Outside! Yay. If you want to wear your sunglasses you should. It can add to your mystique like your hats. I wear sunglasses outside all the time unless it’s really overcast or dark. I don’t know if that’s due to wearing contacts for a few decades or if my eyes are just sensitive.
I’m a contact lens wearer too! I just thought it might look weird on the video… The light wasn’t bothering me – it was a vanity thing that I was squinching 😀
Those rates seem very reasonable actually, especially if they know all the rules for the different formats. Book covers seem to range from ~$100 for a pre-made cover to ~$600 for a custom cover. I sort of feel like after you spend a hefty chunk of change on a fancy custom cover, the formatting is just a drop in the bucket at that point. Though I don’t know how many copies you’d need to sell just to break even on the costs. But getting your money back after buying a Mac and Vellum and learning to format it yourself… Yeah, I’d pay the $115 at that point too.
You also have to figure in the value of your time and I figure mine is better spent writing or on other related tasks that only I can do, like social media. I typically spend $425 on my covers and proofreading depends on wordcount, but averages ~$700. So for a $4.99 book, that’s about 350 copies, rounded up. If I’m doing things right, I can sell at least that many copies on release day, but for someone still establishing their platform, it can take longer. Also, a newbie writer will want to invest in content and copy editing, too, possibly also line editing. It’s an investment! But, I totally agree that the formatting is a small piece of that pie.
Thank you for bringing your interaction to a human level with your pod cast and now video. I sure try not to read those big name authors because the book costs are unreasonable because that feel they have made it and want to stick it to people. I rather read people with unique following. I can buy 3 books to the cost of those other “elite” authors and discover different styles of writing. I do consider you a true elite author because you remember to be human and decent to the world. 😊
Oh, wow – thank you for such kind words! I have to say that not all authors can control the price of their books. Still, I very much appreciate that you call me human and decent. <3
There’s a weird elitism with the Apple crowd; iphone users are often just as bad as mac users. I’ve never understood their eagerness to spend more money for inferior and non-customizable products. Did you hear about the website who would raise the prices on their products when the user was browsing with an Apple product?
I appreciate that you still publish your books in physical form instead of just ebooks!
How do you approach book cover design?
Oh! Good question. I’ll discuss that tomorrow. Short answer is: I also hire that out
Outside! Yay. If you want to wear your sunglasses you should. It can add to your mystique like your hats. I wear sunglasses outside all the time unless it’s really overcast or dark. I don’t know if that’s due to wearing contacts for a few decades or if my eyes are just sensitive.
I’m a contact lens wearer too! I just thought it might look weird on the video… The light wasn’t bothering me – it was a vanity thing that I was squinching 😀
That is a very blue sky! I’m jealous lol!
Those rates seem very reasonable actually, especially if they know all the rules for the different formats. Book covers seem to range from ~$100 for a pre-made cover to ~$600 for a custom cover. I sort of feel like after you spend a hefty chunk of change on a fancy custom cover, the formatting is just a drop in the bucket at that point. Though I don’t know how many copies you’d need to sell just to break even on the costs. But getting your money back after buying a Mac and Vellum and learning to format it yourself… Yeah, I’d pay the $115 at that point too.
You also have to figure in the value of your time and I figure mine is better spent writing or on other related tasks that only I can do, like social media. I typically spend $425 on my covers and proofreading depends on wordcount, but averages ~$700. So for a $4.99 book, that’s about 350 copies, rounded up. If I’m doing things right, I can sell at least that many copies on release day, but for someone still establishing their platform, it can take longer. Also, a newbie writer will want to invest in content and copy editing, too, possibly also line editing. It’s an investment! But, I totally agree that the formatting is a small piece of that pie.
Ooh, right. All the proofing and editing costs too. Good to know! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Thank you for bringing your interaction to a human level with your pod cast and now video. I sure try not to read those big name authors because the book costs are unreasonable because that feel they have made it and want to stick it to people. I rather read people with unique following. I can buy 3 books to the cost of those other “elite” authors and discover different styles of writing. I do consider you a true elite author because you remember to be human and decent to the world. 😊
Oh, wow – thank you for such kind words! I have to say that not all authors can control the price of their books. Still, I very much appreciate that you call me human and decent. <3
Gary used to be a mac-head, but I converted him 😉
There’s a weird elitism with the Apple crowd; iphone users are often just as bad as mac users. I’ve never understood their eagerness to spend more money for inferior and non-customizable products. Did you hear about the website who would raise the prices on their products when the user was browsing with an Apple product?
I appreciate that you still publish your books in physical form instead of just ebooks!
You are a force for good! I agree on the weird elitism – and yes! I read about the price thing. Figures!
And Carien would desert me if I stopped making print versions to 😀