Advice for authors whose books have been accepted for publication

So, you’re book has been accepted for publication, yippee!!! All those hours spent tapping away on a keyboard or scribbling on scraps of paper have all been worth it. The hard work is over…or is it???

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but probably not.

Just when you thought it was safe to give your brain a rest, up pops the design of your book cover. Okay, so no one expects you to design it yourself, but your ideas will be most welcome and the more information you can provide your designer with the better.

The key word here is preparation. Think about the cover deign; what covers have you seen that you admire? Send us any photographs or images you think may be of interest; anything that may help to build a picture of what you are looking for.

Compile a detailed synopsis of the book to give the designer a good idea of the story.

What is the ‘feel’ of the book – Is it warm and cosy? Is it frightening and dark? Is it funny and light –hearted?

My advice here is this: If you have ideas, share them with us in as much detail as possible. If you don’t have any ideas, that’s fine too, no one expects you to, but we will still require a detailed synopsis and your thoughts as to the ‘feel’ of the book.

We understand that author’s are not necessarily designers and although your ideas are important, please don’t expect your cover to be exactly what you ask for. Don’t be disappointed, for example, if that collage of menacing eyes swimming in a sea of bilious pink liquid doesn’t appear on the cover – we may just have decided it wasn’t the most ‘workable’ image you suggested.

At the end of the day, it is the job of the designer to create a cover that works for your book and one that is designed to help sell it – your thoughts and ideas will help us to achieve this.

Kelly Walsh - Design and Illustration