Self-publishing Sales Will Soar When Your Book is Designed Well
Corporations spend millions of dollars on determining their product packaging. They spend months taking surveys and performing marketing tests. They hire people to analyze every word they use, and they pay top dollar for the best graphic designers. Those companies know that the proper packaging could mean the difference between having an industry-leading product, or a warehouse full of unsold merchandise. The same can be said about the design of your book.
Your book might be filled with prose that would make William Shakespeare blush, but you will be hard pressed to give copies away if your book’s art looks cheap and unprofessional. Many authors elect to hire freelance graphic artists to handle their book’s design and layout. That’s a great way to go if you can afford it. Less well-endowed authors can save a few dollars by handling their basic design on their own with computer software such as Quark or Adobe InDesign. Whichever way you decide to go, here are some things to consider regarding your book’s layout and design:
Cover art. Your book’s cover will give readers their first impressions of your work. A well-designed cover furnishes readers with just enough information to spark their curiosity and make them want to look inside. If you are designing your own cover, remember that it will be laid out in one large piece that wraps over the book. Your printer will give you exact dimensions for your layout.
Margins. An easy way to spot a book designed by an amateur is by checking the margins. Remember that the point of setting your margins is to make your book neat and easy to read. If your book’s inside margin is too small, readers will struggle with