Vincent Zandri's Blog - Posts Tagged "simon-wood"
Sunday Blog in Bed: The Eye of the Reader
The following blogs is "now appearing" at The Vincent Zandri Vox: http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/201...
----------------------------------
This isn't the first time I've blogged about the new importance of book covers....E-Book covers that is...and I'm sure it won't be the last. Never before has a reader's initial impression of a possible read been more important. Everyday dozens (or is it hundreds? Thousands?) of new E-Books are uploaded and/or published and everyday those same books must attempt to catch the eye of the reader. Because in this day and age, you damn well can and in some cases, should be able to judge a book by it's cover.
The power of covers has never been so well demonstrated as it has been with the recent success of John Locke whose thriller series all sport a very recognizable set of sexy legs on the covers. What do these legs have to do with the story itself? Prior to having read his work, I simply wasn't sure. But I can tell you this: those legs did tempt me into buying a couple of his titles. And now, whenever I come across one of those leggy covers, even if it's a brand new one, I know precisely who the author is and that no doubt the book will be a major bestseller. That's what's commonly known in the business as "branding." As authors, we all are creating our own unique brand of writing. Readers will come to rely on that brand for it's particular qualities (Pay attention newly graduated graphic designers. There's a ton of new work out there for you).
Another writer whose covers have the power to draw me in towards that "BUY NOW WITH 1-CLICK" button, are those of J. Carson Black. Her covers are not only rich in color and texture but utilize photographs and words to convey the dark thriller within (So do the "dark" titles).
Darkness on the Edge of Town is one such thriller that is a runaway bestseller (Carson is currently smoking my sales numbers). What makes this novel enticing initially is the cover. Its depiction of a neon lit street corner screams noir. The image has depth and wickedness in it, and mucho suspense. Words appear floating over the image...words that appear to have been typed on an old fashion Smith Corona typewriter. The kind Dash Hammett might have used when writing The Maltese Falcon, or when typing up a grocery list for his mistress Lillian Hellman which no doubt included several bottles of gin.
One word in particular shoots out at the reader: "Girl12." That, combined with a great quote by T. Jefferson Parker and you have a cover that not only draws, it provides information and tells a story about the story you will no doubt be compelled to purchase.
I was shocked to learn the Black and her husband produce these covers on their own. I've spent the past year bragging about my own covers on my own books like The Innocent and The Remains and how instrumental they have been in making those books Amazon bestsellers. But then, I had no part in creating them. They were made for me by my publisher.
The only cover of mine I've never been quite sure of is Godchild, since it's so dark and mobsterish looking, when in fact, it is the sequel to The Innocent (the book is presently about to be repackaged and retitled to The Guilty...Please make a note of it). In any case, whether you DIY or publish traditionally, beware of getting the cover wrong since it risks sending off an unintended message. Covers these days must convey precision. The images and layout must be specific to the story or the reader will barely get through only a few pages before deleting it from his or her E-Reader or prematurely shelving the trade paper version. No one likes a bait and switch.
That's why I love Black's covers so much. You know what you're getting just by gazing into the image and reading her non de plume ("Black" is not an indiscriminate choice) . Her covers create a different reality for me that I can't wait to enter into. The same can be said for the covers of Aaron Patterson (especially Sweet Dreams), Joshua Graham, Dave Zeltserman, Charlie Huston, Simon Wood and so many others. You recognize a specific brand of writing when you look at their covers. You know what you're getting.
Of course the cover just gains you admission to the show. Inevitably, a good price, product description, and most of all, damn good writing, will mean the difference between a reader who reads only one of your novels and one who can't wait to read the mother load.
WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM
The Innocent
----------------------------------
This isn't the first time I've blogged about the new importance of book covers....E-Book covers that is...and I'm sure it won't be the last. Never before has a reader's initial impression of a possible read been more important. Everyday dozens (or is it hundreds? Thousands?) of new E-Books are uploaded and/or published and everyday those same books must attempt to catch the eye of the reader. Because in this day and age, you damn well can and in some cases, should be able to judge a book by it's cover.
The power of covers has never been so well demonstrated as it has been with the recent success of John Locke whose thriller series all sport a very recognizable set of sexy legs on the covers. What do these legs have to do with the story itself? Prior to having read his work, I simply wasn't sure. But I can tell you this: those legs did tempt me into buying a couple of his titles. And now, whenever I come across one of those leggy covers, even if it's a brand new one, I know precisely who the author is and that no doubt the book will be a major bestseller. That's what's commonly known in the business as "branding." As authors, we all are creating our own unique brand of writing. Readers will come to rely on that brand for it's particular qualities (Pay attention newly graduated graphic designers. There's a ton of new work out there for you).
Another writer whose covers have the power to draw me in towards that "BUY NOW WITH 1-CLICK" button, are those of J. Carson Black. Her covers are not only rich in color and texture but utilize photographs and words to convey the dark thriller within (So do the "dark" titles).
Darkness on the Edge of Town is one such thriller that is a runaway bestseller (Carson is currently smoking my sales numbers). What makes this novel enticing initially is the cover. Its depiction of a neon lit street corner screams noir. The image has depth and wickedness in it, and mucho suspense. Words appear floating over the image...words that appear to have been typed on an old fashion Smith Corona typewriter. The kind Dash Hammett might have used when writing The Maltese Falcon, or when typing up a grocery list for his mistress Lillian Hellman which no doubt included several bottles of gin.
One word in particular shoots out at the reader: "Girl12." That, combined with a great quote by T. Jefferson Parker and you have a cover that not only draws, it provides information and tells a story about the story you will no doubt be compelled to purchase.
I was shocked to learn the Black and her husband produce these covers on their own. I've spent the past year bragging about my own covers on my own books like The Innocent and The Remains and how instrumental they have been in making those books Amazon bestsellers. But then, I had no part in creating them. They were made for me by my publisher.
The only cover of mine I've never been quite sure of is Godchild, since it's so dark and mobsterish looking, when in fact, it is the sequel to The Innocent (the book is presently about to be repackaged and retitled to The Guilty...Please make a note of it). In any case, whether you DIY or publish traditionally, beware of getting the cover wrong since it risks sending off an unintended message. Covers these days must convey precision. The images and layout must be specific to the story or the reader will barely get through only a few pages before deleting it from his or her E-Reader or prematurely shelving the trade paper version. No one likes a bait and switch.
That's why I love Black's covers so much. You know what you're getting just by gazing into the image and reading her non de plume ("Black" is not an indiscriminate choice) . Her covers create a different reality for me that I can't wait to enter into. The same can be said for the covers of Aaron Patterson (especially Sweet Dreams), Joshua Graham, Dave Zeltserman, Charlie Huston, Simon Wood and so many others. You recognize a specific brand of writing when you look at their covers. You know what you're getting.
Of course the cover just gains you admission to the show. Inevitably, a good price, product description, and most of all, damn good writing, will mean the difference between a reader who reads only one of your novels and one who can't wait to read the mother load.
WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM
The Innocent
The Prodigal Author and the Major Pub
The following blog is "now appearing" at The Vincent Zandri Vox: http://vincentzandri.blogspot.com/201...
I'm in Florence for the month working on two sets of galleys, researching a new novel, and trying to make two trade journalism deadlines. Plus my son the Bear is with me, and despite some junkets to Rome and other places, I'm really trying hard to get everything done before I have to hand back the keys to this apartment on the 31st. That said, I've been cruising through some of the more prominent lit blogs looking for a topic I can blog about quickly and effectively. Or, to be more frank, I'm more or less looking for a topic I can rob.
But all existing topics aside, there seems to be a new thread I'm noticing that's springing up amongst just what a few months ago might have been some steadfast "indie" authors, some of whom publish with indie small presses like StoneHouse/StoneGate Ink (as in my case) and some of whom DIY. The thread is this: Indie authors who are making waves in the bestseller lists are being picked up by the majors. And gladly.
Thriller writer Simon Wood is one author, who like me, has been published by the biggies in the past and while the experience wasn't by any means an end-all/be-all, he nonetheless has found great success in indie publishing, especially when Amazon directly marketed one of his titles catapulting it to the No. 2 spot on overall Amazon Kindles. You can check out his story here at JA Konrath's Blog.
Wood has to be making a great payday as an indie. I know this from personal experience. I too have reached the top ten and held tight at the No.3 spot with THE INNOCENT while at the same time, held tight with two other books in the top 100. That said, why would I want to publish any other way than indie?
But take the case of JCarson Black who has also been killing it in the top 100. She's another ultra successful indie author who has been with the biggies in the past and has recently made a return by having signed a multi-book deal with Thomas and Mercer, Amazon's new publishing house. Thing you gotta ask yourself is this: if the machine ain't broke, why try and fix it? If she was doing so well as an indie, why sign on with a big publisher?
Same story with Scott Nicholson who has literally written the book (or books) on the subject of indie publishing. Both he and Konrath have signed with the aforementioned T&M...There must be another dozen hyper-successful indie authors like these who have either willingly given up indie publishing exclusively or are contemplating it, even while kicking some serious ass with no real end in sight. Why are they doing it? Why jeopardize the relative freedom and money-making potential to once more become beholden to a big corporation?
I think the answer lies not in dollars and sense or big business vs. the little guy or even logic for that matter. I think the answer has to do with the human condition. Or to be more precise, the one thing that is most important to a professional writer: validation.
I'm not going to lie. Even after experiencing one of my lucrative years (and the year ain't over yet by a long shot) as an author since signing a mid-six-figure deal with Delacorte, I have some things on the fire. Rather my agent is working them. Soon as they are done and can be announced, you'll all hear the dinner bell clanging loudly. Suffice to day I'm open to making a return to the biggies not just for the money, but to be perfectly honest, for the pride as well. I have a perfectly good and lucrative and happy experience right now publishing with StoneHouse and StoneGate Ink, but to be offered an opportunity to do the same at another big house would only add further validation (there's that word again) not only to my recent Top 10 success, but to me as a writer also.
I wonder if a lot of indie authors out there feel the same way?
No matter what happens I plan on continuing my relationship with the "Gates," but I also want to explore the enormous marketing and distribution possibilities of once more being with a major pub.
Being an indie rocks, no doubt about it. Just me against the big bad world. But then so does belonging to something important and exclusive, like a major publishing house. I mean, what the hell, I'm only human.
Moonlight Rises
I'm in Florence for the month working on two sets of galleys, researching a new novel, and trying to make two trade journalism deadlines. Plus my son the Bear is with me, and despite some junkets to Rome and other places, I'm really trying hard to get everything done before I have to hand back the keys to this apartment on the 31st. That said, I've been cruising through some of the more prominent lit blogs looking for a topic I can blog about quickly and effectively. Or, to be more frank, I'm more or less looking for a topic I can rob.
But all existing topics aside, there seems to be a new thread I'm noticing that's springing up amongst just what a few months ago might have been some steadfast "indie" authors, some of whom publish with indie small presses like StoneHouse/StoneGate Ink (as in my case) and some of whom DIY. The thread is this: Indie authors who are making waves in the bestseller lists are being picked up by the majors. And gladly.
Thriller writer Simon Wood is one author, who like me, has been published by the biggies in the past and while the experience wasn't by any means an end-all/be-all, he nonetheless has found great success in indie publishing, especially when Amazon directly marketed one of his titles catapulting it to the No. 2 spot on overall Amazon Kindles. You can check out his story here at JA Konrath's Blog.
Wood has to be making a great payday as an indie. I know this from personal experience. I too have reached the top ten and held tight at the No.3 spot with THE INNOCENT while at the same time, held tight with two other books in the top 100. That said, why would I want to publish any other way than indie?
But take the case of JCarson Black who has also been killing it in the top 100. She's another ultra successful indie author who has been with the biggies in the past and has recently made a return by having signed a multi-book deal with Thomas and Mercer, Amazon's new publishing house. Thing you gotta ask yourself is this: if the machine ain't broke, why try and fix it? If she was doing so well as an indie, why sign on with a big publisher?
Same story with Scott Nicholson who has literally written the book (or books) on the subject of indie publishing. Both he and Konrath have signed with the aforementioned T&M...There must be another dozen hyper-successful indie authors like these who have either willingly given up indie publishing exclusively or are contemplating it, even while kicking some serious ass with no real end in sight. Why are they doing it? Why jeopardize the relative freedom and money-making potential to once more become beholden to a big corporation?
I think the answer lies not in dollars and sense or big business vs. the little guy or even logic for that matter. I think the answer has to do with the human condition. Or to be more precise, the one thing that is most important to a professional writer: validation.
I'm not going to lie. Even after experiencing one of my lucrative years (and the year ain't over yet by a long shot) as an author since signing a mid-six-figure deal with Delacorte, I have some things on the fire. Rather my agent is working them. Soon as they are done and can be announced, you'll all hear the dinner bell clanging loudly. Suffice to day I'm open to making a return to the biggies not just for the money, but to be perfectly honest, for the pride as well. I have a perfectly good and lucrative and happy experience right now publishing with StoneHouse and StoneGate Ink, but to be offered an opportunity to do the same at another big house would only add further validation (there's that word again) not only to my recent Top 10 success, but to me as a writer also.
I wonder if a lot of indie authors out there feel the same way?
No matter what happens I plan on continuing my relationship with the "Gates," but I also want to explore the enormous marketing and distribution possibilities of once more being with a major pub.
Being an indie rocks, no doubt about it. Just me against the big bad world. But then so does belonging to something important and exclusive, like a major publishing house. I mean, what the hell, I'm only human.
Moonlight Rises
