A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

So this is going to be an ongoing topic. But I thought I’d put out there what I’ve learned to date, and update as I go.

Since the start of 2021, I’ve done my best to hold true to my resolution of taking my writing seriously. I’ve been working on two stories, reading up on the daily about how to get everything up off the ground, bought a handful of books (and even my boyfriend has started reading them with me). I won’t lie, there is SOOOOO much info out there, it’s like deciding to take an advanced class at college for the first time since high school. Granted, I only graduated from my long-time-coming degree a few years ago, but this is different. This is balancing a full time job, taking care of my family, and taking care of myself.

That being said, I’m taking this in pieces, and some pieces come so much faster than others. The piece I want to share today is about how important a book cover can be. I’m a firm supporter of fellow Indie Authors. I follow a bunch on Twitter (where I recently discovered just how amazingly supportive the #WritingCommunity has become since last I ventured into that rabbit hole). However, as I’ve seen dozens of covers for self-published works, I couldn’t help but notice that if a cover wasn’t popping, I didn’t necessarily give the tweet the attention it deserves.

Writers are artists. We craft words into tales that (hopefully) transport our readers to the realms created in our imaginations. However, sometimes the artistry doesn’t always connect in all manner and ways. To be perfectly honest, it was something that I didn’t take as seriously as I should have when I first tried the self-publishing scene seven years ago. I was just too happy to have the ability to publish my stories. Looking back at the covers now, there is one I still like, but the others…well…they need work.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Canva.com is a self-published/struggling/would-be writer’s best friend when it comes to designing a book cover that will pop. And it’s also a fun outlet. In what other world are we able to finally give a glimpse into the lands of our own making? When doubled with a subscription to Pixaby.com, it’s a recipe for success if ever I heard one.

Now I do not claim to speak for all would-be writers. All I can give is my own opinions, my own experiences. So I’ll ask those out there to judge for themselves, and maybe I’m wrong, but maybe I’m not. A picture is, after all, worth a thousand words.

Until next time –

L.E.