Going Hybrid

I'm a trade published author and have just decided to diversify and self-publish some longish short stories relating to my main series while I finish off a few manuscripts. I'm just getting started on the initial research and commissioning cover artwork.

I'll be blogging about the project (first post went up today - there's a link in my signature) and also occasionally posting in here about the progress and process.

I'm looking forward to learning and seeing the difference between self-publishing and trade publishing - what works for both, what works better for one, if lowering the price of the short stories will impact the main series, etc.

I've been poking around in here the last couple weeks but will start lurking less.

*waves*

I've checked with my publisher and my agent - we're all good to go.

setterby said:

Lauralam, going hybrid is my long-term (very, very long-term) goal as well. I'm sure a lot of other folks here are considering that route, too. Definitely keep us in the loop! And thanks!
Also your books look awesome.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Thanks everyone!

So, first bit of advice needed, please.

I contacted the cover artist for Pantomime & Shadowplay because I love his work (Tom Bagshaw if anyone's curious), and unfortunately, getting 4 covers, even if they're far simpler than the book covers, are beyond my budget. I have no idea how many of my normal readers will follow over to the shorter work, or how many new ones will pick them up. So paying for a cover that would take over 1000 sales to pay back...probably not the best business plan. :'(

So I'm thinking of doing some stock photography of the shorter work and perhaps saving up to get a fancy cover from Tom for the collection I'll do if these sell enough to merit making one (with a print version as well).

I like the simplicity of smoke on a dark background. But will that be good enough? The books are fantasy, and most have a darker undertone. They remind me of magic, and each short story is centered around a piece of Vestige, which is magic/technology left behind by an advanced civilisation.

Something similar to this, with a font and design that will be evocative of the book covers in my signature?
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/smoke-royalty-free-image/157051353

But I worry it's perhaps too vague?

Or does anyone have any other suggestions? Perhaps finding an artist on deviantart? I had a friend do a painting for one of the stories, but while I really like it, at first glance it doesn't look like the covers of my main series.

ETA: I have found the Art & Design forum so poking around in there, but any additional suggestions are still welcome in here!

Yes, I do like the simplicity of the smoke on the dark background. I have some friends who do graphic design so between them and my husband who's good at photoshop/illustrator/indesign, we should be able to get something that doesn't look super amateur.

I found a recent art graduate based in Tokyo on DeviantArt who's really talented, so I might get a comparative price quote. I was thinking having tarot cards that represent the archetype of the character each story is centered around could be interesting, with hints of the vestige and themes hidden in each card. That would link them together and tie into the existing book covers, plus create a theme that could be built upon for other stories.

I worry about that too re: erotica.

All four stories deal with intangibility - one of the stories has a piece of Vestige that can affect memory, another one is about a young girl who has terrifying visions tht come true, another is a boy who finds a mechanical minotaur that can lead him to clues to find his mother, who he thought was dead, and the last has drug addiction (the drug is smoked), and drug-addled dreams. So the smoke would work for all of them thematically.

There's also some smoke images with white backgrounds, which makes them look more innocent?
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/twisting-swathe-of-blue-smoke-royalty-free-image/167341654
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/puprle-smoke-wave-high-res-stock-photography/179408272

The main series is one the higher end of the YA spectrum. There's some sexual content, though it fades to black, and my protagonist of my books (not the stories) is intersex and bisexual and the series touches on various aspects of sexuality and gender.

I know! I have some time so I'll do some musing and figure something out.

I know the main font is Leander (with different sizes) and it's a free font.

I'll ask Juliet, as there's also a the image behind the SHADOWPLAY text on the cover (the occult eye ray fleuron vector thing) that I want to ask about. I have that particular design, but I want to know if there's others like it and where I could find more.

I don't think it was done free-lance, though - I think Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry/Exhibit A/Osprey (whew) have some in-house designers, and after they received the final image from the artist they finished it there.