Thanks guys, bringing my book to market is proving to be a bit of a learning curve,but the challenge it presents is an opportunity to be a writer. Something I've always wanted to be.
Currently I'm working on the cover typography, up to version three so far. Lots to think about and, the choices between flashy crowd pleasing typography versus a solid sense of craft that makes each book look like part of a series.
You've probably come across arguments for both. There are some readers who think "oh, this is book 2 of a series, I won't buy it, book 1 isn't here on the shelf, I'll buy something else instead". There are others who like the covers to look uniform or spot the new one in the series because it looks like the last one.
But I don't know any of these people. I don't know people who buy new books in shops, or based on the cover, at all any more. I don't know how many of them are left, or how they think.
I'm guessing one of the cover design tasks is to make the thing look reasonable at 100 pixels wide…
Looking at the books I've read recently, the last one that wasn't a personal recommendation, a continuation of a series, or part of the Hugo-Nebula Reread, was David Hambling's The Elder Ice - and I think that was an algorithmic recommendation on Goodreads.
(The usual warning applies: people who market to appeal to me are not marketing for bulk sales, to the point that "doesn't appeal to Roger" may actually be correlated with higher sales to everyone else.)
Projects just ticking along
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With Dave away for six weeks our regular Chain of Command games have been
on hold. I've also had a bit of time away myself, but there have been a few
pro...
Crimean War Russians
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Aficionados of this blog may recall that I did a unit of French Grenadier
Garde to start a Crimean War project (...almost 2 years ago now):
https://tasma...
Weird West Wargaming
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Probably inspired by playing *Hunt:Showdown 1896* on PC, I've recently
been on a wild west craze. My DVD pile includes such diverse titles as *The
Wild ...
Cold War '85: Soviet T-72 Tank Battalion
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Following closely behind the recently painted 6mm T-64 tank battalion, I
have now polished off a T-72 one in (for me) quite quick fashion!
The models ar...
Classic Squad Leader #2: The Tractor Works!
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*Oh yeah! Iconic Cover, here we come!*
This is a direct follow on from my previous post - it just took a *lot*
longer for me to continue moving forward tha...
Catching Up On My Reading
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There are loads of books that people like me (age/background/hobbies) are
expected to have read. Lord of the Rings, Hornblower, Face of Battle,
Watership...
Dusting off the Dwarves
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I started going through stuff in the basement, trying to purge odds and
ends that will just never get used, when I happened on the box with my old
GW Dwa...
An old obsession ...
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... *Ogre*!
I had the urge to play the venerable hex-and-counter sci-fi tank wargame at
game night last week, so I brought my Classic Counters and two m...
The Miller's Tale - Episode 13
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Episode 13 - in which Mike finally gets to catch up with former Dux Brit
partner-in-crime and rock god Andy Hawes, in a wide-ranging discussion
covering ...
Trouble on the Docks - Historicon 2025
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A Western Alliance cargo ship is coming into the port of Edmundburgh, to
deliver supplies. Eastern Socialist Republic forces must attempt a
hit-and-run a...
Salute 2025
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OK, it's two days late but here is my photo round-up of Salute 2025. You
can also take it as proof of life, given that I haven't posted here since
last ...
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Flicking through an old Strategy & Tactics magazine and this caught my eye.
Not sure I had seen a pre-SJG era advert previously.
From Issue No 70, Sep/O...
Warp Speed into 2025
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The last year has been quite challenging. I suffered a stroke in November
2023 and have spent the last year or so in recovery. I'm not there yet, but
do...
Doctor Who 60th anniversary (REUPLOAD)
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We have just passed the 60th anniversary of Dr Who. I found this upload by
@Wearerofthecheese, which uses the 'Soon I'll be 60 years old' song. It
made m...
Well today I managed to persuade my beloved non-wargaming spouse to play a game of Risk: The Dalek Invasion of Earth , which I had been ...
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Looks good.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great. Makes me look forward to the book even more.
ReplyDeleteVery cool!
ReplyDeleteNice !!!
ReplyDeleteCertainly piques my curiosity.
Thanks guys, bringing my book to market is proving to be a bit of a learning curve,but the challenge it presents is an opportunity to be a writer. Something I've always wanted to be.
ReplyDeleteThat looks cool!
ReplyDeleteCurrently I'm working on the cover typography, up to version three so far. Lots to think about and, the choices between flashy crowd pleasing typography versus a solid sense of craft that makes each book look like part of a series.
ReplyDeleteYou've probably come across arguments for both. There are some readers who think "oh, this is book 2 of a series, I won't buy it, book 1 isn't here on the shelf, I'll buy something else instead". There are others who like the covers to look uniform or spot the new one in the series because it looks like the last one.
DeleteBut I don't know any of these people. I don't know people who buy new books in shops, or based on the cover, at all any more. I don't know how many of them are left, or how they think.
I'm guessing one of the cover design tasks is to make the thing look reasonable at 100 pixels wide…
You know me, and I still buy books in shops, and often a book cover will attract me to read the blurb.
DeleteFair enough!
DeleteLooking at the books I've read recently, the last one that wasn't a personal recommendation, a continuation of a series, or part of the Hugo-Nebula Reread, was David Hambling's The Elder Ice - and I think that was an algorithmic recommendation on Goodreads.
(The usual warning applies: people who market to appeal to me are not marketing for bulk sales, to the point that "doesn't appeal to Roger" may actually be correlated with higher sales to everyone else.)
I bought and read The Elder Ice after reading your review, and I suspect it's not the sort of book one would find in Forbidden Planet.
Delete