Ok so many of you out there are setting your goals for the new year. I’m going to try and focus on one goal. I really enjoy creating book covers for the couple of authors that are my friends. I would really like to do more covers for more people. First I need to really dig in and learn exactly what all is involved in doing a cover the right way.
I’m very happy with the covers I’ve already done but I already see where I could have done some of them better. I’m sure I’ve probably been taking the long way around to get these covers done when I’m sure there are many shortcuts to doing something a lot easier and quicker.
I also want to be able to branch out and do more than just ebook covers. Ebooks are easier to be because, well, all you need is the front of the book. I need to learn more about sizes needed, pixels, dpi…all that technical stuff I don’t understand yet. Also, I need to know what the best program is for creating all this wonderful artwork and how to use it.
I’m not going to stress myself over this because I can’t afford to stop everything else I’m doing to just focus on this. Can’t do that, I hved a regular day job, a nine-year-old boy (enough said), a husband, and friends and family I don’t want to ignore to do this. Besides my house needs to be cleaned at least once a month….hahahaha!
But for those of you out there that need a cheap book cover and don’t want to have to do it yourself just let me know. Just shoot me an email that you’re looking for a book cover and we’ll go from there.
anya.kelleye@yahoo.com
Anya Kelleye 
And just how many times are you going to change the way your blog looks??? LOL
You’ve improved with each cover, going from using word, paint, etc. to using Corel, which is a more professional way of doing things. You’ll keep getting better as you do more and more. I love the Guardian Vampire Cover.
It would be so nice to be able to make a real living doing exactly what we like to do, wouldn’t it? 😉
Well, I never did really like the first theme I had up. Give me time I may change it again…hahaha!
And yes it would be nice to stay home and work on what I really want to do. Maybe one day. 🙂
Hi Anya, You really did do a nice job on Guardian Vampire! With zero knowledge, I have been doing my own simplistic book covers through photography or a purchased pic, but may need some graphic assistance later this year if I decide to do the paranormal romance story I’ve got in my head. I may chat with you about it down the line… 🙂
Thanks, Michelle! I would be glad to help in any way I can. I’ve been learning a lot myself in doing the covers. Just send me message when you are ready.
I just started reading your book, The Gardener, and so far it is really interesting. Can’t wait to finish it and hopefully start your newest one!
I’ll let you know. You come highly recommended, and I’ve seen the covers you did for Lauralynn and Jonathan. I was so gung ho on the PR story idea today, I played with it instead of working on what I should have been doing. Please let me know how you like The Gardener. It’s really not selling. I think it would have been better as a paperback book instead of an e-book.
Michelle, it can still be a paperback book. I mentioned something in an email to you. 😉
Yes…yes… you did. Thank you. I definitely am going to check into that.
I saw that you mentioned wanting to know more about the technical stuff for book covers – I actually wrote a series on it for the Self Published Authors Lounge (I turned it into an eBook on Smashwords later. The eBook is more in depth, but the series covers the basics pretty good) that I thought you might be interested in 🙂
http://selfpubauthors.wordpress.com/book-cover-411/
Most ebook publishers are looking for around a 600 x 900 pixel image. For a print book it depends on their trim size, but that’s the one where you need to worry about dpi because it has to be 300 dpi (or dots/pixels per inch) in order to print and look nice. For ebooks it is the pixel size that matters the most.
And bah on learning to do it “the right way”. Learn to do it *your* way! That’s what makes them uniquely yours! 🙂
Nice to meet someone else who is a book cover lover!
Thanks, Joleene! I’ll have to check out your series.
I’m really enjoying doing book covers. I love trying to make the words inside the book come to life on the front of the book. 🙂
Oh and I really liked your book, Shades of Gray. Looking forward to getting to your next one!
Okay, now you’ve made me go to Amazon and buy Shades of Gray. See what happens when people comment on each other’s blogs? Books get bought. LOL
I hope you find it helpful! Yeah, I have always had an unhealthy obsession with book covers. I used to write up synopsizes when I was a kid just so I could make up the covers, LOL! (sad much?)
Oh! Thanks so much! 🙂 I need to get working on the third one…
Thanks Lauralynn! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
(I love your name, by the way!)
I’m sure I’ll like it, Joleene. Anya and I have very similar tastes in books. And I’m so glad she’s my cover artist. 🙂
Thanks. It’s a pen name. 😉