And, of course, the description.
Probably one of the hardest things for a first-time author is not so much the writing but what is needed after the book is written.
You need a good description. Short, sharp, incisive!
There’s a ream of advice out there, and I have read it all.
And, still, I got it wrong.
Then there is the cover.
I wanted simplistic, a short description to give the reader a taste of what’s in store, and let the story speak for itself.
No.
Apparently, a good cover will attract the reader to the book.
When I tendered my books on various sites to advertise them, sites such as Goodreads, and ThirdScribe, all was well with what I had done.
Then I submitted my books to a third site and they rejected the covers as too simplistic and the descriptions mundane, and wouldn’t post them.
Wow.
There’s a huge blow to the ego. And just the sort of advice that would make a writer think twice about even bothering to continue.
But…
Perhaps the person who wrote that critique was being cruel to be kind.
At any rate, I am changing the covers, and rewording the descriptions.
Will it be a case of ‘what a difference a cover makes’?
Your comments touched on one of my pet peeves. I believe bookcovers are designed to lead the reader by the nose, e.g. dark shadow man for crime, light girly pink covers for chick lit, grunge art for sci-fi, etc. Modern bookcovers want you to make assumptions before you read the first page. They can tell too much, belying the old adage. I applaud you for having a go!
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