One question I’m often asked by writers I work with is “how do I find a good editor/cover designer/formatter?”
The best way I’ve discovered to locate these professionals is through networking with other indie authors.
Any author further down the path from you can be an excellent resource on all things publishing. One caveat, check out their book before you ask for their advice.
If the cover is second-rate, you probably don’t want to know who their cover designer was. Lots of grammatical errors inside? They didn’t have a good editor or proofreader. In fact, some indie authors don’t hire editors or proofreaders. They rely on beta readers and friends to catch all the mistakes.
But none of them caught THAT mistake.
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. If you want to produce a quality book, you need to give it the same professional treatment a traditional publisher would.
For more tips on how to find authors to network with, check out my latest YouTube video.
You can find dozens of author groups on Facebook. Most of them have devolved to little more than people sharing their services.
Talk to an indie author you respect. Go to their Facebook Page and send them a message. Or message them on Instagram. Be polite.
“I’m trying to get my first book ready to publish and I love your covers. Could you recommend a few designers for me?”
I know dozens of indie authors and every single one of them would respond to that message. With honesty.
You can look on Fiverr. There are websites that list editors. But I’ve used both of those methods with mixed results. I wish I would have went to the network of indie authors first.
Another thing you might discover is that many indie authors learn publishing skills. Some are great designers. Others have formatting software and are willing to format your manuscript for a fraction of what another professional will charge.
What are other ways to find reliable professionals to work on your indie book project?