Tag: photo editing

Becoming Stardust ebook cover + synposis

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

This is the cover image I created for Becoming Stardust. For the longest time I didn’t know what to use. I had over 200 images saved in my iStock folder and I just kept adding more. Eventually I was like, don’t overthink it! Just pick something with a bit of action in it that has a major sci-fi element and involves space and space travel.

So not four hours ago I went on an image bing and found this one. I thought about it for a while and experimented with in on Pixlr and decided that this would be the one I choose.

So I bought it for one credit and put it together. I had a few issues when downloading the final produce because for some reason my computer is automatically formatting the 300 dpi image to 96 dpi. But when I open it up there seems nothing wrong with it 🙂

So here is my cover for my free prequel short story. I have also written up the synopsis for you guys.

Before Ilona took on the identity of a dead girl, she was a hunted girl. Her mother and she had known nothing but running until the bounty hunters finally caught them. Wounded and orphaned, Ilona sneaks her way onto a smuggling ship. Subsequently becoming part of the crew. This appears to be the break that finally gives her a safe upbringing. However, it is just the beginning.

New book cover :)

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been thinking of changing the book cover of The Things We Do for a long time. But it was a case where I didn’t have decent enough skills/knew what I was doing. When I first created the original image (the second one), I kinda knew that it wasn’t the best, but it was the best I could do at the time. Now I can do better and I did. The first image is what I’ve come up with.

I’m cheap when it comes to my writing

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

I really am cheap, I could try and dress it up as frugal, but that would be wrong. If I can do something myself, write, edit and design, whatever, instead of pay someone else then I’m going to have a crack at it. But they’re professionals you say, they’ve got more experience and talent. Well, I say that they got there by practicing and working on their craft. Which is what I can do too.

I write in my spare time as both a form of entertainment and low expense hobby. I’ve been doing it seriously for at least five years now.

I edit all on my own stories. I have yet to hire a professional to do what I can do for free. And for the record, I’m a pretty decent self-editor. Turns out that editors are not some mystical being that all writers absolutely need. I’m also full of a crippling fear that drives me to be a bit of a perfectionist.

I source all my cover photos from stock websites. I spend hours mulling over what image I should buy because for the last few years I’ve been living with the aftereffects of having a budget and sticking to it. I die a little when I waste money now.

I do all the photoshopping/editing when it comes to my book covers. Here is where I admit that I do not have much experience with that skill. That is why I keep things simple. I pick an image that I think represents the story as a whole and I keep the text over it simple.

How I make my DIY book covers

~ stephaniehaggarty ~ Leave a comment

As a character trait, I’m more than frugal, I’m a bit cheap. This bleeds over into my writing. I try to do as much as possible myself. Writing, editing, book covers.

So I’m going to write about my techniques for creating my book covers. While I have a creative flair for storytelling, it doesn’t necessarily cross over to design. I have practically zero graphic design training. Red flags when creating my own book cover right? Well, I employ the KISS method.

Keep It Simple, Stupid. 

Image:

Most times, before I even finish the first draft of my story, I’m on iStock looking at potential images to use. Things that I look for is that it is a representation of a theme or idea. This means I am not limiting the interpretation of my book. I can have anywhere from 20 images to over 200. The more I have in a folder, the more likely I haven’t found something I like yet.

Text:

I keep things simple because like I said before I don’t have much experience in graphic design. The program I’ve always used has been Pixlr.com. It’s a simple photoshop website. I’m sure there are more advanced features of the site, but I only how to use the simple things. I think eventually I might have to employ someone, but not until it is absolutely necessary.

Here are the book covers I have created myself in Pixlr.com.