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DIYDay Lesson 17: Swag

Greetings and salutations! I know you’ve all been itching for more of these lessons, so I figured the next step on our DIY journey is author swag. If you are just tuning in, I strongly suggest you check out the previous DIY posts which can be found here. There is a sort of method to my madness and it makes more sense when followed from the beginning. 🙂 And now on to swag. What is it? Swag is an industry term for promotional materials and giveaway items related to the author and his/her books. The first thing you need to know about swag is it costs money. Yes. Sadly, the old adage is true. There is no such thing as… Read More »DIYDay Lesson 17: Swag

DIYday Lesson 10: GIMP 103: Patterns

I reiterate here, if you have not read this post on Stocks and Resources, please read before continuing. This lesson is about patterns. I use them sometimes, but not very often. Patterns are basically tileable brushes you dump onto a layer with Bucket Fill rather than click by click. You can also use them in certain filters/scripts to add texture to your image. More on that later, as I have just recently discovered this. To install a pattern is not that different from installing a brush. Patterns will be files you move to a specific folder and they will automatically populate in GIMP when you start it or refresh the screen. In Windows 7, this will be in the following directory: (C:)–>Users–>YourUserName–>gimpX.X–>patterns (substitute… Read More »DIYday Lesson 10: GIMP 103: Patterns

DIYday Lesson 7: Stocks and Resources

Lesson 7: Stocks and Resources

Images, Fonts, Music and Videos, Application Resources. Just because you found it on the internet doesn’t mean you can use it however you want. Check the licenses and use requirements and when in doubt contact the creator before making something public.

DIYday Lesson 6: Author Finance 101

Lesson 6: Author Finance 101

You have two commodities to spend on your writing and publishing: Time and money. It’s up to you to decide which is more valuable and how you want to spend it. Three things you really, really, really should invest in–with time or money or both–are your website, your cover page, and a professional edit for your book. Why? Because these are the three faces of you.

DIYday Lesson 5: The Big Bad Interwebs

Lesson 5: The Big Bad Interwebs

The internet is your greatest friend and your biggest enemy. The good news is, as soon as you put something out there, it’s there forever. Your website, blog, books, etc. Bad news is, as soon as you put something out there, it’s there forever. Do your research and plan it out.