Category: Guest Posts

Our New Book Formatting Resource Page

ebook and print book formatting reading-1249273_960_720Here at Indies Unlimited, we are always striving to bring our readers more resources to help them on their writing, publishing, and marketing journeys. Our goal is to help authors do everything themselves (except for editing!) so they can put out professional books at as low a cost as possible. Today we hand the floor over to Caleb Clayton of Caleb’s Formatting Service who took the time to produce an excellent Book Formatting Resource page for us. The resource page will be located in our drop-down menu – but today you can read it below. – The Admin.

Yes, you can format your eBook and paperback in Word. Not too long ago, I wrote a post for Indies Unlimited offering tips – Tips for Formatting Your Book Correctly in Microsoft Word – and Melinda Clayton (yes we’re related) has also given some handy formatting tips in this article – Drop Caps, Indents, and Other Formatting Tricks in Word.

And it’s still true. You can absolutely format your eBook or paperback in Word, but there are some steps that need to be followed. Continue reading “Our New Book Formatting Resource Page”

What Word Count Is Best for Genre Fiction?

Author Regina ClarkeGuest Post
by Regina Clarke

Knowing if our word count is “right” is an ongoing dilemma for indie writers, and it is something we think about — a lot. So what is the answer? I have spent many weeks studying this, certain there must be a magic formula, but instead I became aware that only two things are necessary to know: Continue reading “What Word Count Is Best for Genre Fiction?”

The Elusive Illustrator: Finding an Artist for Your Book

illustrator Jared George cropGuest Post
by Jared George

I imagine it’s gotta be rough to have an amazing idea for a kid’s book, or have an amazing novel, but it needs the right art to really make it pop. Am I right? Where do you find the illustrators? I mean you know they’re out there. Hundreds, even thousands of them, but where do you find one for your project?

The truth is we are literally everywhere. Just shut your laptop wherever you happen to be writing, stand up, and walk to the nearest comic shop or locally owned coffee shop. When you walk in, say in a slightly loud voice “I’m looking for an illustrator for a kid’s book.” (or whatever your project.) Now you will be beating hungry artists off with a stick. You might be reading this and saying “That’s easy for you to say I’m not a people person.” or “I don’t have a comic shop / locally owned coffee shop” The second option is…dun dun dunnnnn… Continue reading “The Elusive Illustrator: Finding an Artist for Your Book”

Series Writing: Empowering Your Inner Sprawling Epic

epic book-863418_960_720Guest Post
by Adan Ramie

Most writers of fiction have dealt with a story that pushes against the boundaries of novel word count. Many might even know what it’s like to realize you’re writing what my writing group jokingly calls “the sprawling epic.” You know the type: the story starts when your protagonist is born and goes on for decades – maybe centuries – and several books before it finally reaches its conclusion.

Recently I found myself facing this sometimes-crippling foe. Unwittingly, I had written myself into a crossroads in which I had published three novels in three genres, and they were all screaming sequel. I solved my dilemma not by giving up on any of the stories, but by clarifying each of them with this three-question method. Continue reading “Series Writing: Empowering Your Inner Sprawling Epic”