More On Creating Books About Travel
Sunday, June 8th, 2008You want to know what’s International these days? The realm of Book Publishing, that’s what! This is really an eye-opener; this staying home to write a book between RTWs. I have reached the stage of needing to get a cover designed for my book “Hey Boomers Dust Off Your Backpacks: Travel The World On A Limited Budget” and my author friend steered me to elance.com, which is a very sophisticated online source of freelance talent – graphics, logo design, web design, copy-editing, writing – and probably much more. You can use this free service from both sides: as a buyer like me, or as a provider of your line of work.
As a buyer, I described my project, set a number of days I’d take bids, and a price range; then sat back to watch the bids roll in. I have heard from book cover designers in the US, South America, and India and I like the work and the prices quoted. When bidding closes tomorrow night, I already know that I have several good ones to choose from. Once you accept a bid, you pay the money agreed upon to an elance escrow account and that is not released to the artist until you are completely satisfied. So, everyone is protected. The bidders are making it very clear that they will go the whole nine yards, for as long as it takes, back and forth, on sample designs until you’re happy, but they promise a swift deadline, as well. Some are individuals, but others are big design firms of long-standing and a high earning, high-satisfaction rate with elance and everyone provides samples of their work. It’s very international and very democratic and very electronic. It’s the way of the future for publishing! If I were almost flat broke, I could still afford some of these bids, so I think a nice-looking book can be done very inexpensively. I’m willing to spend a little more, but even the most-attractive-to-me bidders are within my budget.
Besides, it’s just a hoot…..like finally getting a look at your newborn’s face after so long in the womb. I’m not quite at that point yet, but I will be next month after I’ve selected my artist; paid my money down, worked with them through the elance email system; and received the finished creation. Voila! What a beautiful baby! Then, I send that, along with the manuscript, electronically of course, to Lightning Source, my printer. In effect, step by step, I am doing for myself what the N.Y. Publishers do for their authors. They use Lightning Source too, by the way. In order for me to use them, I have to set up my own little publishing company, Hey Boomers Media, but more on that another time.
lindajbrown