For The Random Questions Ask: Whats One Trope You Wouldnt Write, Except For Money? - (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

For the random questions ask: What’s one trope you wouldn’t write, except for money? - 🍀 (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

Easy, Love Triangles.

I’m not a big fan of most romantic tropes, but love triangles make me audibly sigh. I also wouldn’t write anything I don’t want to write, even if I’m being paid. I am very passionate about what I write, because I’d otherwise quickly lose any will to finish writing. My attention span isn’t great, but I try to focus what little attention I have on quality over quantity.

If I were to have to write something I’m against, I’d write a parody of it, and probably somehow include it in the worldbuilding of Alterra. I might have a problem, because every time I try to think of a new story, I accidentally think of a way to have it take place on Alterra. This world I’ve created has taken over my life.

P.S. I need to acknowledge this somewhere, but a random reblog on one of @hayatheauthor ‘s posts (the one about writing injuries) has just exploded in popularity, and I don’t know why. When I woke up yesterday, I was greeted to 142 notifications on that one reblog. The post itself has about 1200 notes, but my reblog specifically has a little over 300 of those. I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to turn off notifications, but at the same time I can’t keep getting 50 random notes daily. Do check out hayatheauthor’s blog, their stuff is great!

When you were just a kid, your father left the house to go get your birthday cake, only to never come back. Ten years later, you leave to go buy yourself a cake, only to see your father, wearing fantasy armor and covered in scars, was about to knock on your door.

HEY, YOU! WRITEBLR USER! PLEASE RECOMMEND ME SOME WRITERS AND BLOGS TO FOLLOW, AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO INCLUDE YOUR OWN!

Thanks! This is really helpful, I’ve been worrying about what I’m going to do for my cover. Do you have any good suggestions on how to actually get your book printed?

novlr.org

How to Source Publisher-Quality Book Cover Design as a Self-Published Author - Novlr

I spoke with art commissioners from Faber and Bloomsbury to get their top tips on how to source great art for your book cover design.

The post is full of great insights, but here are some of the top tips to give you a sneak peek:

Top tips to making sure you’ll get quality book cover design

To give you the best chance of finding quality illustrators and artists for your cover art, these are the top tips from the publishers I spoke with:

Find artists who have worked on commission before. Make sure they show evidence of problem-solving, and that their portfolio gives a clean and clear idea of their style.

When in discussion with an artist or illustrator, make sure you can describe what you’re looking for in 5-10 words. This gives your designer a clear idea of what you want for your book cover design and ensures they’ll be working to a clear brief. If you can describe your work succinctly, then they’ll be able to design a memorable cover that reflects exactly that, and nothing else.

Look for illustrators who suit your themes. You might really love an artist’s work, but if they specialise in subdued, soft lines and specialise in fantasy art, they’re probably not the right designer for your romance or horror cover.

Do not ask for custom samples without being willing to pay a fee. Never ask an artist to work for free. You can get a sense of their style from a portfolio, but if you want to see tailored work samples, you must be willing to pay them – you will attract better-quality designers.

Always work with a contract. This is essential for both parties to ensure you both know what is expected from the other. It alleviates the likelihood any nasty surprises and keeps both parties protected from things like intellectual property theft or copyright infringement. Besides, if an illustrator isn’t willing to work with a contract, that’s usually a red flag that they’re someone you don’t want to work with. It’s worth it for that reason alone.

Absolutely, especially if it’s a name you’re proud of, like Lord Valthoraxe. Have fun! Try to enjoy the things you write!

Don't be afraid to use your character's name!

To avoid repetition, new writers will often resort to descriptions like "the tall woman," or "the dark-haired man", which breaks up narrative flow and reads as unnatural. Don't over-describe, when just a name will do.

“I challenge you to a duel, sir! Pick your weapon and make your peace, for I have trained under the greatest weapon masters in-” “Fisticuffs.” “…W-what?” “FISTICUFFS.”