Lee Gibbons

Successful video content creation in higher ed boils down to this: Point the camera at interesting stuff.

9

3 Comments

I answered this question in an author forum recently and wanted to share it here, as I think it could be useful for many people. This author is publishing their first book via KDP. It's book #1 in what will be a 3-part series. They paid a lot of money for their cover design, and are worried about having to pay again for books 2 and 3. The author wants to know if they can make edits to the cover themselves for the next books, without having to re-hire the designer. This is such a great question. Here’s how I’d answer this one: The short answer is no—not without permission from the designer. By law in the U.S., the copyright to a design is automatically assigned to the designer or company that created the design. An author does not own the copyright to their cover design unless it is specifically transferred to them—even if they paid a designer thousands of dollars to create it—and therefore cannot alter the design or use it for other purposes. Furthermore, and probably even more relevant—any professional designer who is up to industry standards and charges a substantial rate will almost certainly be designing in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or InDesign. These are specialty programs that most people don't have and don't know how to use. So even if you had the source files and permission to alter them, unless you have the software and know how to use it, you wouldn't be able to do so. I transfer the copyright to all my cover and interior designs to the author in my contract, and I give them the native design files. However I wouldn't expect 99.99% of authors to be able to make changes or edits to the files. It's more for if they want to hire a different designer to make small changes later down the line (or—not to get too dark, haha—if I die or cannot continue working). If you have a designer who works in Canva or something similar, you'd be more likely to be able to make edits on your own. However, editing a book cover—especially if you have a print edition—requires a lot of technical knowledge. You'll need to adjust the spine size based on the new page count, and it must be accurate down to the hundredth of an inch. I personally don't know any professional designer who uses Canva for book design. I'm not saying it wouldn't be possible to do good work that way...I'm just saying I haven't come across it because it’s not the best software for the job, so be wary that they know what they're doing. Here's my advice—if you already hired a designer, first check with them to see what they'd charge to update the cover for books 2 and 3. If it's a series design (i.e., won't be a full redesign from scratch for each book), it will likely be a lower cost for books 2 and 3. ----- About me: I’m a book designer specializing in nonfiction cover and interior design for self-publishing authors. If you need help with your book design, private message me to schedule a free discovery call. #nonfictionauthors #selfpublishing #coverdesign #bookdesign

17

7 Comments

Weren't we supposed to learn from each state's best practices in all things? Seems like we don't even try, especially in CA. https://lnkd.in/gAz2gvge #bestpractices #state-laboratories

1

3 Calculus 1 Damn 4 It's Really Hard Great Books about Pi (3.14...)...and a Few about Pie #pi #pie #readthis #books #bookbuzz #BookRecommendation #mustread https://lnkd.in/gAeN_v3A

3

https://lnkd.in/ghyiX7mE If you are in Austin on May 16th and ascribe to the tenets of conscious capitalism, you may be interested in our free seminar. Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch to boot. We'll have a panel discussion on the art of listening to shareholders. #shareholders #consciouscapitalism #lunchevent #austintx

1

Researchers: Chatbots generally flunk simple logic test  From Futurism we learn “when asked to show their work, the AIs would detail bizarre and erroneous lines of ‘thinking’ that made no sense” https://lnkd.in/gJzGUPGA The AI researchers report “a dramatic breakdown of function and reasoning capabilities of state-of-the-art models trained at the largest available scales”.

2

1 Comment

When a writer decides to self-publish, how do they choose a platform? There are many factors to weigh. This episode covers what you need to think about, and I share my favorite platform for new indie authors. Also, there is premium content available for my Substack members with a worksheet to help you process through it all. https://lnkd.in/giqnbhAE

1

As authors writing in 2024, we are competing against content and so much excellent audio-visual storytelling. We’ve got to play the game a bit. Introducing: Legitbaiting. You make a promise, the kind readers enjoy. Then you deliver (instead of just making people click). Take the challenge as a challenge. Let creativity take the driving seat. You never know what you are capable of till you fling enough stuff on that blank page. Go, write something today.  Ya?

17

2 Comments

Stop Wasting Time With Notes! This AI Tool Makes Polished Docs From Recordings & Images Meet Collato It's the savvy notetaker that rescues busy folks from paperwork. Effortlessly convert meeting notes, images, and audio into documents. Let me show you how: 𝟏. 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Include ally@collato .com in your meeting invite for instant recording. Collato will produce a video recording and transcript, neatly storing them in your notebook. Employ Collato's audio recorder for in-person meetings or calls. 𝟐. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 Select notes, like transcripts, to summarize or convert into documents. Add multiple sources, like screenshots or handwritten notes, by clicking the + icon. 𝟑. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Click 'Create doc' and select a template. Your notes will be instantly transformed into a document using them as sources. Adjust the text in each section until you're pleased with the results. Collato will simplify your workflow. Try This Today: https://drp.li/MUZ5h

158

157 Comments

If you'd like to: * More projects done quicker with the same amount of resources, or * Get projects done as quickly as possible, or * Shorten time to market, start by watching the first couple of minutes of this video. https://lnkd.in/dCGnRQEE

2

Here is the latest monthly episode of The Pondering Stepmom Podcast for my free subscribers to The Pondering Nook at Substack! You can upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock more episodes old and new...and you can cancel anytime :) The link to my Substack is in my bio... xoxo #stepparenting #podcast #parentingadvice

1

Another great author question: “Is it worth it to use a self-publishing package or hire services separately? I've already had my manuscript professionally edited, but need formatting, cover design, interior design. Some packages are so expensive, I’m worried about ROI, but also want a professional end product.” Here’s my opinion regarding the book design aspect (as with most things in publishing, there is no one-size-fits-all-answer to this question). 👇 This is a tough question because the services and pricing around book design vary so greatly. I would recommend budgeting as much as you can for design if you want a professional looking end-result. But you also shouldn't assume that a higher price automatically equals a better product. Make sure to find out from your designer or publishing company what EXACTLY the design service includes. For example, with cover design: - How many initial concepts they create for you? - How many rounds of revisions are included? - What does a round of revisions entail (what types of changes are acceptable)? - What happens if you want further revisions? For interior design, ask about revisions fees. You absolutely will want to make revisions to the book interior after design (you will spot grammatical or contextual errors—it happens in every single book even after professional editing). These are the things that can cause the total price to add up on seemingly cheaper services. Also ask if you will get to review sample pages of the book interior and request changes to the design/layout or not. If you hire your own designer, you'll likely have a direct line of communication with them. If you go through a publisher, you may not get to talk directly to your designer at all. This can make it harder to communicate what you want. Overall, working with a hybrid publisher is going to be a more automated, formulaic experience. This can be great if they are high quality and reputable, and you don’t want as much input into the details of your project—you want things taken care of and you want guided through a set process. Hiring your own designer can result in a more customized, high-touch experience where you have more input. It may require a bit more time on your end, but it can often result in a better end product and you having more input and collaboration in the design (again, this is if you hire an experienced, reputable designer). My best advice is to make sure you ask questions beforehand about what the process is like and know specifically what is and is not included. Comment below if you’ve had a great (or not so great) experience with either a hybrid publisher or an individual designer. Happy Publishing! **If you’re a nonfiction author, aspiring author, or book coach interested in a course that will help you navigate the complicated waters of book design and production, join the waitlist for my upcoming program to learn more and be notified when the doors open soon. Link in comments. 👇

7

3 Comments

Curious what a change in POV could do for your story? The pros, cons, and other considerations? For a bite-sized craft book that is focused and fluff-free with examples from published works: https://lnkd.in/eCp5YUDJ #writing #storytelling #development #amediting #books

7

1 Comment

Visibility is the price of entry for authors who want to make an impact. Don’t shrink from it—own it. It’s time to stop playing small and start taking yourself—and your book—seriously. Publishers and readers are looking for confident authors who know their worth. And that’s what this episode is all about. Hear what you can do today to be your best marketer >>> @manuscriptacademy https://lnkd.in/eeb5uYEE

4