I finished writing a new novel this week. It’s always an exciting moment, coming to the end of a manuscript. Finally, all that had work has paid off. I made it! Soon the fun will start–that fantastic moment when I read it over for the first time and start editing. I realise many authors don’t share my enthusiasm for the editing process but I love it. I love seeing what worked and what didn’t, experiencing the excitement of reading the story in its entirety for the first time and making sure it flows well. But not so fast! I have […]

Last week I talked about fonts and how they can often make or break the cover of a book. But there are a lot of elements to a cover, and the font is only one of them. I think the most contentious point I’ve seen relates to the cover image. Should the author try and find a photo (or have one taken) that shows the characters in the book? For some, this might seem a no-brainer. However, I’ve encountered numerous readers who detest images of characters on the covers of books. The ones I’ve spoken to believe it prevents them […]