The Author Guy Blog

  24th May 2024 Hello out there, Welcome back. We’ve all heard the expression “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, with all due respect, that ain’t so. Or at least that’s my opinion. I’ve done a tremendous amount of research during my ten-year author journey about all aspects of the world of writing, publishing and marketing. That research has constantly supported the importance of the book’s cover when readers are making their selections,  especially  when purchasing online, and that’s where the preponderance of books sales occur given the demise of most bricks and mortar bookstores. I’ve read, and I believe, a captivating title is critical. Mine are  Dancing Alone Without Music  (think about the metaphorical mental picture that creates),  Follow Your Dreams (who among us hasn’t wanted to, or still wants to?),  The Girl on the Bench  (who is she? Where is the bench? Why is she there?), and  Blue by You  (a hopefully understood w...

March 1 2024 Hello out there, Welcome back. This week’s contribution speaks to something I learned early-on in my author journey and was reinforced by something I read last week in a magazine.  In preparing my first book for publication about ten years ago, my research revealed the two most important things reader’s consider when selecting a book from an author previously unknown to them are the title and the cover. Modesty aside, I think all four of my titles are interesting, perhaps even compelling:  Dancing Alone Without Music, Follow Your Dreams,   The Girl on the Bench  and  Blue by You. When I changed indie publishers a few years ago, I didn’t have the rights to, or couldn’t find the original artwork for, the first three books. Admittedly, I was in a hurry to make the change, so I worked with a graphics person to designed similar covers for all three. Because of the parchment background, I’ve labeled them The Parchment Series. But I am especially proud of ...