Kat

If you’re not a font designer but still want font customization you can change the kerning, tracking, skew, or the vertical or horizontal scale of the text. You can also add layer effects to give your fonts that extra pop, but try to reserve that for only title text. If you want to try your hand at font design, I would suggest using Illustrator to create your font and then move it to InDesign to do the rest of your layout work. Or send your newly created font to a company that can turn it into a real editable font.

I’d start by looking up the designers of covers you like. Next I’d ask other indies who they’d recommend. Third search Google or a forum you frequent.

Seek out the policies page on the stock site. Or on the specific stock’s page. Or if in doubt, contact the creator of said stock. I use Fotolia, because they have a great range of stock and policies that protect you. If your photo manipulation style is more filter heavy, Photoshop is your program. If your photo manipulation style is more illustrative (like mine), Corel Painter is your program.

There are two ways I would suggest doing series or trilogy covers based on the content in the books. For single POV books: I’d recommend using the same model or character design for each cover but using different colors, situations or background elements for each. For example, the covers I created for LM Preston’s The Pack series, featured this type of design. If instead you are using symbols or other non-human design element such as Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, all the covers should use similarly important symbols. Color isolation, like that used in the Twilight Saga covers, is another good example.

There are bad covers out there; we have all seen them. The ones with the glaring, eye-searing colors, painful design, and horrid photoshopping that should be a crime against humanity. I could go on for days about the horrors I have seen lurking in the dark corners of bookshops, but I’m sure you’d all rather I talk about what makes a good cover. The kind that stands out on a crowded shelf and demands you buy it.

Best: That you have complete creative control. Worst: Since you’re basically running your own company you have to split your time between so many things you wouldn’t have to do if you were traditionally published.

Most little girls play house or with dolls, I played store. I think I’ve wanted to own my own business since I was five. I come from a long line of people with that entrepreneurial spirit, so it was inevitable, really. I have nothing against traditional publishing, I have a lot of friends who work in the industry. But for me, it was more important that I do this myself, than hand my project over to someone else. I really like the idea that this is mine; that I made this. My words, my art, my design, my drive, moving it forward. That my readers get one complete vision, one story, one voice. Pure, the way it was meant to be.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? The question is what don’t I do, really. Well first and foremost I create art, being that it’s my day job. I read a lot of books and manga and watch TV shows or movies and anime. I make cosplay, micro origami and miniature hand bound books. I take a jazz dance class once a week and perform in it’s two yearly shows. I’ve actually been in dance for the majority of my life. I also perform in the world famous historical re-enactment event The Great Dickens Fair every year. If you’re ever in the SF Bay Area during the winter holidays you should come check it out. Lastly my husband convinced me I should join their Pathfinder tabletop role playing game, so I’ll be starting that soon.