Sunday 11 January 2015

Book Review - Ridiculously Simple Self-Publishing: Do-It-Yourself E-Book Cover Design, by Terri Main



This basic primer of cover design delivers exactly what it advertises. The step-by-step approach, divided into short chapters dealing each with a single aspect of cover design, presents the material in an easily accessible way, and embodies sound educational principles in the way that each successive element is built on to what has gone before.

The simple, easy-to-follow language, punctuated with lots of pictures and screenshots, makes the book completely easy to follow, even for a graphics failure like me. The complete range of issues in cover design are covered, from layout design right down to the nitty-gritty of choosing a font, and there's even (a bonus!) a short tutorial on using Gimp.

Something I particularly appreciated was Main's sensible, down-to-earth attitude to cost. There's no unrealistic, high-faluting admonishment to buy this or that software, pay expensive cover designers, etc. Main recognises the cost limitations that an independent author, unsure of what level sales will reach, must accept.

It was a pleasure to read this book, I learned a great deal from it and it is going straight to my Kindle's Reference Section.

Ridiculously Simple Self-Publishing: Do-It-Yourself E-Book Cover Design is available from AMAZON.

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