Episode 39: [GUEST] Judging A Book By Its Cover with @rubreart

08/26/24 • 22 min

In this week’s episode, the first in a two part series, Elizabeth interviews Mariska Maas (@rubreart) about cover design. Elizabeth connected with Mariska on Instagram about book design, especially for writers who are interested in self-publishing, and so this week the emphasis is on cover design and next week will be about formatting the inside of your book. Mariska, who lives in the Netherlands, has been in the book design industry for a long time. As a fellow bookworm, she discovered the publishing industry as her avenue to connect her art and books. Mariska has her own company now where she helps indie authors create book covers that bring them the same recognition as they would receive from a traditional publisher. If you approach Mariska for your book design, the first step is to respond to a series of questions to provide as much detail as possible. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for her to make sure the cover displays important elements of your book and aligns with current industry standards for your genre. You need to have a good idea of what you want for your book because that allows for the best possible cover art. All of Mariska’s cover art is illustration, no photos, because it’s easier to align with current trends and it’s her expertise. If you were to decide to walk through the cover design process with Mariska, you would receive mock ups and have the opportunity to request changes and express your opinion about what you like and don’t like. What’s great about Mariska’s process is she wants you, as the author, to be happy with the outcome and she helps guide you to make sure you get the cover you want and that will be noticed in bookstores and online. Your book cover is your best marketing tool. Mariska recommends connecting with a book cover designer as soon as you have a clear idea about the book you’re writing. A lot of artists can get booked way in advance, so if you wait, you might not get the cover in the time frame you expect. So, start shopping around now, even if your manuscript isn’t ready. Peak your readers’ curiosity with the cover art, so when it becomes available, the cover is recognizable and readers will want to pick it up. It’s important to note that if you’re hoping to be traditionally published, there’s a very slim chance you’ll get to use a cover you have someone design for you because publishing houses often have a direction they prefer to go based on how they design their books in house. As an indie author, when you self-publish, having a book cover can add an element of excitement to your book writing process because you start to see your book come to life. When you see the cover, it’s the start of visualizing your book being complete and ready for readers. Your cover helps sell your book. You have 7 seconds to appeal to a reader. Even if your book is amazing, if the cover doesn’t connect with readers, you won’t sell books. If you’re listening to this podcast within 3 months of it’s launch date, so that wou

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We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

Previous Episode

Episode 38: [WRITING CRAFT] Having Fun with Character Development Using Coffee Chats

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Have you ever found yourself stuck when trying to develop your characters?

You’ll find guidance in this week’s podcast episode, #38: Having Fun With Character Development Using Coffee Chats.

Stephanie shares her experience approaching character development from the perspective of calling the process “coffee chats”. Whether you enjoy spending time in a coffee shop, or not, you’re familiar with the experience of meeting someone for coffee.

You know a conversation you have over coffee is never linear and can ping pong between being surface level and full of depth.

It’s what makes this approach so much fun. You imagine you’re sitting down to have coffee with one of your characters and you start asking questions. There’s no formula for what questions you ask first or last, and you don’t need to ask all of your questions at the same time. In fact, it’s recommended you space out your coffee chats over the span of time it takes to write your book.

A coffee chat takes away the pressure of needing to feel like the process needs to be so formal. It eases the stress of thinking it needs to be done in a special way. There’s your way and that’s what matters. This is simply a way to frame it for having more fun.

Your characters evolve over time. They encounter things you don’t plan for as a writer, and sitting down for a coffee chat can help you go deeper. You won’t know all of the answers at the beginning.

Character development doesn’t happen in one sitting. It’s a process.

If you’re like Stephanie and enjoy going to coffee shops, it can be fun to do your coffee chats with your characters in that setting. You might find inspiration from conversations around you, or from watching people.

Coffee chats are not just for fiction writers. If you’re writing a memoir, you can use this approach to capture the characterization of people in your life who’ve influenced your thinking or were important to you. You can use it to answer the questions for yourself.

You can bring depth to the voice of your character by using coffee chats. If you’re sitting there wondering why it matters for you to write your book, it’s because it’s your unique voice. No one else has your experiences. No one else has your world view. All of that comes through your coffee chats with your characters.

Give it a try and let us know what you discover!

You can also download a FREE PDF of 50 questions to ask your characters during a coffee chat here.

We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

Next Episode

Episode 40: [GUEST] Readability and Visual Branding of Your Book with @rubreart

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It’s Part 2 of our podcast series with guest Mariska Maas (@rubreart). This week Elizabeth chats with Mariska about the readability and visual branding of your book. For many authors, it might not be the most exciting part, but depending on your genre, you may be able to have a little bit more fun with it than you think. Mariska has a “Cinderella” approach to her design process meaning she wants to create a one-of-a-kind design for every book. If you haven’t seen her Instagram page, @rubreart, it’s worth it to see her beautiful artwork, even if the covers and book interiors aren’t in your genre. She also emphasizes authors do not need to spend a lot of time on formatting if you have someone helping you, so if this is stopping you in your tracks from moving forward to publish, this is your friendly reminder to ask for help. For listeners of the podcast, she’s offering a 5 percent discount on her services if you book within 3 months of listening. She’s booking cover design and formatting clients into 2025 right now and offers a 3 week turnaround time on the project. Authors, this is a great way to book a service and set a hard deadline for yourself, especially if you are self-publishing. It’s very similar to what would be expected of you from a traditional publisher who wants to stick to deadlines to get your work out into the world. While the interior design of the book might not be the most exciting, it’s certainly the most important because it’s where your reader is spending the most time. Not every genre allows for a lot of design on the interior, but fantasy and romance genres are certainly where you’ll see more of it, and it’s a fun way to give your book a little something extra to delight the reader’s eye. When you’re formatting your book, there are a lot of details to pay attention to with respect to where the text falls on the page, the presence of hyphens, and making sure the beginning and end of chapters are up to industry standards. This is just a small drop of water in a gallon bucket when it comes to all of the details you need to pay attention to for your book. You don’t have to do this part alone, and in fact, it’s advisable to make sure you always have extra sets of eyes on your book or hire a formatter so you can focus on your writing. Of course, mistakes are going to happen. We’re all human and it’s only natural there will be times when a book goes to print and something is missed in the formatting stage. Don’t panic. Breathe. Take the steps to fix the error and move on with your day. For more about formatting the interior of your book and to hear a great strategy for how to get started right now, go listen to Podcast #40 right now! Who is Mariska Maas? Mariska Maas is the owner of the bookish design agency Rubre Art. She is a passionate book designer and illustrator. And has made it her goal to make a Cinderella one of a kind fit design for each and every book that she works on. No matter if it is for an indie author or a publisher, for ever

We hope you've found guidance and inspiration for your own writing.

Here are two resources for you:

Get your list of 4 Essential Reads for Memoir Writers

Get your Character Coffee Chat Guide for Character Development

Inspired Writer Collective Podcast - Episode 39: [GUEST] Judging A Book By Its Cover with @rubreart

Transcript

Elizabeth00:00:01.500

Welcome back listeners. I am here today with Mariska Moss and let me tell you, I found her on Instagram because she is ever present. There has a bunch of wonderful posts, weekly tips that she walks you through the process of things to consider with interior formatting or cover design. For those of you who are self publishing and wanting to DIY your book, she is a great resource for that. But also we have her on the podcast today. Um, actually thi