DIY marketing with graphics

photo courtesy of
blackzheep  Free Digital Photos.net

We all know that the ideal when it comes to books and book marketing is to hire a professional for the non-writing tasks. A cover artist, a gaggle of editors or one who can multi-task, are the accepted norm.

But professionals cost and when you're starting out, you need to balance your outlay with projected income. We all hope we've produced a best seller. But beware. The market in books and e-books is more saturated and competitive than ever before.

There's no harm in experimenting with your own graphics and seeing what you can do for yourself. And there's no end of help and information free on the Internet.

Try cartoons

I have always loved the animated messages presented by cartoon characters and never realized it was possible to produce them easily--and free--thanks to sites like PowToon.

Find out how to produce a book trailer.
Download pdf instructions and have fun.

If it doesn't work out for you, no harm done. Save until you can afford one created by a professional. 

Try infographics

 Infographics are an enjoyable and popular way of sharing information. With so many demands on our time, graphics are a fast and fun way to grab attention. Tom Fanelli shared an easy step-by-step tutorial on using Canva for infographcs. Canva has its own Design School and their suggestions go a long way in helping you design an image with a professional appearance.

Try Covers

If you do want to design your own book covers, Canva again has templates to help. Study sites like Book Covers Anonymous for ideas. Use a site like CoverCritics to test out your new cover before you publish. 

Designing a cover for a report or information product you are giving away as a marketing incentive is an excellent idea especially if you are using a PLR as a base. You are always given covers for PLR reports but to make yours stand out, it should have an original cover.

Sharing Ideas

Do you create your own graphics? Make infographics? Design covers? Is it cost effective? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Anne Duguid Knol

A local and national journalist in the U.K., Anne Knol is now a fiction editor for award-winning American and Canadian publishers. As a new author, she shares writing tips and insights at Author Support : http://www.authorsupport.net .

Her Halloween novella, ShriekWeek is published by The Wild Rose Press as e-book and in print  included in the Hauntings in the Garden anthology. (Volume Two)

At last starting to write something else...