Bookmarks Part II
Starting with where authors go wrong...
Size matters
Now here’s where a lot of us go wrong. We pay professional designers for terrific covers, but we neglect to consider how these covers will look when they’ve been reduced in size. Yes, it’s great to put a cover on a bookmark…but…maybe the cover shouldn’t be the primary image, hmm?
Here’s how to tell: 1.) use your phone to photograph your cover 2.) shrink that photo down to the size of a postage stamp. (Or however it would appear on your bookmark.)
Squint at it.
You can’t read a darned thing, can you?
So…as much as you love, love, love your cover, consider making it a secondary image. Instead, think about spotlighting an image your readers will automatically coo over.
Miss Maple approves
Yes, we’re talking cats. Let’s face it. There’s a reason publishers put cats on the covers of books even when there are NO CATS inside. Cats sell books.
(Confession: I speak both cat and dog. I’m multi-lingual.) But cats aren’t alone in eliciting squeals of delight. I had a marvelous response to this image of a hermit crab:
By the way…did you miss any of my Kiki books?
You might have. That’s why I’m bundling them so you can read them at a hefty discount. These are $19.99 for each bundle. That’s about $2 a book! And yes, they’re in KU, so you can read them for free if you’re in that program.
Books 1-9 plus the prequel is here: https://amzn.to/4fZthGU
Books 10-17 is here: https://amzn.to/45z0ANf
Now back to bookmarks…
But if you make it will they keep it?
How else can you assure Keep-ability? Think about including: 1.) A special offer (like a reader magnet such as a recipe) 2.) A cool quotation 3.) A utilitarian feature such as a place to write down books they want to buy. 4.) Your signature. Yup, your “John Hancock.”
Not so fast, Slick
This is why I eschew slick paper. Since I plan to give away a lot of these bookmarks in person, I want to be able to sign them. I know that slick paper looks good, but signing anything with a slick surface leads to smeared ink. Not cool. I’m giving non-slick paper a whirl. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this!
EIT (Extra Important Tip)
Signing a bookmark to a reader is a personal gesture. If you’re fortunate enough to do it in person, take the time to look the reader in the eyes and feel gratitude for their interest in you and your work. In person or not, find a way to add something to your name like XOXO or a smiley face. Yes, it’s cutesy, but it’s also a way to make your scrawl more heartfelt.
How lucky we are that anyone (beyond our credit card providers) would care about our signatures! Savor this! I sure do!!!
Design
Next, we come to Design. I have one word that is life-changing: Canva. Love it. Even if you know nuttin’ about graphic design, Canva will turn you into a wizard. It’s simple to use, and if you do your printing through Canva, the program will guide you so you don’t make stupid mistakes, like cutting off a part of a word because you misjudged the border placement. Canva will also suggest appropriate font sizes so your final project is readable. They offer pre-made templates for bookmarks to get you started, and a ton of images to choose from so you can modify what they offer. I suggest you make a design and run it past your readers. Do they like it? If you only hear crickets, try again. By the way, when you print through them, Canva plants trees to offset your use of paper. How cool is that?
More to come next week…but in the meantime…
If you are a reader, do you collect bookmarks? Do you have any favorites or ones you’ve kept a long time? If you’re an author, do you agree or disagree with me? Have anything to add so far? (And thanks to those who’ve already responded!)
Would you like some of my bookmarks?
I have a batch I’m mailing out tomorrow!
If you’d like some, send me an email at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com and share your postal address. Please put BOOKMARKS in the subject line.
Mystery Monday Party Tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern
Our guest will be Edith Maxwell (AKA Maddy Day). She’s a real sweetheart, so you’ll want to stop by and see her. Here’s the party place: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785
Book Tour (Come by and say, “Hi.”)
I’m touring with Great Escapes. Here’s my schedule:
TOUR PARTICIPANTS:
August 25 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 25 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 26 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
August 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Sarandipity's – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 28 – Christy's Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 29 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 29 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea - SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Escape With Dollycas IntoA Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 31 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 31 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT
Lots of love to you—Joanna