I recently decided to self-publish my debut nonfiction book on love and modern medicine: Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife: I’m Throwing Your Damn Pager into the Ocean. And it’s going to happen in the next couple of months! Happy dance!
 
Although I have written and published a business writing advice book, available free on Amazon, this will be my first self-published full-length nonfiction book.
 
One of the coolest things about being an indie author is that you maintain creative control over the whole shebang, including the book title and the cover art.
 
I’m no professional artist or graphic designer, but I have taken art and photography classes and have a decent artistic eye [pats self on back]. 

Since this book is kinda my baby, aside from my actual baby (who is no longer a baby, as she frequently reminds me), it’s important for me to get it right.
 
I’ll be working with a friend who is a graphic designer on the book cover design, but I wanted to come to her with several ideas and concepts to get the ball rolling.
 
So, for any other indie authors, self-publishers or the curious among ye, I’m sharing my process for developing a book cover design concept. You can judge the final result when we have…ahem…the final result: the big book cover reveal!

Book cover design: How to develop a concept for your indie author book cover

Step 1: Shop around
 
To know what you like and what you are drawn to, you need to shop around. You can accomplish this this by browsing bookstores or browsing online.
 
If you choose to browse a bookstore, check out the bestsellers for all genres first. Make note of or discreetly photograph (for your own personal use only, of course) the covers you covet. Then make your way to your book genre’s section and see what grabs you.
 
I personally started my search online with good old Google. I googled “Best book covers of 2017” and found several curated lists. For me, this was a good starting point.

Step 2: Create your vision board
 
Since I chose to go the online route for my initial research, I created a Pinterest board called Book Cover Inspiration, and linked the book covers that had me swooning. I also made short notes on what elements of the book cover I liked (illustration style, colors, typography, etc.).
 
The board confirmed what types of book covers I’m drawn to and helped me narrow down my favorite styles.

Step 3: Consider the heart of your book
 
Now is the time to ask yourself some questions about your book.
 
What is the overall tone of the book? What is the message of the book? Why did you write the book? Who is the book’s primary audience? What category does the book belong in?
 
Since I initially pursued traditional publishing for my book, all these questions were answered in great detail in my nonfiction book proposal.
 
But I still took the time to think through them and write down succinct answers. This information will also come in handy during the final step. 

Step 4: Pretend you’re an artist
 
Once you’ve captured the key tone and message of your book, brainstorm some ideas, then grab a pen and some paper and get to drawing!
 
I hand-illustrated 12 concepts, hated most of them, and came up with one that I absolutely love.
 
The process is fun and helps you tap into your creative side.
 
You can also try a digital mock-up, if you’re so inclined, in Canva. Just pick a template for an e-book cover and get to work. 

Step 5: Hand it over to a professional
 
The importance of a professional-quality, striking book cover cannot be overstated. This is not a job to take on yourself, unless you are a graphic designer or a book cover designer.
 
Think about it: we all judge books by their covers. It’s not a vanity thing – it helps us determine which books are worth our time and money.
 
Thankfully in this digital age there are plentiful and affordable options for book cover designers – both for e-books and for print books.
 
Here are recommended designer resources from authors I trust:
Joanna Penn’s recommendations
Mark Coker’s Smashwords recommendations
 
I haven’t experienced it yet, but I also intend to give Fiverr’s freelance book designers a try. 

Take these extra steps to conceptualize your book before the professionals jump in. It will help you narrow your vision and improve the ultimate quality of your book.
 
What book design tips can you share with us? What are your favorite book covers? Leave a comment!

New year, new byline, and new tips on how you can support your favorite authors!
 
The Write Life is a trusted source of information for writers of all genres.
 
This piece, published on The Write Life, focuses on how you can show love and support for authors – without spending a penny!
 
For new authors (present company included), it’s just as important, if not more so, to have help spreading the word than to make a few bucks on a book (although we don’t hate that! Go for it!).
 
Check out the article here, and feel free to add your feedback on creative and simple ways to share the love with the authors in your life and on your bookshelf. 

You can find all of my articles on The Write Life here.  

Cheers!   

You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
On The Write Life: 17 Incredible Possibilities if Writers Ran The World
On The Write Life: Get Inspired! 20 Writers to Follow on Twitter
Article on The Write Life: Think Like a Journalist to Improve Your Writing (Trench Coat Optional!)
How to be the perfect friend: a guide for the ladies
Writing tips: What I want to blog about vs. what I actually blog about
One year after my major career change from full-time mom to full-time writer: reflections and lessons learned
For writers: All your writing fears, squashed!
A real, imperfect day in the life of a writer: me
Your writing conference checklist: how to make it worth every minute and every penny (takeaways from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference) 
The write stuff: An author’s favorite books and authors 
Writing tips: Cutting down on word fat and other newsletter best practices 
All about writing: writing 'til it hurts 

Hello, friends! Happy New Year to all of you!
 
I, for one, am especially pumped about 2018.
 
Why?
 
Because this is the year I will self-publish my debut nonfiction book: “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife: I’m Throwing Your Damn Pager into the Ocean”.
 
And let me tell ya, this thing, this passion project of mine, has been a long time coming. 

I started writing “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife” in 2013 while I was working full-time as a Corporate Communications Manager. It was something I did on weeknights and weekends whenever I could muster the energy and inspiration.
 
Then, life decided to throw me a few more curve balls – namely, pregnancy and motherhood.
 
I didn’t work on the book for a whole YEAR.
 
It wasn’t until my daughter was 15 months old and started part-time day care that I was finally able to turn my attention to my book once again.
 
In less than six months, I finished the first draft. I was elated. I had written a BOOK! 

To keep things moving, I strategically planned to attend the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference, which forced me to quickly write my nonfiction book proposal, create and hone my elevator pitch, and research potential literary agents to represent my book.
 
At the conference last February, I pitched my book to several literary agents in person, and received three requests for my manuscript and book proposal, a huge win.
 
I also started tackling a necessity for today’s authors: building an ‘author platform’, or online presence for readers. Most of 2017 was spent in pursuit of this challenging endeavor.
 
I am thrilled to report that I now have nearly 10,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and my email subscribers (and growing). 

The one thing I was not able to accomplish in 2017 was to contract with a literary agent to represent my work, with the goal of securing a traditional publishing contract. I did have conversations with a few individuals and some positive feedback, but nothing more materialized. I could sit around and moan and whine about it all day, but I won’t.
 
Instead, I’m taking matters into my own hands: I’m self-publishing my memoir in 2018.
 
Have I done this before? Kinda.
 
I mean, I did publish this book, 100 of Your Toughest Business Emails: Solved, so I have some experience. 

But taking charge of the complete book production, launch and marketing strategy for a full-length memoir? Nope, haven’t done it yet.
 
Here’s the thing: I’m not worried. I’m beyond-words excited.
 
What I don’t know how to do now I will figure out. I will ask for help when I need it. And I will remember that if something doesn’t seem just a tad bit scary, it’s probably not worth doing.
 
Why, exactly, have I decided to self-publish?
 
Because the very thought of it fills me with joy, honestly. And I want other medical couples out there to know that they can and will get through the training years and the difficult times.
 
So, that’s the big news for 2018. 

Want to get involved?
 
I will be recruiting an exclusive launch team to help me spread the word about “Memoirs of a Surgeon’s Wife”. These folks will get to read the book before everyone else, will score a free copy, and will be privy to and part of the action behind the scenes of a real live book launch.
 
More on this soon – watch this blog for details.
 
What challenges are YOU taking on this year? Cheers to possibility!