by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Hundreds and even thousands of years ago, it was essential for creative folks to recruit sponsors to help fund their masterpieces so they could succeed.
Things haven’t changed as sponsorships are still important for creative people, including writers. Writers continue to recruit sponsors and patrons to promote their books and help them earn a spot on the best-seller list without clearing all of their savings.
Kickstarter is an invaluable resource for authors who would like to raise some money for their books. It is a website that gives authors, musicians, app developers, inventors and others the opportunity to recruit people to support their creative project.
Kickstarter is a for-profit company that was created to support creative projects (for a 5% fee against the funds collected) because they believe creative projects make for a better world. Since its inception there have been hundreds of thousands of successfully funded projects for billions of dollars! Although the majority of projects raise less than $10,000, an increasing number have reached six, seven, and even eight figures.
Here’s how Kickstarter works:
Project creators join Kickstarter and set a funding goal and deadline. If people like their project, they donate money to support it. An author can use the money for publishing or distribution costs, to upgrade to a better distributor, or to pay for the costs of the book publicist hired to give your book the push it needs.
Kickstarter has an all-or-nothing policy that states you must reach your goal before receiving any money. However, don’t let this scare you because even if you don’t receive a penny, you can get your book in front of more readers and obviously, that’s never a bad thing.
I’m going to be frank here: The reality is that while many authors have benefited from Kickstarter, a lot of the campaigns flat out failed, especially when the creative person tried to run their own campaign without first researching what works or asking for professional assistance.
“Book publishing isn’t a huge portion of Kickstarter’s revenue — the “Publishing” and “Journalism” categories together account for just 9% of their successfully funded projects and 4% of the total money pledged. But the industry’s “outsize cultural impact” makes it critically important to the Brooklyn-based public-benefit corporation,” explained Adam Rowe, a Forbes contributor who discussed the conference in a recent Forbes article.
As a book publicist, I have been involved on both sides of a Kickstarter campaign and have witnessed how authors have used the platform to attain the funds needed to publish and promote a book. Let’s take a closer look at some Kickstarter author success stories.
Author Jen Marr of Washington DC used Kickstarter for her book, “Paws to Comfort”, a book designed for anyone who has ever felt awkward when reaching out to someone who is struggling. It empowers readers with simple tools and inspirational stories that can help them break through the awkward zone and become better comforters.
Her campaign received the support of 221 backers who pledged $33,819. The money raised went toward creating a manuscript, book production and delivery, and launch and promotion.
Art Brooks of Providence, RI is another example of an author who used Kickstarter to their advantage. His Kickstarter campaign is designed to support the “Star Wars The Vintage Collection Archive Edition”, a comprehensive historical manuscript and detailed visual archive of The Vintage Collection, one of Hasbro’s most popular lines of Star Wars action figures.
That campaign had 1,058 backers who pledged $133,887. Brooks offered various perks to backers who pledge a certain amount. For example, anyone who pledged $100 or more received one printed copy of The Vintage Collection Archive Edition book and one limited edition 24×36-inch The Vintage Collection compendium poster.
Believe it or not, there was a Kickstarter campaign for 9-year-old author MaKayla Rose Hubbs from Mantua, NJ. She wrote the book “Why Bedtime Sucks: The Opposite of a Bedtime Story.” The book begins with her witty objection to the various reasons she’s been told it’s important for her to get a good night’s rest. Her campaign had 124 backers who pledged $9,588. Anyone who pledged $10 or more will received an e-book as well as a downloadable coloring page.
These authors didn’t just get lucky and raise money for their books with minimal effort. Many of them were strategic in how they designed their Kickstarter campaigns and came up with incentives for pledgers. In order to attract pledges as an author, you can offer the following:
- Digital copies of your entire works if you have written three or more books.
- Autographed, limited edition copies.
- Free editing and critique of a donor’s draft writing
- A free review of a donor’s published book
- Your illustrator to draw an image of the donor to place in your book.
- An in-person meeting with the author for a formal English tea
- Mention of the donor’s business with a testimonial given by a character in the book
- A gourmet meal prepared by the author of a cookbook at the donor’s home.
If one of my clients decides to pursue a Kickstarter campaign, I’ll help them design an appealing message, create a great video, and promote their campaign outside of the Kickstarter platform.
Other Crowdfunding Options
Indiegogo: A crowdfunding website founded in 2008. One compelling feature, if you don’t reach your goal, you can still keep the funds pledged.
Ulule: This is the only international crowdfunding platform where the majority of projects get funded. It strives to empower creators and entrepreneurs.
The Bottom Line: If you’re an author looking for funding then check out how Kickstarter can pay for your book publishing and promotion.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Reviews, Social Media
by Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing
“Reviews are a third-party endorsement of your work. They give the potential buyer assurance the book they may buy is worthwhile.” Scott Lorenz, Book Publicist
“We are still trying to get reviews. It is worse than pulling teeth though. Unfortunately, I used up the reviewers I could threaten bodily harm to with my first book!” Exasperated Author
One of the most difficult things to do is to get people to read and review your book to help get the buzz going. How would you like to get your book into the eager hands of reviewers, bloggers, members of the media, librarians, booksellers, and educators before it was published? Ever wonder how some books have 50 reviews the day of publishing? Want to know the tricks of the trade? One way is through NetGalley and their 450,000 readers.
NetGalley is a service that allows authors and publishers to get reviews of their work before and after it is published. Members get galleys before others, read books digitally, share feedback, and become part of a reading community. There are also built-in benefits beyond the review, including advance promotion (more about that on their website: https://www.netgalley.com/
“What an author will get from NetGalley, but may not always welcome, are reviews that are about as truly independent as can be,” said Tom Barry, author of Saving Jay and When the Siren Calls. If you can’t handle the truth or someone’s version of the truth don’t do it!
“We work with over 400 publishers, indie authors and small publishers who are incorporating NetGalley into their marketing and publicity activities,” says Kristina Radke of NetGalley. We work in all genres, and the formats we support are ePub (converted to Mobi for Kindle devices and apps) or PDF.”
The reach is often beyond the NetGalley platform. “NetGalley does encourage its reviewers to post outside NetGalley, on places such as a personal blog, Amazon or GoodReads. It does not, however, guarantee or require this to happen,” says C.E. Kilgore, a self-published author of Science Fiction, Space Opera, and Contemporary Romance.
Check out The Science Fiction Writers Association who have a special rate with Net Galley. https://www.sfwa.org/what-is-sfwa/netgalley-application/
“NetGallians are not only strangers but staunch supporters of good fiction, like Templars defending a holy artifact,” says J.S. Leonard, author of Modern Rituals. “They care only to support excellent writing.” One thing Leonard discovered with NetGalley are his “superfans,” those individuals who read the book, love the book, and tell everyone they know.
“NetGalley is so huge, your books are getting listed next to some pretty big name titles, and that can sometimes do wonders at getting your book noticed. It’s a great chance to discover new authors and for authors to be discovered by new readers,” said Melissa Pearl, author of The Elements Trilogy.
“NetGalley is about marketing for authors/publishers, in addition to connecting with readers, and we have to keep in mind the game of trying to reach as many readers as possible,” said Keary Taylor, author of The Eden Trilogy, The Fall of Angels Trilogy, and What I Didn’t Say.
Corrin Foster of Greenleaf Book Group says that their publishing firm uses NetGalley for nearly every title that they publish as a way to reach active and influential reviewers. “The NetGalley community is fair and transparent with their reviews, responsive to collaboration, and an invaluable resource for generating early reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, blogs, and social media which carry a lot of weight with general consumers. We value our relationship with NetGalley and their members very highly,” says Foster.
Some authors believe NetGalley is costly, but as a book publicist, I can attest to the fact that the cost of soliciting, shipping and following-up is pretty costly in terms of money and time too. Author C.E. Kilgore is concerned that the site has little reader/reviewer vetting process.
NetGalley admits this, but they believe that publishers and authors know best the readers who are most useful for them. When a reviewer requests a book, the author or publisher can accept or decline the request after reviewing their profiles. The price for a listing range from $399 to $599 for six months with the higher fee including a marketing boost and newsletter placement.
Want to save money? NetGalley works in partnership with the IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association). They have a NetGalley program that makes it very easy for small and self-published authors to participate at a discount. Click here for more information: https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/netgalley.
The Bottom Line: NetGalley is a great way to obtain pre-publish reviews and is yet another resource available to authors and publishers to reach a community of avid readers.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Book Cover Designers, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
“A Good Book Cover Can Help Sell a Book – A Bad Cover Can Kill a Book.” – Scott Lorenz, Book Publicist
“Your book cover is not a decoration. It’s a smart business investment.” – George Foster, Foster Covers
Being a book publicist and book marketing guy, I often weigh in on book cover designs. Sometimes it’s in the nick of time sometimes it’s too late to make a change. Here’s the situation, authors, please – do not underestimate the importance of a book cover’s design.
Not only do potential book buyers judge a book by its cover but so do members of the media. Many reporters receive dozens of books every day!
Do you really think they read the book flap and your pitch? Ha!
Here are some important items to consider when making decisions on book cover design:
Use a subhead to create more description. If you have a 10-word title, you have not properly named the book in the first place.
Check with Google on the words that are most searched on your topic. To do this, type in the word that best describes your book in the search box and then see what the next most important or popular words are in that list. That ranking is very relevant marketing- wise so try to use those words in your title or subtitle. Consider using the genre in the subtitle too because that’s what people are searching on.
Visit bookstores look at the covers of all types of books. What catches your eye? Look at the book face and look at the spines. Which ones are readable and why?
Will it play on Amazon? Go to Amazon.com, BN.com, Good Reads, Smashwords and search for competitive books in your space. Notice the book covers that catch your eye and the ones that do not. If your cover does not show up well in an Amazon thumbnail, then you are going to lose sales.
Contrast. Don’t let your graphic designer get started without keeping contrast in mind. The reason black ink works so well on white paper is because it produces the best contrast possible. Yellow ink on green paper in a small font simply does not work. How does your book look in black and white? Not every publication will be printing it in color.
Font size. Many designers are young with great eyesight. But your buyer may not be able to read the tiny font some designers insist upon using. Be practical.
The spine. Can you read it from five feet away? If not, neither can browsers in a bookstore.
Blurbs. Keep them relevant and short. Consider including a mention on the cover of a foreword written by a famous person or author. “Foreword by Best Selling Author Judith Grisel” or “Foreword by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos” or “Foreword by James Patterson.”
Back inside flaps. Do not overlook creating content on the back inside flaps because consumers pick up a book after looking at the spine, front cover and back and then open the book to find the price or more information.
Use a laser printer. Don’t just review your cover on a computer screen which will make it look considerably better. Print it out actual size and make a determination using that printed version.
Pictures are worth 1000 words. Use photos and illustrations to describe what would take too long to explain. When choosing a book design ask yourself how the cover will look on your website home page. Branding is important so you’ll want to use the same design elements on your website that you do on your book cover.
Ask for feedback. Show your cover designs to as many people in your target group of potential readers. Get their reactions and opinions. It costs you nothing and you’ll likely find out something you did not realize before.
Here are 100 book cover designers and services to consider for your next cover:
1. 99 Designs – https://99designs.com/
99designs.com uses graphic designers from around the world who compete for your business by actually designing the book cover on speculation, ie no charge. I commissioned many covers for authors using 99designs after the author was not happy with the creations from his own designer. I mentioned several design elements such as the title, subtitle, what the book was about etc.
Figuring more is better, we got 65 different cover designs in 5 days! The most difficult part was narrowing down the selection to 8 then having friends, family, co-workers vote on their favorites from all corners of the world all online.
They also added their comments, insight and logic behind liking or disliking a cover design right under the image of that cover. They voted over several days and the comments were able to be read by our team, also scattered all over North America. The cost was about $700. Currently 99designs book covers range in price from $299 to their top-of-the-line platinum package at $1,199. This was an excellent process that delivered a NY Times bestseller quality cover that I highly recommend.
2. Foster Covers – https://fostercovers.com/
George Foster of Foster Covers is a book cover designer who has earned more than 300 awards and created covers for 134 bestsellers. His work has appeared on over 1,000 books.
3. Fiverr – https://www.fiverr.com/
Fiverr gives you many options for just $5. These are fast and obviously cheap, but I’ve seen some pretty nice work. Order from 2 or 3 designers at the same time. Hey, it’s only $5 bucks!
4. Killer Covers – https://killercovers.com/
Killer Covers offers various packages for your book cover needs including web pages, Facebook pages etc. They are based in Australia, and I’ve used them and recommended them several times.
5. Book Cover Express – https://bookcoverexpress.com/
Cathi Stevenson of Book Cover Express has 30 years of publishing experience, and more than 1500 book covers to her credit. Book Cover Express has a competitive flat rate so you can work with your ideal budget.
6. Author Support – https://www.authorsupport.com/
The designers at Author Support are a great resource.
7. Book Creatives – https://www.bookcreatives.com/
Book Creatives offers book cover design and eBook design for authors.
8. Alexander von Ness – https://www.nessgraphica.com/
Alexander von Ness is a book cover designer with over twenty years of professional experience in graphic design, including over a decade as art director in a branding agency. In the last decade his main area of focus has been book cover design. His website Nessgraphica is among the top trusted sites for book cover design services overall.
9. Damonza – https://damonza.com/
Damonza has over 30 years combined experience in the design and advertising industry.
10. Robin Ludwig Design – https://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/
Robin Ludwig Design specializes in providing superior book cover design services utilizing professional equipment and software.
11. Andy Carpenter Design – https://acdbookcoverdesign.com/
Andy Carpenter Design is a boutique design firm for self-publishers and small presses.
12. Self-Publishing Lab – https://selfpublishinglab.com/
Self-Publishing Lab has been voted the best website for authors, so be sure to check it out.
13. Lulu – https://www.lulu.com/
Along with publishing services Lulu provides design quality at a competitive price.
14. David Airey – https://www.davidairey.com/books
David Airey is a creative book cover designer.
15. CreateSpace – https://kdp.amazon.com/createspace-transfer
CreateSpace allows you to work with their professional design team to custom-create an affordable, striking cover that broadcasts your book’s key messages with distinct colors, fonts, and one central image.
16. BookBaby – https://www.bookbaby.com/book-design/book-cover-design
BookBaby offers a straightforward approach to finding a budget and designing your book cover.
17. Guru – https://www.guru.com/
Guru is a great website to utilize to find freelance book cover designers from around the world. Very cool.
18. 1106 Design – https://1106design.com/
1106 Design offers editing, proofreading, cover design, Interior page layout, eBook formatting, Printing and more.
19. Albertine Book Design – https://dotdesign.net/
Albertine Book Design offers complete design and production services for children’s books, tabletop books, cookbooks, textbooks, fiction and non-fiction hard cover and paperbacks.
20. Book Covers for All – https://bookcoversforall.com/
Book Covers for All features one designer boasting over 18 years of experience with 1000+ books to his credit.
21. Reedsy – https://reedsy.com/design/book-cover-design/
This is very interesting in that the book covers are already designed; you just add the title! There are some very high-quality covers priced at $25 and up. Definitely check this out.
22. Extended Imagery – https://extendedimagery.com/
Carl Graves is a professional book cover designer who has a fire sale on book covers with more than 2,000 book covers on hand. These are really amazing must see covers.
23. Illumination Graphics – https://illuminationgraphics.com/
Illumination Graphics provides affordable and dynamic design for books, both book cover designs and book interior layouts.
24. BookWise Design – https://bookwisedesign.com/
BookWise Design has designed over 1200 book covers and strives to provide the most experienced and helpful book production services.
25. ExpertSubjects – https://www.expertsubjects.com/
Expert Subjects has several cover artists, and you can choose to create a fully customized book cover depending on your budget constraints. They also provide an array of services including typesetting, editing, critique and undertake publishing & distribution too.
26. Canva – https://www.canva.com/create/book-covers/
Canva’s book cover maker makes book covers amazingly simple to design – even for non-designers. I’ve used them for memes too.
27. The Cover Collection – https://www.thecovercollection.com/
Here’s a way to get a high-quality book cover for a great price using premade book cover designs. Authors receive multiple drafts to choose from and a choice of font options. I’ve checked out their covers and they are top notch.
28. TS95 Studios – https://www.ts95studios.com/
Hampton Lamoureux of TS95 Studios is a Daily Deviation award-winning artist on DeviantArt.com. He designs e-book and full jacket covers, crafting elaborate realistic scenes from stock photos for fantasy, horror, mystery, and sci-fi novels.
29. Bianca Bordianu Design – https://moonpress.co/
Bianca Bordianu is a professional cover designer who works with bestselling authors, publishing houses and indie authors in all genres. She delivers high quality designs for competitive prices.
30. Lance Buckley – https://www.lancebuckley.com/
Lance Buckley is a book designer with over 10 years of experience. Says Lance, “I’ve worked for 8 years as a Design Specialist at CreateSpace before Amazon consolidated things and axed CreateSpace altogether. For the last 4 years I’ve been designing book covers and interiors for authors. You can view some of my work on my website. I try to keep my pricing as low as possible while still providing a very professional design.”
31. Julia Rohwedder – https://www.lunaryxdesign.com/
Julia Rohwedder is a freelance photo illustrator & designer living in the southwest of Germany. She has been creating digital photo illustration since around 2006. She loves book cover art commissions for Fantasy genres, like Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy.
32. eBook Launch – https://ebooklaunch.com/
Since 2011, eBook launch has designed hundreds of creative book covers for independent authors and publishers in nearly every genre. Check out their book cover portfolio here. https://ebooklaunch.com/custom-book-cover-portfolio/ They also handle book editing, formatting as well.
33. Book Cover Hub – https://bookcoverhub.com/
Book Cover Hub is a professional book cover design agency specializing in custom, market-driven covers for authors and publishers. The company is known for creating visually compelling designs that help books stand out across Amazon, bookstores, and digital platforms.
34. Adobe Express Book Cover Designer – https://www.adobe.com/express/create/cover/book
Adobe Express makes it easy to create a book cover. Start with a free book cover template or create your own custom cover.
35. GetCovers – https://getcovers.com/book-cover-design/
Get an affordable book cover design that represents your genre. GetCovers team offers unlimited number of free revisions for your book cover design.
36. DesignHill – https://www.designhill.com/book-cover-design
Explore their professional book cover designers and work closely with them to design a cover that compels your readers to turn the pages.
37. DesignCrowd – https://www.designcrowd.com/ebookcover-design/
The #1 custom eBook cover design service with 1,329,622 designers. Professional freelance eBook cover designers around the world ready to create you the perfect eBook cover. If you’re not satisfied with the eBook cover designs and don’t get the perfect eBook cover for your business, get your money back.
38. BookCoverZone – https://bookcoverzone.com/
BookCoverZone with its innovative LiveBuild engine is a new way to obtain professionally made book covers in a matter of minutes. All covers are made by professional book cover designers -many of them with international design awards such as the World Gourmand Award. For over 20 years our studio has created covers for a variety of self-published and genre authors throughout the world.
39. The Book Cover Designer – https://thebookcoverdesigner.com/
Covers are one-offs. Once a cover is sold, it’s removed from our catalog and will never be sold again. The Book Cover Designer works with talented designers from all over the world and they don’t accept AI-generated book covers.
40. Moonstruck Cover Design & Photography – https://moonstruckcoverdesign.com/
In business since 2016, Moonstruck covers all genres with a specialty in romance! Their style is often described as vibrant, spunky and sparkly that “Packs a Punch”! Their covers are colorful & twist the common tropes! A great style to catch your readers’ eye!
41. Goonwrite.com – https://goonwrite.com/
GoonWrite.com’s owner James has been designing book covers for 14 years. He has been a freelance graphic designer for the last twenty-five years. You can buy pre-made book covers from this website.
42. Amnet – https://amnetauthorservices.com/cover-design-for-ebook/
eBook design encompasses the process of creating eye-catching and creative images that serve as a “cover” for eBooks. The cover of your eBook will be the first thing a reader notices and it should draw them in and help stoke their interest in the book. Amnet does eBook cover design service for a variety of authors and genres. Simply put, if you are an eBook author, you can greatly benefit from Amnet’s book cover design services.
43. CreativCovers – https://www.creativindiecovers.com/
CreativCovers the book cover designer indie authors come back to — bestselling-quality book cover design that stops the scroll, owns the genre, and sells the click. The same craft you’d get from a Big Five publisher, at a fraction of the price.
44. eBookWritings – https://ebookwritings.com/ebook-cover-design
eBookWritings.com is a renowned book cover design company that is popular for bringing publications from the rear window shelf to the main spotlight. We are a source of assistance to many writers out there who are looking to give a kick to their book cover designs. Our experts are responsible for ensuring that readers connect with your story. Brace yourself to get the massive sales.
45. DIY Book Covers – https://diybookcovers.com/
Dive into DIY Book Covers treasure trove of FREE book design templates and easy-to-follow tutorials, so your book can finally get the attention (and sales) it deserves. No design skills? No problem. Get started today and transform your book from Blah to Wow!
46. 100 Covers – https://100covers.com/
100 Covers began as a budget conscious book cover design service for the typical self-published indie author on a shoestring budget. Our journey since then could be titled, From Discount to DOMINANCE.
47. Whitewolf Publishers – https://whitewolfpublishers.com/book-cover-design
Whitewolf Publishers is a top-tier choice for eBook cover design. Whitewolf Publisher’s team of experienced eBook cover designers have vast experience in creating captivating and professional eBook covers that reflect your story and the essence of your eBook.
48. PosterMyWall – https://www.postermywall.com/index.php/g/book-cover-posters
9,470+ Free Kindle/Book Cover Design Templates. Design an eye-catching book cover for your next best seller in minutes. Personalize, print and publish online.
49. Deranged Doctor Design – https://www.derangeddoctordesign.com/
Working with Deranged Doctor is a little different than what you may be used to when working with a solo cover designer. They are a company, which means there are several people working on each project.
50. 5MediaDesign – https://5mediadesign.com/
5MediaDesign crafts smart book cover design that stand out from the ordinary.
51. Kittl – https://www.kittl.com/create/book-covers
Make your book stand out on the shelf with Kittl book cover designer. You’ve poured your heart and soul into your manuscript – now it’s time to make sure your book will stand out on the shelf with a cover that sells. Save time and money from hiring a graphic designer— simply choose a template, drag and drop design elements, and craft your unique book cover in just minutes.
52. TrifBookDesign – https://trifbookdesign.com/
We all know you should never judge a book by its cover – but that’s what we all do at the beginning. Your book cover is the first thing a reader sees and is the difference between them picking up your book or walking away. No book deserves to be dismissed because it’s poorly presented, so we want to make sure they buy. Trif Book Design specialize in BOOK COVER DESIGN SERVICES with many years of experience and work hard to make sure that your book cover is what will make you stand out.
53. Yummy Book Covers – https://yummybookcovers.com/book-design-services/
Cover design & illustration for every budget. Yummy Book Covers offers premium Canva templates, premade characters, premade character cover design and custom cover design.
54. Premade Book Cover Shop – https://www.premadeebookcovershop.com/
PremadeBookCoverShop.com’s premade book covers are not templates, each cover will be sold only once, then is removed from the site – making it exclusively yours!* Price includes changing out the title, author name, and adding a subtitle and/or phrase. You can even ask for a font style or color change, an overall hue change or an eye color change!
55. BookFly Design – https://www.bookflydesign.com/cover-design
Book Fly Design doesn’t use pre-made templates for our covers; yours will be custom designed in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Their price includes unlimited royalty-free stock images (unless you have specific image requests, which may require additional charges) as well as 3-D images you can use to promote your book. Your final cover will be optimized for web viewing and ready to upload to your e-book publisher(s) of choice.
56. ETSY eBook Cover Design – https://www.etsy.com/market/ebook_cover_design
On Etsy, you can find a wide range of eBook cover design online in US, from one-of-a-kind handcrafted options to vintage treasures ready to be loved again. Our global marketplace is a vibrant community of real people, ranging from makers and independent designers to creative entrepreneurs, connecting over special goods so you can browse the latest ebook cover design listings by Etsy sellers from, not just all corners of US, but also around the world.
57. JD&J eBook Cover Design – https://www.jdandj.com/ebook-cover-design.html
JD&J eBook cover design team is dedicated to making your book cover design a work of art that stands head and shoulders above the other books in the high street shops and in online stores.
58. Creative Paramita – https://creativeparamita.com/
Your cover has one job: sell the story before page one. Paramita creates professional book cover design for authors who want a market-ready look—whether you need a scroll-stopping eBook cover, a full print wrap (front + spine + back), or an exclusive premade cover. If you’re looking for reliable book cover design services with strong typography, genre accuracy, and thumbnail readability, you’re in the right place.
59. Graphic Design Eye – https://graphicdesigneye.com/book-cover-design-service/
A book cover tells a number of aspects about a book. So, the design needs to be perfect. The flawlessness of the design makes the books look impressive and helps to raise the sales. Graphic Design Eye is a leader in providing different types of book cover design service to our global clientele.
60. BookCovers.com – https://bookcovers.com/
BookCovers.com, formerly known as SelfPubBookCovers.com is your premier destination for high-quality, ready-made, and custom book covers designed to bring your stories to life.
61. Comeup – https://comeup.com/en/category/ebook-covers
Hire a freelancer to design a professional eBook cover. Work with freelance designers to create attractive eBook or paperback covers that highlight your content and capture readers’ attention.
62. Noble Verse Publishers – https://nobleversepublishers.press/book-cover-design-services.html
From custom covers, and interior design to illustration tools and more, Noble Verse Publishers’ book cover designers are competent and have mastery over various software. Share your book’s prologue or synopsis and instantly get fascinating ideas for the book cover design today.
63. Alkira Publishing – https://alkirapublishing.com/publishing-services/book-cover-design-and-formatting/
Book cover design and interior formatting is the trickiest part to get right if you’re self-publishing, and it makes sense to have one professional do it all – a one-stop shop! Rose is a fully qualified graphic designer and award-winning book cover creator with eleven years’ experience in book cover design.
64. BookCoverify App (Apple) – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/book-cover-maker-designer/id6502331077
BookCoverify: Your Ultimate Book Cover Design Companion! Are you an author looking to make your book stand out on digital shelves or catch the eye of readers in print? Look no further than BookCoverify, the all-in-one solution for creating stunning, professional book covers with ease. With BookCoverify, you have access to a vast library of editable templates designed for every type of book imaginable. Whether you’re publishing an eBook, an audio book, or a physical copy, our app has you covered. Choose from a variety of genres and styles to find the perfect template for your masterpiece.
65. Book Cover Designer App (Android) – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.socialplatform.postermaker2022
Wishing to design Wattpad covers by your smartphone? Looking for the book cover maker? If it’s your YES, then you are at the right search app page. Book Cover Designer application will help to design eBook covers easily by using your smartphone. Book Cover Maker doesn’t require any special design or editing skills. You just have to select the book’s template or can customize your book cover. The application gives book cover templates by different categories to design the desired book cover.
66. PaperTrue – https://www.papertrue.com/writers/self-publishing-services?tab=bookCoverDesignTab
Get PaperTrue’s skilled book cover designers to create an attractive and unique cover—including the front, back, and spine—that elicits the readers’ curiosity.
67. Cover Kitchen – https://coverkitchen.com/
You’ve put countless hours into crafting your book. Let Cover Kitchen cooks up the unique book cover design it deserves. Their team of award-winning book designers is ready to design the perfect book cover for your unique story. With their help, your readers won’t be able to resist picking your book up off the shelf.
68. UpWork – https://www.upwork.com/services/book-design/book-cover-design
For more than two decades, Upwork has been a pioneer of a better way to work. They’ve enabled businesses and professionals to thrive through major shifts – from migrating to the cloud, capturing the potential of mobile, to creating new value through social media. No matter how needs and skills evolve, their purpose remains the same: To create opportunity in every era of work.
69. Template.net – https://www.template.net/book-covers
Create your own professional book covers with our free customizable and printable templates. Template.net is an AI Production Engine that transforms natural language prompts into production-ready assets. We bridge the gap between AI inference (thinking) and professional execution (doing). Their engine generates fully layered, editable, and branded outputs—including documents, presentations, diagrams, charts, and functional web assets.
70. Rachel Lawston – https://www.rachellawstonillustration.com/
Rachel Lawston is an illustrator, freelance book designer, and children’s author with over 15 years of experience in the publishing industry.
71. Cormar Covers – https://www.cormarcovers.com/
Cormar Cover’s mission is to provide you with an amazing cover that best suits your story. Their goal is to create a cover that represents your book, attracts readers, and is something you’re proud to display.
72. Qamber Designs & Media – https://www.qamberdesignsmedia.com/
Qamber Designs & Media W.L.L. is an authentic design agency dedicated to creating outstanding designs tailored to your needs. We specialize in book branding (book covers, interiors, swag, etc.) in many areas of publishing, including fiction, literature, stationery and so much more.
73. Steven Novak – http://novakillustration.com/bookcovers.html
Steven Novak has worked with everyone from indie authors looking to dip their toes in the market, to publishing houses both small and large.
74. Elderlemon Design – https://www.elderlemondesign.net/cover-gallery
Owned and operated by award-winning author Kealan Patrick Burke, Elderlemon Design provides affordable book cover designs for authors. We cater to print and digital media, and each cover is made to order based on the author/client’s own input. Employing stock art, our own photography, and often hand-drawn elements, we work with you to ensure your finished cover accurately reflects your book’s content in a dynamic, eye-catching way, and at the most competitive rates in the business.
75. Rebecca Frank – https://rebeccafrank.design/
Rebecca Frank is a book cover designer who works primarily in the Urban Fantasy, Romantasy, Paranormal Romance (PNR), and Fantasy genres. Her style is bright, vibrant, and magical, with highly marketable designs that draw readers in. She has worked with a variety of bestselling authors, and books with my covers have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
76. For The Muse Design – https://www.forthemusedesign.com/cover-art-gallery.html
For the Muse Design creates affordable designs with the authors vision as the steppingstone to something creative and beautiful. Feel free to browse the site and see what Award-winning designer Elaina Lee has been up to. For the Muse may be just what you’ve been looking for to create the perfect, memorable work of art for your book, website, social media page or anything else you may have need of a designer for.
77. Lisa Amowitz – https://www.lisaamowitz.com/
Lisa is an award-winning author of three fantasy/thrillers for young adults, UNTIL BETH, VISION, and BREAKING GLASS. She is also a cover designer and Professor of Graphic Design at Bronx Community College.
78. Alchemy Book Cover & Design – https://www.alchemybookcovers.com/
Keri Knutson of Alchemy Book Cover & Design has designed over 1,000 published book covers for authors, including many on the New York Times, USA Today, and Kindle bestseller lists. She is passionate about books, and dedicated to designing a cover that will capture the soul of your book and the imaginations of your readers.
79. Bespoke Book Covers – https://bespokebookcovers.com/
Professional book cover design. Surprisingly affordable – perfect if you’re a self-published author…Every author should be able to benefit from a beautiful book cover design. (Not just the lucky few who get signed by a big publisher).
80. Kingwood Creations – https://www.kingwoodcreations.com/
Ready-made book covers can look just as good as custom cover designs, and it comes at a fraction of the cost. Choose from hundreds of carefully crafted, readymade covers from their exclusive premade book cover shop.
81. Placeit – https://placeit.net/mockups/book
Sell More Books with Placeit’s Book Cover Mockups. Placeit is an Envato product. Placeit has a wide range of book mockups which you can try. Placeit’s pricing starts from $1.99/month.
82. Pixlr – https://pixlr.com/
Pixlr gives you a powerful AI photo editor, AI image generator, AI video maker, face swap, collage maker, and 20+ editing tools — 100% free, right in your browser. Powered by Flux, Kling, Recraft, Veo, and more.
83. Snappa – https://snappa.com/templates/ebook-cover
Become the next best selling author with the help of Snappa’s professionally designed eBook cover templates. Their wide selection of ready-made templates are free to use, sized appropriately, and super easy to customize.
84. SeventhStar Art Services – https://www.seventhstarart.com/
Stefanie of SeventhStar Art Services is an Award-winning and best-selling cover design artist. Her clients include Tor Books, Macmillan/Entangled, Penguin-Random House, and Simon & Schuster UK. She has also worked with Spanish, German, Polish, and French publishers for local and international books, such as Siren Books, Festa Verlag, and VAJONA Verlag.
85. OpenArt AI Cover Art Designer – https://openart.ai/generator/cover-art
Create striking cover art for books, albums, and more with our AI Cover Art Generator! Capture the essence of your content visually.
86. Karrie Ross Graphics – https://karrieross.com/
Karrie Ross of Karrie Ross Graphics specializes in book cover design for the self-publishing industry.
87. Book Cover Genius – https://jjfast.com/bonuses/bcg-tna53a
Book Cover Genius offers a great sales pitch about why you should download their software to design your own book cover. Worth a look.
88. JD Smith Design – https://www.jdsmith-design.co.uk/
JD Smith is an award-winning book cover designer who has worked in the graphic design industry since she was 17. She designs book publishers for traditional publishers and independent authors.
89. Jessica Bell Design – https://www.jessicabelldesign.com/
Jessica Bell is dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind book cover designs that fit any author’s budget. She began designing covers as favors for her author friends and has turned her hobby into a successful business.
90. Mars Dorian – https://www.marsdorian.com/covers/
Mars Dorian is a digital illustrator and storyteller who specializes in creating e-book covers that stand out for affordable prices.
91. Alexandra Brandt – https://www.alexandrajbrandt.com/
Alexandra Brandt’s print and e-book cover focus on sci-fi and fantasy works.
92. Jeff Brown Graphics – https://www.jeffbrowngraphics.com/
Beautiful sci-fi and fantasy book cover designs can be found at Jeff Brown Graphics. Jeff has collaborated with over 90 authors on more than 250 covers.
93. Historical Fiction Book Covers – https://historicaleditorial.blogspot.com/
For a historical fiction book cover design, consider Historical Fiction Book Covers by Jenny Quinlan.
94. Dissect Design – https://www.dissectdesigns.com/
Dissect Design was created for indie book authors who are in search stunning book covers that don’t break the bank.
95. Laura Duffy Design – https://www.lauraduffydesign.com/
Laura Duffy of Laura Duffy Design is a former art director who takes great pride in creating professional book designs.
96. More Visual Design – https://bookartwork.com/
Dave Kessler of More Visual is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and specializes in unique and professional book design services.
97. David Moratto – https://davidmoratto.com/
With more than 225 covers to date David Moratto brings his unique graphic design expertise to each cover project. The book’s interior design and cover is designed to the demographic profile of the reader.
98. Crowdspring – https://www.crowdspring.com/
Crowdspring is an innovative design resource. You pay one price (starting at $299) and you get dozens of custom designs that were made specifically for you. Crowdspring manually reviews every designer on their platform and constantly updates their profile score based on their skill. This encourages quality submissions. They also allow you to get feedback from your audience and the comments can be left as tags on the cover design itself. Crowdspring was founded by an intellectual property attorney so when they say you are going to get a custom design, they mean it. Crowdspring offers customer support (phone, chat, and email) to both clients and their creatives. This is helpful in ensuring a streamlined process. Crowdspring also offers a 100% money-back guarantee (they will refund ALL fees). Authors should take a serious look at Crowdspring.
99. Nathaniel Roy – https://www.nathanielroy.com/
Nathaniel Roy is a book designer, writer, collage maker, photo taker, and a few other things in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
100. Rocking Book Covers – https://www.rockingbookcovers.com/
Adrijus specializes exclusively in self-publishing book covers for indie authors and small presses who want a professional, market-tested expert (11 years in the industry) without paying $1000+ for a book cover. Whether you’re publishing on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or going wide, his entire business is built around helping indies compete with traditionally published books.
You can and should spend a few hours going through all of these websites. You’ll be glad you did. I know I was enlightened myself in creating this list of book cover designers.
The Bottom Line: Get involved early in the entire book publishing design process and get at least several creative concepts for the front cover, back cover, and spine. Don’t let it be the ‘last thing’ you do.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Reviews
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
As a book publicist I’ve read a few thousand book reviews and have written a few dozen myself. I have a pretty good idea about how to write a book review that is helpful to potential readers and buyers of a book. Authors have a difficult time getting people to write a review because their fan base of readers don’t have time or most likely don’t know how to write a review. So, here it is. Hand this to anybody who says, ‘I just don’t know how to write a review.’
Before you pick up a pen, ask yourself these questions:
- How did the story affect you?
- Did it make you laugh, cry?
- Did it affect the way you think about family, spouse, or life in general?
- Would you recommend it to others?
- Would you by it as a gift for events such as graduations, birthdays, etc?
Here’s What Makes A Good Book Review
1. In general, you are trying to help someone determine if they should buy the book. “It needs to give a clear reason for someone to want to read or avoid the book in question. Narrowing the potential audience is also helpful,” says Ross Rojek, editor and publisher of the San Francisco Book Review.
2. Talk about your impression of the book. “For fiction reviews, brief plot summaries. You don’t need details about every character and every event. For non-fiction, say what the book’s premise is and whether it fulfills that,” says Debra Englander, former acquisitions editor for Wiley Books.
3. Include qualifications or relevant background about the author. “Include information about author – reputation, qualifications, etc, — anything relevant to the book and the author’s authority,” says Bill Asenjo, award-winning freelance writer. For example, a lawyer should be able to write a good courtroom thriller, but not a book on sewing.
4. Provide a short example from the book. “One good phrase or sentence that encapsulates the book is easy to promote,” Rojek explains. “Be mindful not to give away the ending!”
5. Who should buy this book? “Do compare similar products,” Amazon’s tips on writing reviews states. For example, “If you liked Harry Potter you’ll love this book” or, “If you are into current news events, this book is for you! It’s perfect for middle school children and older.”
6. Talk about what kind of reader this book is for. “Summarize some of your thoughts on the book by suggesting the type of reader you’d recommend the book to,” children’s author Luisa Plaja told BookTrust. If this is a great gift book for the recent college graduate or pregnant Moms then say so!
7. Did the book live up to expectations? Does it deliver on the title? If the book title is “How to Build a House?” Does it in fact tell you how to do it? “Describe what the book does well and what it does poorly (and why), but it should also explain who would value the book,” said Dr. Eric Russell, book reviewer and English Language and Literature professor.
8. Be sure to create a snappy title for your review. Perhaps one with a key word that would help someone find your review about the book. Using the house theme again: “If You Want to Build A House, THIS Book with Tell You How!”
9. Add the stars on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being great. “A five-star review should be for a book that has everything: good writing, good-editing, and a story that makes you want to read it again and tell your friends about,” Neal Wooten, author and managing editor of Mirror Publishing, advises in his article on HuffPost.
What Not To Do:
1. “Be honest, but not overly critical,” Englander warns, “If a reviewer is especially nasty, readers wonder if he/she had a personal agenda.”
2. Don’t lose focus on what you’re reviewing. “Review the book you read – not the book you wish the author had written,” Asenjo cautions.
3. “Don’t describe your seller or shipping experience,” Amazon urges. Don’t comment on the fact it arrived late or the book was damaged. The author has no control over that and nobody cares.
4. “Don’t review books by your friends or enemies,” suggests Rebecca Skloot, a previous vice president of National Book Critics Circle. Doing this doesn’t provide you any real practice on writing a review and doesn’t help anyone. Keep your intentions as a reviewer in check.
5. “Don’t use a book review as an excuse to show off your writerly voice,” recommends Ann Finkbeiner of The Open Notebook, board of directors and regular reviewer for The New York Times Book Review and The Wall Street Journal. A review’s purpose is to evaluate a piece of text and create discussion with other readers. If you want to showcase your writing ability, start a blog.
The Bottom line: Authors, want reviews? Ask your readers to write one! Readers, don’t know how to review? Follow the guidelines above to ensure the creation of a helpful review for future readers!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Fan Fiction, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
“Ever thought about writing fan fiction? Many authors started out writing on fanfic sites.”
Anna Todd started writing fan fiction on her phone, published chapters to Wattpad, then after garnering 1 million+ views she was pursued by numerous literary agents. Fast forward five years, her story AFTER is a Simon & Schuster NY Times bestseller and Ann Todd is making millions.
Amanda Hocking started out writing fan fiction and she was signed to a multimillion-dollar book deal. Erika Leonard, aka E.L. James discovered Fan Fiction in August 2009. Taking a stab at fan fiction under the pen name Snowqueens Icedragon has certainly served James well. The fan fiction morphed into the Fifty Shades of Grey series and movies which as of December 2018 give her a whopping $150,000,000 net worth.
Convinced yet about the value of writing on Fanfiction sites? Before you dive in check out my list of top 21 fan fiction sites and see where your work could fit in and most importantly stand out.
1. Commaful: For a different flavor of fan fiction, visit Commaful. This site takes a new and exciting spin on fanfiction, offers a unique picture book format and is ideal for shorter works.
2. Quotetv: While Quotev is a fan fiction site that offers a wide variety of fan fiction categories for readers to choose from, it’s also a platform that gives writers the opportunity to post their original poems, stories, and quizzes.
3. TONFA: TONFA is a purely Naruto centric website. It features a comprehensive archive of Naruto fanfiction. Users can read fanfiction on this site or submit their own.
4. MediaMiner: MediaMiner brings together those who are interested in reading and writing fan fiction. The three major sections of this site include fan fiction, fan art, and anime.
5. One Direction Fan Fiction: If you are a huge fan of One Direction, you’ll be pleased to find out there’s a website dedicated to One Direction fan fiction. This site offers categories such as action, romance, drama, mystery, and many others.
6. Percy Jackson FanFiction: Percy Jackson Fan Fiction was made for fans of the legendary Percy Jackson. It offers a variety of Percy Jackson story remixes to read and can allow you to write your own remix. All Percy Jackson stories on these sites are subject to votes and comments from fans.
7. Good Reads: With over 18 million users, members of the site can share their work, about 400 of which are fan fiction. The most popular books are inspired by Twilight, Harry Potter, and Naruto.
8. FanFiction: FanFiction is considered to be world’s largest fanfiction archive on the web. The site launched in October 1998 and currently has well over 2 million users. The most popular sections on Fanfiction are Harry Potter (675,000 titles), Twilight (215,000 titles), and Lord of the Rings (51,000 titles).
9. Webnovel: Webnovel has established an interactive online reading experience as its core while being an online literature platform that combines copyright licensing and cooperation.
10. Wattpad: Based in Toronto, Wattpad’s monthly audience is over 10 million readers. Every minute, the site connects more than 10,000 readers with a new story. Wattpad is more about fanfic driven by celebrities and comics. There are over 100,000 stories about One Direction. You can also find fanfic about Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, or Zac Efron.
11. Internet Archive: Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library. The Internet Archive allows users to download digital material, but also to upload their own.
12. Archive of Our Own: Archive of Our Own is a project founded and operated by the Organization for Transformative Works. It’s a non-profit, non-commercial archive for fan fiction of all formats, including writings, graphic art, videos, and podcasts. Currently, there are over 170,000 users.
13. Asianfanfics: Asianfanfics is mostly about Asian characters and topics that often revolve around Asian culture. One-shot fanfiction, which is characterized as stories no longer than one chapter, is very popular on Asianfanfics, with over 35,000 stories listed in the category.
14. Tumblr: You can stay logged into your favorite network and search for new, fresh fan fiction; it’s just a matter of using the right tag to search the posts, and finally picking up Tumblr posts you want to follow. Try searching #fanfic, #fanfiction, or any book title you’re a fan of and read what Tumblr has to offer.
15. FicWad: FicWad is an archive of both fan fiction and original work, launched in 2005 and managed by K&D Lynch. The site is currently in beta stage, but you are able to read the stories even if you are not a registered user.
16. Twilighted: Twilighted calls itself all-inclusive, high-quality Twilight fan fiction. Founded in 2008, the site already has a large following. The most popular, and arguably most interesting category is AU-Human: stories in which all the vampires are humans.
17. Feed Books: Feed Books features works uploaded by the site’s users into its Original Books section. You can easily upload any of the 800 fanfiction pieces to a book application or an e-reader, as they are available in mobi (Kindle), epub and pdf formats.
18. Deviant Art: There are 176,092 deviations for fan fiction, grouped in 6 categories: drama, general fiction, horror, humor, romance, and sci-fi. The most popular one, however is Not in Harry Potter, with quotes and words that should be included in Harry Potter books – but aren’t.
19. Fiction Press: This is the fan fiction site for all things sci-fi and fantasy. One unique attribute of Fiction Press is that there are many dedicated communities of authors on the site who help edit and encourage the work of one another.
20. Mibba: Mibba is a community that welcomes fan fiction and utilizes forums for help with writing and connecting with people who have similar viewpoints.
21. Inkitt: Inkitt is the world’s first reader-powered publisher, providing a platform to discover hidden talents and turn them into globally successful authors. Write captivating stories, read enchanting novels, and we’ll publish the books our readers love most on our sister app, GALATEA and other formats.
22. Booknet: Booknet is a global self-publishing literary platform that makes reading and publishing of e-books. It has 3 language versions – English, Spanish, and Ukrainian.
23. Fanfiction Online: You can read and write fan fiction stores and also make collections of your favorite fan fiction books.
24. ReadFanFic: Read fanfiction stories online. This website also stores your reading history. Join their team on Discord.
25. Writer’s Cafe: It is a very active community where writers can post their work to get instant feedback from other fellow members of the platform. Not only that, but you can also join different groups to learn more about different writing techniques.
26. Live Journal: LiveJournal is a Russian-owned community-based journaling platform where users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. LiveJournal encourages communal interaction and personal expression by offering a user-friendly interface and a deeply customizable journal. With more than 50 million journals on topics like politics, entertainment, fashion, literature, design, fanfiction, and more.
27. InsaneJournal: InsaneJournal, built on open-source software, is a simple yet very customizable online diary that allows you to keep in touch with all of your friends. At InsaneJournal, you have freedom of speech/expression. There’s no censorship unless the content obviously violates United States law. Most importantly, the site is fanfic friendly.
28. Dreamwidth: Dreamwidth Studios is a home and a community for all kinds of creative folk. Share your writing, your artwork, or your innermost thoughts. Find others who create the sort of things you like to enjoy.
The Bottom Line: I encourage you to post on fan fiction sites and take your writing to the next level. Reach out to new readers, get feedback from others and fine-tune your craft. You never know, it might be the start of something big!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
