First let's talk about the book, your book.
At what point is he? Already edited and paginated? How will you want to publish it? What format and through which self-publishing channel?
If you are an anxious person like myself, then stay here and don't run anywhere; I give you the answers you need and, above all, without biting! XD
book covers
PRESENTATION OF A BOOK
If you are an author dealing with his very first self-publishing publication and don't have a clue where to put your hands, you've come to the right place. Let's clarify some points: how do you want your book?
And with this simple question I am referring to:
- Sizes (cage)
- Exact number of pages
- Type of sheets (cream, white or glossy white)
- Type of cover (flexible or rigid)
You must specify with which site you will publish, so that I can understand the exact sizes (because they vary from site to site, including the thickness of the various types of pages).
Until now I have mostly dealt with Amazon Kdp.
And finally there are the ideas. The easiest part ever.
The graphics can easily be started with a basic tamplate, which I myself use to preview my works in the showcase section. If you are still in doubt and you are not sure which cage to choose, we can without problems start working on the design and then modify sizes when the graphics are finished and above all how much you will know for sure in which dimensions the book will be printed.
For the finalization of the graphics we need not only the cage, but also the exact quantity (not one more or less sheet) of the pages that you will know only after having finished the layout of your book.
The number of pages is essential for the spine, if wrong the printing of the book will be inaccurate and rightly unpleasant to the eye.
TEAMWORK
The production of the graphics takes place in teamwork. We give each other advice, I show you the best techniques to match the elements you requested and with every change, even minimal, I will send you drafts that you can comment on and even demolish XD (perfection does not exist, especially if we are talking about subjective opinions , but consistent). After several tests we will come to the final version.
I have only one clarification for you: I need a concept. I'll give you an example. If you ask me: "I want a big big wolf, with a red moon behind him" and then when everything is finished after proofs after proofs sent and all of a sudden you come to me and say "I changed my mind. I want a werewolf in two legs and wide open mouth showing teeth ", then the situation changes and you will be given a penalty, ie you will have to keep company with Frodo as he tries to throw the ring into the lava.
No, come on, I'm kidding! Returning serious and professional you will only get a tip of extra money, usually the penalty is around 5 EUR and 10 EUR. But you, the honest and respectful person you are, will never take a misstep like this, right?
WORK METHOD
WORK METHOD
The job will take place in RGB profile, for printing this will be converted into CMYK profile in order to avoid smudging and color saturation. About colors! It is more than possible that the print file is a bit faded with a slightly lowered vividness, this is because it has been converted to a CMYK profile and the RGB colors the print cannot reproduce them faithfully and also because I will be the one to lower the vividness for avoid excessive saturation when the book is printed, because the printer does this: it exceeds in colors, because it has a poor color spectrum.
The various files will be sent to you by e-mail, so I hope you have an active and functional one, and that you remember the password (I always forget them, goldfish memory).
You will find yourself with these formats:
- PDF (only for book printing bookjacket)
- JPEG
- PNG (higher quality format than a JPEG, which I recommend you use mainly for social media and the like)
- TIFF (an ultra resolution format, much higher than PNG)
And the types of graphics will be:
- eBook (front)
- Bookjacket (front, back and spine + flaps if your book will use them)
- Mockups (3D preview with the cover, for illustrative and advertising purposes)
- Bookmarks (if required; front or front and back)
PAYMENTS & INVOICE
The fateful moment of the most feared topic: payment. Because? Because many are afraid of bad surprises, but not with me.
Payment is simple.
- If the sum is equal to or greater than 50 EUR, 30% before and the remainder when the work is delivered.
- For amounts of less than 50 EUR, the files will be sent by email with the appropriate watermark to protect myself, the customer will be able to see it and then make the payment. Once the payment has been made, a second email will be sent with the unlocked material.
- Then there are the special cases, in which the customer IF wants, can pay everything first, then the work will be delivered.
As payment methods, I accept:
- Bank transfer (preferable)
- Recharge your Postepay
- Paypal payment (+ 2,50 EUR commission)
Two of the most popular questions are: Are you VAT registered? Do you invoice?
No, I don't have a VAT number because I don't have a steady job with earnings over a maximum of five thousand euros per year. What I do is simply occasional, but not continuous work. If in the future I will need it even without exceeding the maximum amount allowed, then I will open one. Consequently, without a VAT number, no invoice is made, but if requested, I can send the website invoice and a digital copy of the payment by email.
What I do, I do it for passion, not to climb Elon Musk's mountains of money. Honestly, that's not my goal; the fact that I also get a profit is only a consequence of my commitment.
PRICES LIST
Don't worry, I recommend XD. I will never ask you for the figures of a human kidney, I don't have the courage to do it. Below we will explain how the figures get around, but I want to clarify that these can decrease as well as increase according to your request and the work we will do together!
- eBook: EUR 12 - EUR 25
- Bookjacket: EUR 16 - EUR 35
- Mockups: 3.50 EUR (standard)
- Custom mockups: + 1.50 EUR to the base price
- Bookmarks: 8 EUR
Excluding vector illustrations or not, which are around:
- Half-length subjects: EUR 20 - EUR 30
- Full-sized subjects: EUR 30 - EUR 60
- Items: EUR 6 - EUR 20
- Background: EUR 20 - EUR 60
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Consider that these are list prices, therefore not exact. If you want to know how much your graphic request is around, you will need to explain it to me first!