter (think bi-polar lawyer who is defending a convicted drug-dealer), that sort of stuff.

We would love to hear your feedback and to also become connected with you on Twitter.