If you’ve read a book that was harder to read than normal, you’ll probably find it was because the font was a san serif font (no curly cues). You probably didn’t know why it was hard but trust me, it is, so don’t try and make your book look ‘different’ by choosing this style of font as most readers will struggle with the content. Hundreds of books are published every day in a seemingly endless variety of formats and platforms, so it is essential that you find ways to make your book stand out from the crowd—whether that crowd is in the airport, the bookstore, or online. The good news is that readers are always on the lookout for something new. Differentiating your book from the competition will help ensure that your book doesn’t get lost among the other books in its genre.

If you want to be considered seriously as an Author, don’t hesitate to hire a professional designer and listen to them.The log cabin set in the moody, moon-lit forest for Hidden Beneath the Pines (above) simply screams " mystery-thriller" and tells the reader where the story will be set. On the other hand, the catalog-perfect room on the cover of Messy Bed, Messy Head immediately connects to the book's content — and offers a glimpse of what the reader might aspire to. Cover by Reedsy designer Stephanie Hannus Don’t do anything with this box unless your book is for younger readers or teens. If that’s the case, then select each minimum and maximum that applies to your book. 10. Choose your Book Release Option Quite often these days, with our busy lives, we can be reading a book while doing various other things, such as: Start with a tag line that gets to the heart of what readers are going to get out of your book. What problem do you solve? How will your readers be different after reading? Then move into 1-2 paragraphs of descriptive copy that will give the reader a better understanding of how you will achieve that outcome.

The bottom line is, keep the title simple, straightforward, and unique. Do some research on the title relevant to your book type and make sure it hasn’t been already used by a well-known book. However, going with KDP Select is a financially wise decision for some genres because of its marketing.

Stand Out 2

Dorie says, “Big ideas aren’t hatched by a rare breed of intellectuals living in isolation. Instead they come from regular people who are willing to ask the right questions and stay open to new ways of looking at the world.” Confusing heading hierarchy. In fact, this is such an important topic I’ve written an article that goes into specifics of how you can use Microsoft Word to help you with formatting and you can read it here. A professional editor’s eye for grammar and punctuation is essential to ensure your book stands out as the high-quality work you want it to be. Nothing will make your book sink to the bottom of the pile like poor editing. You don’t want your readers getting distracted by errors or inconsistencies or—even worse—confused by unclear wording. A good editor will use a keen eye to make sure your book is correct and consistent and that your personal style, your voice, and your story come together in a way that is engaging for your readers. Exciting cover copy Your cover art will be one of the most critical aspects of your book cover design — different styles and trends are closely associated with specific genres, so it's important to get it right. This is why it's essential to hire a professional cover designer who knows what's fit for the market you want to sell to.