Activity
Mon
Wed
Fri
Sun
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
What is this?
Less
More

Memberships

Non-Fiction Author Lab

909 members • Free

154 contributions to Non-Fiction Author Lab
What Should Go in the Front of Your Book?
Most authors don’t lose readers in Chapter 3. If they even managed to sell someone on buying their book, they often lose them before Chapter 1 even starts. I just recorded a breakdown of something almost no one talks about when it comes to writing a nonfiction book: the front matter of the book! The title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, introduction… all the stuff people either copy from other books or throw in because they think they’re supposed to. Think about each page strategically. Those pages are doing more work than anything else in your book. They’re where a reader decides: - “I’m in”or - “This feels like every other book I’ve seen” If someone opened your book and only read the first 10 pages… would they be hooked or gone? Watch the video and then come back here and tell me one thing you’re changing 👇
1 like • 5d
@Sharon Foster That particular clause in KDP's rules is a great flag, but according to ALLi (who contacted KDP to clarify the rule), it's just intended to prevent bad actors from releasing books that are intentionally missing content and directing readers to exchange their personal information to receive the remaining content. It's possible that was what the user you saw had done! If you find the comment again, though, glad to look into it further. Here's the ALLi article with more information: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/amazon-rules-for-authors/ Hope that helps! 😊
We are getting closer to a final cover design - let me know your thoughts.
Here it is - the latest Grace and Lover book cover design. I have taken a lot of feedback into consideration to create this version. Let me know your honest thoughts. Much appreciated.
We are getting closer to a final cover design - let me know your thoughts.
2 likes • 13d
I love it!!
My Latest Book Cover
Hello all, I need your help with this cover design and if you could answer these 3 questions about it, that would be fabulous. - “What kind of book do you think this is?” - “What stands out first?” - “Would you pick this up—and why or why not?”
My Latest Book Cover
0 likes • 21d
In my opinion, with this much text, it's hard for the eye to know where to go, especially with this many images as well. I'm definitely on team simplify! To me, there's a lot of repetition on this cover: • Coffee in the mug, in the drawing on the notepaper, on the checklist, and in the coffee stain (also, why are the rings leaving a coffee stain?) • I love the hearts, but I count...18 of them? We have hearts above the title and below the rings, then a heart in the middle of the title, one below the title, one on the coffee cup, one on the notepad, one on the sticky note, and one under your name. That's a lot of hearts, my friend. • "Grace" and "Love" are both included in the title and on the checklist, which isn't a huge deal, but it has the potential to create a complicated narrative—why are there five checklist items if only two were important enough to include in the title? • Some of the images may have deeper meaning, but as an outsider, many seem to be conveying the same things. To me, the church, the rings, and the repeated word "marriage" all express, well, marriage. (Also—focusing so much on marriage made me miss until now that this book isn't just about marriage, but marriage and family!) Similarly, I'm not seeing how the pen is a necessary inclusion when it's already clear that the notes are written by hand. I love how COZY this cover feels (even just visually, with the glow of the church lights, the steam of the coffee, and the cover scheme you chose) and how it makes me chuckle. But I'd love to see you keep those aspects with a simpler cover, and I think that would be absolutely doable! Is there a way, say, you could show a marriage outtake or family blooper with just the coffee image? Maybe the cute little heart mug is spilled or cracked—maybe it's even spilled over the checklist, if you feel the checklist is an essential inclusion. I'm curious—you said in an earlier comment that you don't want the reader to be misled at all once they pick up the book. Is there something specific you're worried about? Often you can address concerns like that with the book description as well—the cover doesn't have to do all the work on its own!
1 like • 20d
@Kevin Hall That's such a lovely concept! Keep us updated 😊
Audiobook narration
Where can I find narrators other than ACX and voices.com?
1 like • 21d
Is there something specific you're looking for that you're not finding on those platforms? There are a fair number of options out there, but they're very different, so it really depends on what you're looking for!
0 likes • 20d
@Mary Catherine Liscinski That's so exciting to hear! I hope it works out well 😊
Amazon
Has anyone else had an email from Amazon telling you to verify your identify? I have been on Amazon for 18 months. This seems odd. I don’t even mind if they close my account. I don’t like Amazon anyway. I am now publishing wide with D2D.
2 likes • 21d
Here's their Help page on the requirement! https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GH7TYHP6FR9QAUM9 It's a little tedious, but in the grand scheme of things—especially compared to how long I'm sure you spent creating your KDP account—I'd say it's worth it.
1-10 of 154
Yna Davis
5
169points to level up
@yna-davis-4069
Editorial Expert at Book Launchers!

Active 5d ago
Joined Oct 16, 2024
Powered by