What Can A Graphic Designer Do For You?

By, Jackie Mae

Graphic Designer - that wonderful designer who will compile your various files and polish your finished product to perfection. She/he will convey information through visual solutions. 

The definition of Graphic Design is "The art and profession of selecting and arranging visual elements—such as typography, images, symbols, and colours—to convey a message to an audience. Sometimes graphic design is called “visual communications.” It is a collaborative discipline: writers produce words and photographers and illustrators create images that the designer incorporates into a complete visual message." "Graphic Design." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graphic design>.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual wage for a graphic designer was $44,150 in 2012. They typically have a Bachelor's degree. Many work for well established companies, whereas some of them, like my graphic designer, works from the comfort of her own home.This mother of school-aged children has found a doable balance between career and family obligations. 

Are they worth their weight in Gold? Definitely, yes. With my first book, The Ones THE DARKEST SERIES I toiled long and hard, long after having written the book. Self-publishing is not easy folks. It takes a village.The Graphic Designer polishes your most important first impression - Your Book Cover. I cannot over emphasize how important this step is. Your cover is your first impression, the one that all your potential readers will see first. You won't achieve your goals with a poorly designed cover.  

You will need a graphic artist/designer who will listen to your needs, produce samples that match your specifications, and be able to handle your deadlines. Not to mention how a graphic designer must be able to "guess" what you want but don't quite understand it yet. 

With a specific plan I set out to find the perfect graphic artist with my first book. I "knew" exactly what I wanted and what would be best for my particular cover. Needless to say, the cover I ended up with was my graphic designers' vision after spending eons of time discussing my book. 

Like a pro baseball player, about to knock it out the park, the Graphic Designer you choose will not only produce your covers, put together your photographs, illustrations, to whatever you want in your book, but she will also design it so that your finished material will be a home run. She or he will organize your files in the formats you need, ePub, PDF, and/or mobi. A good Graphic Designer/Artist will guide you through the process.

Have a great book? Put a unprofessional cover on it and you will likely never get noticed. A professional cover will make or break your masterpiece. And don't discount organizing your interior in such a way that it stands out from the crowd. Do your homework when searching for a Graphic Designer. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and I value it. Having said that, keep in mind checking them out further is highly recommended. Your friend's friend is wonderful I'm sure but this is business. Here are some helpful links to get you started:

http://www.onepagelove.com
http://www.faveup.com
http://www.ucreative.com
http://www.bestwebgallery.com
http://www.forum.howdesign.com
https://www.odesk.com

Most, if not, all of us start out at the bottom. It is my belief that sharing in a heart-felt way as much as possible is something we all should be committed to. As always, please feel free to email me with any comments or suggestions. 

Is there any help out there for self-published authors?

by Jackie Mae

On this snowy Wednesday I am pondering over my choices. Many authors, not unlike myself, struggle with a multitude of decisions unrelated to writing. Long after the the months or perhaps years of writing, crafting that story to perfection, you find yourself facing a seemingly uphill battle. You now need to market.

There are many people eager to help you. Deciding which of those hundreds of offers you will find yourself faced with to accept is the crux of my story.

Marketing. To some a wonderful word, to me it was a four-letter word. Nonetheless I jumped into the fray with both feet. Excited, determined, and naive I had to take some hard knocks before I learned to have concise, realistic goals. Easier said than done. As I pondered my direction my email was flooded daily with advertisements promising answers to all my problems.

You name it, I have done it. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, Google+, my website, and my blog. There are several individual groups within most of these social media platforms and I posted on all of them. Some of these strategies worked and some were a total flop. My time was being squeezed big time. I joined physical writer groups, associations, networking groups, and book clubs. More time gone.

At this point I considered a virtual assistant but the budget was being reserved for that unexpected hit. You need money to publish. You need marketing materials, there is travel involved, luncheons to attend, events to host, and events to attend. Don't forget Uncle Sam because he sure won't forget you. You just never know what expense is just around the corner. Income is based on sales. You will need a lot of sales.

Google it. It works. If you don't know something, Google it. If a marketer contacts you, Google them. If someone tells you a too good to be true story, Google them. Granted we all start out somewhere at the bottom but, seriously, check them out. There are plenty of genuine people that can help you take it to the next level.

I have finally found a workable plan to write. I sought out one of those persons eager to help me. A Life Coach was someone whose job was unknown to me. Did a Life Coach teach you about life? Well it turns out a Life Coach can help with your direction or lack thereof. I found out a Life Coach is just what I needed. She helped me formulate a plan that works for me. Now, instead of being constantly frustrated, I have set aside time to write. That is why I am positioned where I am, to be a writer. If you spend all your time marketing when will you ever write?

My advice to you is align yourself with good people. I have been blessed with wonderful people around me; and so, I give back every chance I get. Books, yeah books is what got me in this wonderful mess. I really couldn't imagine doing anything else. I am having the time of my life.

I am going to put some helpful links here that a self-published author needs to start out with. By no means is this a comprehensive list. My list evolves constantly. It has to and so does yours. This is a sampling. I will continue to put more as more articles are posted. So stay tuned. In the next few months I am going to cover more marketing tips along with bloggers and reviewers.

I will be truthful - it's very hard and you will need a boatload of determination. I have not climbed to the top of my mountain yet but I am putting strong footholds forward everyday.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/program
https://www.createspace.com/
https://kdp.amazon.com/
http://www.smashwords.com/
http://www.lulu.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Aah...the trials and tribulations of an author.

   NPR. National Public Radio. My hero. If a brick and mortar can be a hero, NPR is mine. But of course, it is so much more. NPR's Best Seller's List, it comes out weekly highlighting the best. It is a personal dream of mine. To not only visit but have the honor of having my book(s) post on NPR's Bestseller's List.

   Are these books all traditionally published or are some of these titles indie and/or self-published? I set out to find out. It didn't take very long. Most, if not all, are traditionally published as far as I could tell. What does this say? Is there any hope for the rest of us? Does it mean only traditionally published is the best? NPR is not alone. Just look on the web. Big name sites are everywhere. Goodreads in one of my personal favorite sites to surf. Sure there are sites like Smashwords and LuLu, and though they are making headway, they compete with the likes of Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Yes, I said Amazon. 

   Have you tried the Google search, "best of  ... "  Have you ever wondered how to get in "the best of ..." sites? Or, how to come up on the first ten pages of that Google search? SEO, that's a whole other topic my friends. 

   Amazon is clearly bringing indie published/self-published or vanity published to the forefront of potential readers; that golden audience, the reader, and how to reach them. I personally feel I will thrill readers with my selection of books. But how do I reach them? I was becoming frustrated, because I found myself with every published author's nightmare - marketing. Okay, you have a small nest egg; one you know you need for retirement, college, something or anything besides following your dream of writing successfully for a living. And don't even get me started about reviews and moving up Amazon's ladder, out of the pits of Amazonland. This is clearly my personal opinion and I am not getting paid nor do I dislike any of the companies mentioned in this blog article. Just the opposite, in fact, I am most grateful to Amazon and the others listed here for the opportunities that they have provided me.