This was a gift to my husband. He’d surprised me by dressing up all fancy-like and grabbing his sword (nice way to introduce the idea of an impromptu date), and I got a few pictures. A few days later I put this together, using some pictures I’d shot earlier of a hawk he spotted and some woodsy pictures. All the images are mine and this was completed in Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4.0. đ
Filed under Personal Work, Photo Illustration
So, as Isaac and I get closer to finishing Distant Horizon (and thus starting querying), I’ve been doing reading on how marketing of a book is done, both for trade and self-publishing. After all, both are looking for readership, right? I found a few interesting tidbits I thought I’d share.
One is the article at the link below. It talks about how marketing is done of a book in the trade publishing world, and points out some good tips that could probably also be used if you’re self-publishing, too. It talks about the importance of marketing as a way to gain publicity, but that marketing doesn’t always equate to publicity. It’s that word-of-mouth you want, when you get other people promoting your book without your asking. Needless to say, I thought it was an informative read:
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-dont-we-throw-some-money-at-it-like.html
Another interesting idea I came upon was the idea of offering signed prints of your book cover (if it’s one that looks really good)Â for the first people who buy your book off Amazon and show you a receipt. Found this at Madame Guillotine’s blog, here:Â http://madameguillotine.org.uk/
Of course, ARC (advanced reader copies) are also a good idea, and it looks like Goodreads contests may be a good way to get publicity for them. The hope, of course, is that they’ll read your book and leave a review, and maybe, just maybe, recommend t to a friend. đ
Also, another neat blog (not so much on marketing, but on publishing) I found is called The Intern: http://internspills.blogspot.com/
Thought I’d share that, too. Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for you at the moment. đ
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Writing
The moment has arrived! I have new photographic illustrations to show off. This was done with Katherine modeling, and she did a great job doing and portraying what I asked. And the dress fit, two. Definitly helpful (especially when I find the dress I want to use, then find the model, afterward). The theme of this one started out with the idea of doing a Soda Pop Shop or sock hop look. Or really, it came from looking at old Coca Cola Ads and wanting to try to emulate those ads.
So I tried that on a couple of pictures. First one… well… it needed work. So I tried it again using a different pose, and I’m hoping that one captured more of the look and feel of the old ads. Also, thanks to my husband’s grandfather to letting us borrow a time period coke bottle to use. And thanks to McDonalds for having those cool Coca Cola glasses. And funny thing is, I’m not even that big of a soda fan. So there’s my note on the usefulness of finding props that aid in the appearance of time. So yeah, there was my fun experiment with commercial advertising.
Meanwhile, I also did a few images meant more in my usual style of sci-fi, dystopia, and fantasy. And reminder to self… don’t watch MirrorMask right before starting on a manip project. Great movie, awesome effects, but totally messes up how I usually do digital manipulations.
If you’re curious to see the images I’ve just mentioned, take a look at the Flickr Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbibb/sets/72157630562937410/show/
Otherwise, enjoy a few samples here. đ
Filed under Book Covers, Personal Work, Photo Illustration
So I’ve been meaning to get these pictures edited, and I finally have. (And got the CDs sent off to thier respective families). These are pictures of my cousins kids, one on my dad’s side and one on my mom’s side. If you want to see more, they also have Flickr Slideshows of a select few of them. The first two on Cousin Joe’s pictures have been fully edited. The rest all had basic edits done to them in Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4.0, and I’m really enjoying the way CS6 saves things. Makes it really nice to work with, since it lets you keep working while its saving. đ Still need to work on the Lightroom watermark thing, though it looks like it could be a handy function.
Anyways, thought I’d show these, since I do take portraits to. (But don’t worry, up next we’ll be back to photoillustration). đ
Cousin Joe’s pictures:
]
Uh… the last one is me being swarmed by the little kids.
Flickr Slideshow:Â http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbibb/sets/72157630546854622/
Cousin Kristin’s Pictures:
Flickr Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbibb/sets/72157630546726198/show/
Filed under Personal Work, Portrait
So it turns out you can’t have two pen names linked to a single Smashwords account. The result is that I’d either have to create a second account for Stephanie Flint, or change all the covers and copyright info on the previous books. Seeing as how I wanted to keep “SBibb” for the account link, I decided to change the covers.
Overall, it might’ve taken a couple hours. Luckily, most of the covers had layering where I was able to just change my last name with a couple modifications, and Photoshop CS6 (loving the new save function) is helpful with doing some easy adjustments. Afterwards, I adjusted all the front matter and bio info on the stories themselves (again, yay for having everything in nearly one place).
I also added tags to each short story that included “SBibb, Stephanie Bibb, Stephanie Flint” to make it easier to find. Search engine optimization (SEO) is important to having your websites and books and such found, so I also included a note about the name change in the long description. I didn’t put it in the short description since I’d rather reserve that space for info about the story itself.
I also linked the “Where to find this book in print” to the1000 Wordsanthology (print edition)Â on Amazon. Since I don’t want to change the inner covers of the ebook version on Smashwords, I’m unpublishing it there. Kindle allows me (as far as I understand) to keep the older editions of the book the same, while putting my new name on any new books I publish. Therefore, I decided that will not change.
However, one thing I did try to do was make it easier for people to find my work, whether they look it up under Stephanie Bibb or under Stephanie Flint. I imagine it’ll take a little while for my stuff to show up on search engines under the new name, but this way, it should be linked. Also, when I did the book covers, I was careful to make sure the font didn’t change when I switched out the names. That way the quality of the cover remained the same.
Then I went through and made sure that all the edits were in place, and finally changed my profile name on Smashwords itself. I also uploaded my profile picture, taken by my wonderful husband, Isaac. đ
Here’s the response I got from Smashwords about the name change, in case anyone else needs to know it:
You have two options:
1. Open a new account for the new name. I wouldn’t recommend this because the books won’t be linked either with us or with the retailers. It’s also a pain to manage two accounts.
2. Here’s a link to the FAQ’s section on changing the author name:
https://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq#Updating
Scroll down a bit until you see the section “I’ve decided to change my Pen Name. How to I change it without de-listing my book at retailers?”
Some additional recommendations: A. You should change your profile to the new name, and then update your front matter for all the books so it reads “Copyright New Name 2012” Originally written and published under the maiden name, Old Name
… this will help our vetting team and our retailers understand why the name on the cover doesn’t match the name in the metadata.
B. Also, update the tags, bio and long description so both names are mentioned. This will help make all the books more discoverable if someone’s searching on the old or new name.
So hopefully this is helpful. Meantime, I’ll see if everything transferred over smoothly. If it did, then maybe the premium distribution will start working again soon. đ
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Uncategorized, Writing
It’s my pleasure to announce the latest completed book cover, “30 Days to the End of the World” for Diana Bocco (http://www.dianabocco.com)
Of course, once the final wrap-around cover is completed, I’ll reveal that and let you know when she expects her book to be available. đ
Meantime, I thought I’d mention something about promo materials. I’ve decide to plan on including promo materials in all but the most basic cover packages. This included an 8.5×11 flyer, a signature and avatar for those who want (such as if you’re on an online forum like Absolute Write), a thumbnail image, blog image, bookmark, business card, and post card. It’s up to the author whether they want to use them and how, but the idea is to make it easier for potential readers to remember your book.
Say you’re at a convention. Or maybe a book signing, and someone is debating whether or not to buy the book or doesn’t have money on hand. By providing them with a business card or bookmark, especially something that is a teaser, they’ll have something tangible to look back to if they want to look on Amazon for it later. Granted, everyone uses these differently, but I like for the option to be available for those who do. And with something like a bookmark, you could make a point to sign it. Or make notes on the back of a business card, if there’s something you’d talked about. The possibilities are endless, really.
But these are the promo materials I made for this cover, and I thought I’d share. đ
 
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Writing
Well, if the blog’s seemed quiet over the past two weeks, it’s because I’ve been busy with my wedding and having a honeymoon. As of June 10th, I am now Stephanie Flint. đ
This is a picture my aunt took of me and my husband, where the photographer’s getting a family picture with us and my parents. đ
Of course, that brings up the question of what name to use for business. I’ve already started branding using “SBibb.” bibbphoto.com, My facebook page, blog, DeviantArt, and everything else is tagged with SBibb. So while I will soon be legally changing my name to Stephanie Flint, I will most likely continue my photography and illustration under SBibb and Stephanie Bibb. I plan on seeking a “doing business as” for that name, and planning to continue self-publishing short stories (such as the prequel to “Socks”) under Stephanie Bibb. However, anything newer, or done jointly with Isaac, my husband, will be under Stephanie Flint (such as the novel I’m working on).
So yay. Now I just need to remember which name I’m supposed to sign with. đ
Filed under Business Ventures, Life, Writing
So, this is the completed cover for Rebekkah Ford, my first willing client I did cover art for. She’s just released her book, Beyond the Eyes, online, and to celebrate, I offered to do an interview with her about her new book. I’d like to thank her for being willing to have the time and patience with me as I got a start in cover design, as well as let the world know about her release. đ
And now, an interview with Rebekkah Ford:
What was your inspiration for Beyond the Eyes?
The idea for, Beyond the Eyes came to me when my husband had suggested I should write something that would totally freak me out. Well, the movie, The Exorcist, has always scared me. In fact, Iâve had bad dreams for years over that movie. So thatâs where my inspiration for this book came from: writing something that could be plausible and creepy.
What was your favorite part about writing Beyond the Eyes?
The characters surprising me and showing up out of nowhere.
Did you run into any hiccups while writing Beyond the Eyes?
Yeah, I did. Writing the first sentence and the beginning of the first chapter was difficult. I struggled with that for a while.
What made you decide to self-publish?
I was burnt out on querying agents, getting wonderful comments and encouragements from them, yet their client list was full, or my story didnât fit the type of stories they represented. I did have some agents interested, however, it didnât work out or feel right to me. I then did a lot of research on self-publishing and was pleasantly surprised with all the information I discovered about it. One day, at the beginning of January of this year, my husband looked at me and said, âJust do it and quit screwing around. Your book needs to get out there.â And in that moment, I decided to give into that constant gnawing in the back of my head thatâs been going on for months, telling me to self-publish, and I decided right then to do it. Not to mention, I have a fire in me that believes strongly in this series.
Whoâs your favorite character and why?
Hmmmm, thatâs a hard question . . . I think Nathan is. In my second book to this series, Dark Spirits, starting at chapter fourteen, the book goes into Nathanâs POV, every other chapter. Itâs pretty cool, actually. I wasnât sure if it would work, but it totally did. Nathan is my favorite character because he doesnât mess around. If he says heâs going to open the gates of hell upon you, watch out because he will. I also like that he has a soft side to him.
Whatâs your favorite thing about Beyond the Eyes?
Paige and Nathanâs relationship.
When should we expect to see Beyond the Eyes available and where?
The Kindle and ebook is available now at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Smashwords. My paperback should be available by the middle of this month.
Want to share a small snippet of your story to give the audience a taste?
Sure. This scene is towards the end of chapter one. Paige is at a dance club called The Lionâs Den, and her best friend Carrie is pulling her onto the dance floor where their friend Matt is already dancing:
            “As we made our way through the crowd of moving bodies, my ears started to ring again. Okay, this was seriously getting on my last nerve, but then I reminded myself I was here to have fun and began swaying my hips when we reached Matt. My body automatically moved inside a bubble of energetic sound wavesâfree and unencumbered. I was no longer the freak, with a mother who showed up when she wanted to and a father who had died when I was four. None of that stuff mattered, because in that moment I was one with the music and the pulsing lights. And as each song changed into pure techno melodies, I became more entranced, closing my eyes, swaying my body to the beat of the music, entering my own world.
            Then something strange happened. The people around me were now far below me, and I was tethered to a silver cord attached to my dancing body. I wasnât scared though, and found myself enjoying this sense of release. I had no worries. Even when I thought about the premonition, the fear Iâd felt toward it earlier didnât touch me. Probably since I knew I wasnât dead. I mean, hey, the silver cord remained attached to my body, so I was good, right?
            As I took in my surroundings, a guy wearing a long black coat caught my attention. He was on the high platform overlooking the floor with his hands gripping the black railing. His hood concealed his face, but he appeared to be watching the people down below.
            My eyes swept over the crowd and rested on Matt standing there staring intently on my swaying body. He took a step closer and leaned forward.
            Was he sniffing me?
            He looked up, searching for something.
            At that exact moment, the hooded guy jumped off the platform, over the black railing, and ran to the dance floor. And then Mattâs eyes locked onto mine. They were pale and glowing.
             I shuddered.
            The silvery cord rippled, and then yanked me toward my body, as if I was a balloon being pulled down by an eager childâs grasp. Everything rushed before me: the tables, the crowd of moving heads, and my own head, moving in a figure eight along with my body. I closed my eyes, and collided into a hard, confining surface, and that was the last thing I could remember.”
Beyond the Eyes Blurb:
âA thrilling, wholly satisfying first book to a new young adult series. It will keep you wanting more.â âValentina Cano, Carabosseâs Library
âBeyond the Eyes is haunting yet passionate. This breakout novel is quick and hip, a saucy must-read.ââCharles Land, Judas Pistol
Paige knows evil exists in this world, but she never imagined it would want something from her.
After a ghostly voice whispers a haunting message to seventeen-year-old Paige Reed, Paigeâs life takes a nightmarish turn. Unwilling to tell her friends about the supernatural occurrences happening in her life, Paige feels more alone than everâuntil she meets Nathan Caswell.
Nathan is not only hot, but seems to peer into Paigeâs soul, evoking a magnetic energy between them that cannot be denied. But heâs no ordinary guy. He tracks dark spirits, and becomes alarmed when they set their sights on Paige.
And then there are the two power-hungry dark spirits who believe Paige can find King Solomonâs magical ring for them, because when her father was alive, he was close to finding it. If Paige doesnât comply with their demands, theyâll kill her.
Paige is forced to dig deep into her fatherâs past and unearths shocking secrets about him and his bloodline. With the past and present colliding, Paige is only sure about two things in her life: she needs to outwit the dark spirits to stay alive, and sheâs completely and helplessly in love with Nathan.”
***
Rebekkah Ford grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal. Her parentsâ Charles and Geri Wilhelm were the Directors of the UFO Investigators League in Fairfield, Ohio, back in the 1970s. They also investigated ghost hauntings and Bigfoot sightings in addition to UFOâs. Growing up in this type of environment and having the passion for writing is what drove Rebekkah at an early age to write stories dealing with the paranormal. At one point in her life, she thought she wanted to be a journalist, and although she enjoyed writing articles, she quickly discovered her real passion was writing fiction. Her fascination with the paranormal is what led her to write the âBeyond the Eyesâ series. Visit her online and read her blog at http://themusingwriter.blogspot.com
***
And there it is! Hope you enjoy, and don’t forget to take a look at her new book. đ
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/168857
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-the-Eyes-ebook/dp/B0088JF7HQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1338957308&sr=8-7
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rebekkah-rebekkah-ford/1111386817?ean=2940014746496
Filed under Book Covers, Writing
I’m a day late in posting this, but I thought some of you might be interested. Yesterday Nichole Severn (Also Natascha Jaffa, from my most recent post) hosted a guest blog from me. It’s titled “The Importance of Cover Design and Genre.” If you’re at all considering designing your own cover or looking into hiring someone to design your cover, it might be helpful. At least, I hope it is. đ
So take a peak: http://www.nicholesevern.blogspot.com/2012/05/importance-of-cover-design-and-genre.html
Filed under Book Covers, Writing
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 