 1. Read, write, then do it again If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut. -Stephen King Stephen King outlines the road to writing succinctly. Quite simply, you cannot be a writer if you are not a reader. While there are many ways to refine your writing further down the line, the foundation on which you will build your core understanding will come from those who wrote before you. Learning from this and interpreting it into your own work as you go along will aid greatly in developing your skills as an author. If you feel, however, that you’ve done all the reading and writing in the world yet still you’re missing the mark, our Developmental Editing services can aid in ensuring your writing is mature in its style, structure and characterisation.  2. Write for yourself My advice to ‘up and coming writers’ is, don’t write at first for anyone but yourself. It doesn’t matter how many or how few universities one goes to, what matters is what one learns, either at universities or by oneself. -T.S. Eliot A theory espoused by many successful authors is to write for yourself before you write for others. In a rare response to a fan letter, T.S. Eliot wrote of these beliefs and emphasised the importance of learning from your own experiences while writing for yourself. Through writing in a space that is purely orchestrated for your own purpose, you’ll allow yourself the opportunity to wholly focus on the work you produce. Eradicating external influence and enabling yourself to grow from your own mistakes will prove invaluable as you learn how to best write for yourself and begin to write for others.  3. There’s only one you Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that – but you are the only you. -Neil Gaiman This tip is something of a classic, and is often a soothing remedy we tell small children to remind them of their brilliance. As adults, we are much the same. Sometimes we find ourselves needing that confidence boost that renews our self-belief, which is exactly what Neil Gaiman seeks to do with this tip. No matter how hard we try to replicate something or someone else, it will never be as good as the original. This is why writing as your authentic self, drawing from your own experiences and conveying your own style, will make for the best stories in the long run.  4. Character likability is optional Likability is a factor when you’re choosing a roommate, but it’s not necessarily a factor when you’re creating a living character. -Margaret Atwood Once you’ve familiarised yourself with your own writing and feel your story is ready to start, developing multidimensional and well-thought characters will demand much of your attention. Many authors might feel character likability is a necessary draw for audiences, though that is seldom the case. Margaret Atwood reiterates the importance of allowing your characters the scope to have some unappealing qualities, just like humans. This can be a difficult balance to strike, which is why at Rowanvale we provide our Beta Readers service that allows your work to be read by our specialist pool of readers. Through this you will receive thorough and constructive feedback that can provide insight into how readers respond to your cast of characters.  5. Show, don’t tell Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. -Anton Chekhov Anton Chekhov famously spoke of the importance of descriptive passages with his perfectly apt use of imagery to capture the brilliance of its effect. While many authors advise against highly embellished language, rarely is there an argument that combats Chekhov’s. Readers seek to be captivated when picking up a new book, which means as an author, it’s your job to ensure they continue to turn the page. We suggest adopting this refined version of ‘show, don’t tell’ to bring life to the stories you write and allow your readers to become engrossed in your words.  While you’re here, why not check out a few more of our blog posts here. Alternatively, if you’re interested in the services we offer, our plethora of packages can be found here.
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 If you’re new to the world of self-publishing, it can often seem overwhelming to look at the wealth of information and resources available to you. Self-publishing allows you to maintain full creative and legal control over your work while also learning the details of every stage of the publishing process. The journey from first draft to finished manuscript will be full of exciting decisions that you have complete power over, but we don’t want to lie to you—it’s not always going to be an easy process. We’ve put together this list of the top five self-publishing mistakes to avoid, so you can have a great experience with self-publishing! 1. Reckless Spending 2. Lack of Editing 3. Cheap Designs 4. Insufficient Market Research 5. No Marketing  Reckless Spending You’ve no doubt already come across endless blogs and articles telling you how to get started, and countless self-publishing companies claiming to know exactly what you need to find success. Don’t base your business model around those of established authors who can afford the most expensive cover designers and multiple rounds of editing. We’ll cover later why both of these elements are crucial in your self-publishing success story; however, it’s also important to remember your budget and stay within your means—especially for your first book. Our team at Rowanvale Books understand that each author is completely different and that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ guide to publishing. Unlike some companies, we offer flexible packages that are tailored to your needs so you only pay for the services you genuinely need. If you don’t yet know what these services are, our passionate and experienced team will work with you personally to help figure this out! Lack of Editing While you may not be able to afford multiple rounds of editing, it’s absolutely crucial that you are not the only person to read your book before you publish. This should be of particularly high priority if you are aiming to sell and market your book, rather than publishing solely for personal reasons. Poor editing will be what people remember your work for and can lead to a bad reputation for both you and your books. At Rowanvale Books, we have an editing team who can help guide you through the process and advise you on how much editing your book needs before hitting the shelves.  Cheap Designs Clichés like judging a book by its cover and the importance of first impressions have become clichés for a reason. In instances such as book design, they really are worth listening to. While the content of your book is always the most important aspect, it’s not the only important aspect. Again, while you may not be willing or able to hire out the most famous designers in the field, if aesthetics and design aren’t within your skill set then it’s important to recognise this and look for professional who can create a cover that they know will sell. The design team at Rowanvale Books has had incredible feedback over the years and so we know how to find that balance between realising your vision as an author as well as fitting your book to your target audience. Of course, you will maintain full creative control and ultimately be the one to call the shots; however, expert advice in area so crucial is always worth seeking out and listening to. Insufficient Market Research You should always love what you write. There’s no doubt about it. But when it comes to selling your book, it’s important to pay attention to what readers of your genre are interested in at the time. Remember that no one’s target audience is anyone and everyone, no matter how good your work. Having a clear target audience and reflecting this in all aspects of your book helps to create an identity for them and for you as an author. The best way to gain this kind of feedback is getting your book into the hands of readers as early as possible. At Rowanvale Books we offer a beta reading service where we’ll share your book with readers who have a registered interest in your genre. They’ll help give feedback about what worked in your book and what didn’t, as well as be among the first to leave reviews online!  No Marketing The final, but all too common, mistake we want to warn you about is assuming you don’t need any marketing to sell your book. Granted, few authors write books for the joy of marketing their work after, but this is how books are sold and ultimately what will allow you (financially) to keep on doing the thing you love: writing! There’s no use in just hoping that people who are interested will stumble across your book themselves—you have to tell them it exists and where to find it! Engaging with readers throughout the whole process is a great place to start. Set up some social media accounts dedicated to you, your work and perhaps books in general, and start having genuine conversations with people so you can build up a network of people who are interested in what you have to say. By the time your book is published, try not to just spam them with ads, but talk about it as something you think they’d genuinely be interested in. If all of this sounds too much, we have an incredible marketing team at Rowanvale Books who can guide you through the process and help develop strategies that you can use long-term in your career as an author.  While you’re here, why not check out a few more of our blog posts here. Alternatively, if you’re interested in the services we offer, our plethora of packages can be found here.
Can’t find an answer? Not to worry! Feel free to contact us at info@rowanvalebooks.com or call us on 029 2128 0200 where we are more than happy to answer any other questions.  Royalties are one of the most difficult concepts authors need to grasp in the world of self-publishing. What are they? And how do you calculate them? This article provides a short guide for writers to understand everything about royalties. A book royalty is the percentage of the revenue an author receives on each book sold. Being a self-published author can be tough, just like setting up your own business. Without a traditional publisher backing your book, you have to pay for everything from cover design to editing and marketing. But one advantage of not depending on a traditional publisher is that you get paid a larger percentage in royalties (between 30% and 70%, as opposed to the 15% you would get with a traditional publisher on average) because there’s no intermediary. For example, at Rowanvale Books, authors receive 65% royalties on e-book and paperback sales.  It’s important for authors to learn how royalties work, because they usually are the author’s main source of income. By learning what your royalty rate is, you’ll be able to calculate roughly how much you will earn from your book sales (you can also check out this book royalties calculator, which does it all for you!). The royalties you’re paid will be affected by a series of variables, especially if you choose the traditional publishing path. In self-publishing, the most common variables are:
 The price of the book is particularly relevant when self-publishing e-books on a major platform such as Amazon KDP, which we will now look at in more detail as it’s currently the largest online retailer and self-publishing platform. Amazon offers two e-book royalty plans: the 70% option and the 35% option. In both plans, royalties are paid monthly starting 60 days after the first sale is made. Your ability to choose either plan will depend on the price you set for your book. To get 70% of royalties, you will need to price your book between £1.77 and £9.99 (check out Amazon’s list price requirements for more).  Image by Sofia Brizio for Rowanvale Books. Adapted, edited and translated from an original idea by Libroza Additionally, you will need to meet these conditions:
 For print royalties on paperbacks, Amazon offers two distribution tiers, with printing costs being deducted from your royalties. There’s a fixed 60% royalty rate if you sell exclusively on Amazon marketplaces. If you opt in for Expanded Distribution (i.e. you sell your book through other distribution channels alongside Amazon), the royalty rate is 40%. Your royalty is therefore determined as follows: Although we appreciate that it all sounds complicated, we hope this article helped you learn more about royalties. The key to understanding the ins and outs of royalties is to stay informed. At Rowanvale, we want to help you do just that and we value transparency.  While you’re here, why not check out a few more of our blog posts here. Alternatively, if you’re interested in the services we offer, our plethora of packages can be found here.
Can’t find what you're looking for? Not to worry! Feel free to contact us at info@rowanvalebooks.com or call us on 029 2128 0200 where we are more than happy to answer any other questions.  Your book cover is your most powerful marketing tool. They say it’s not fair to judge a book by the cover, but that’s what we all do--the first impression is the one that really counts. A great design will help your readers take you and your book seriously, especially on the Amazon market. Amazon does not differentiate between self-published and traditionally published books, which means you’re very likely to find yourself up against the big 5 publishers. This is why your cover can really make it or break it. Today, we’re here to teach you how to get your book cover design right. There are two ways you can approach the task of designing your cover: you can either do it yourself or work with a designer. At Rowanvale Books we offer a bespoke cover design service to help make sure your cover is entirely unique. But whatever you decide to do, these are the steps to create the perfect cover design.  1. Find ideas It’s always good to keep an eye on your competition. Browse the bestsellers section on Amazon and see what catches your eye. Remember that your book cover should reflect its specific genre. For example, if your book is a thriller, you might want to go for a cover that conveys a sense of suspense. 2. Choose the right software If you’re taking the DIY route, any graphical software can be used to design a cover, but you might want to avoid InDesign and Photoshop if you’re not a professional. Programs like Canva make designing less daunting for non-professionals, as they provide templates for specific genres. The number of these templates is limited, which doesn’t leave much room for creativity, but there are alternatives such as DIYBookCovers.com and other free design services.  3. Choose the cover image If you have a knack for photography or illustration, why not make your book cover even more unique by using your own artwork? Again, do your research before starting: do popular books in your genre use illustrations, photography or just lettering? Most importantly, make sure you’re aware of licenses if you’re not using your own artwork. Do not use Google to find images, as you might unintentionally breach copyright. Sites such as Shutterstock or Unsplash offer beautiful, copyright-free images for free or for a few pounds. 4. Mind the size Especially if you’re selling an eBook, we recommend following the guidelines on the Amazon website, as most retailers now work with similar sizes. The ideal size is generally 2564x1600 pixels, but if you’re printing your book, you should also take into account standard book sizes within your genre. Don’t forget that the thumbnail also plays an important role, as most books are discovered online: make sure your cover works well on a phone or Kindle. The recommended dimensions for each online retailer can be found in their FAQs  5. What’s your type? Think carefully about the fonts you want to use on the cover, especially if your cover is focused on lettering as opposed to a photo or illustration. Keep it light and simple. The title needs to be readable to someone who’s browsing a bookshelf, but avoid fonts such as Comic Sans or Papyrus – they will make your cover look cheap and unprofessional. Do not use than two or three different fonts, and try to be consistent – overcrowding the design is never a good idea. The author’s name should generally be smaller than the title. If you want, you can also include a logline and/or a testimonial from a popular writer or publication. 6. Test your designs If you have two amazing designs and really don’t know which one to choose, why not let your audience be the judge? Create a poll on your Facebook page or expose two different groups of readers to two ads. It can help you make a choice based on what appeals the most to your readers.  7. Don’t forget the back cover and spine For printed books, the back and the spine deserve just as much attention as the front cover. Here you might need the help of a designer or typesetter, as you’re working with a block of text (i.e. blurb, author bio and potential testimonials). Remember to be consistent with the style of your front cover and display the information in a clear order – creating a visual narrative always gets your readers’ attention. For the spine, make sure author and title are clearly legible (think of your readers browsing shelves in a bookstore or picking your book from their personal shelf!). Finally, don’t forget to ask your printer if your back cover needs a barcode and ISBN. We hope this has helped you get a grasp of the basics of cover design, and we wish you the best with your book. However, we know that designing a cover all by yourself can be intimidating and can take your attention away from editing and perfecting the content of your book. Our custom book cover design service is there to take your worries away and ensure your book has the best cover you could ask for. A professional team of designers will discuss your ideas with you, providing one-to-one support. We’re here to lend a helping hand; just get in touch with us!
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