Sometimes it can suck being a writer. You need to have a website, and wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of custom header? Oh, and everyone has a "book trailer" now to advertise their novel, so maybe you should learn something about video editing... And you've been dying to self-publish your own book through Lulu but you can't get the page size right and just forget trying to have custom fonts in your interior! You can't help but wish you had a custom book cover too...
Book covers, book trailers, interior layout...I'm a Jill of All Trades. First and foremost I'm a writer, though, and I know how frustrating it can be when you find yourself having to fill the shoes of a graphic designer when all you want is to just write.
That's where I can help YOU.
*Please email skyla [at] skyladawncameron [dot] com to check about availability. I'm generally swamped.*
No matter what your business is, you need to create an identity--something that tells your customers exactly who you are. Authors are no different.
I do custom website headers and web banners, and I'm happy to work with your art or create some specifically for you.
In addition to design work for my own promotional efforts, I've worked on various committees for the Writers' Circle of Durham Region and acted as the primary designer. I designed the logo for the Ontario Writers' Conference 2008, as well as their official poster and a print ad that appeared in Storyteller Magazine.
I'm available to do posters, brochures, logos, flyers, and ads. Please see my portfolio for samples. Also, all images you see on this website (in terms of headers and banners), as well as those on my sites for Children of the Apocalypse and Curio Killed the Cat, were made by me.
Prices vary, depending on the project. Logos, for example, are typically $200. A static web banner with client-supplied images go for as little as $10. Please email me with details about your project, and we can discuss cost estimates.
Book trailers (like movie trailers only for books) seem to be the new hit thing.
Standard price right now is $50 USD plus expenses (like paying for music or photography rights, should the need arise). You can see samples at this link or scroll below.
Another word about book trailers... My philosophy is that promo videos for books should be like promo videos for anything else: short, snappy, and to the point. My promos tend to be between 30 secs and 1 min long, because I don't believe people want to watch anything much longer than that. I am pretty much your average viewer: I have a short attention span, and don't stick around for things that are boring. My apologies to fellow authors who make trailers, but I've yet to sit through an entire five minutes of video showing a book's blurb.
I also use royalty free music and images, so I can guarantee everything is legal and they won't be pulled from YouTube.
I'm on staff with two small publishers, have done covers for some private clients, and do my own artwork for my online serials. Please view my portfolio for samples.
Prices vary from $100 - $250, depending on the project. For example, a single cover made with photoshopped stock photography would like be on the lower scale. For full wrap around artwork created digitally, it would be on the higher end. I always give price estimates with my clients when we first agree to work with one another, and always give a detailed invoice for my services.
I have experience doing both interior and exterior layout for books. You'll find samples of exterior layout in my portfolio. For interior layout, please feel free to contact me for a sample.
Interior layout is typically $50 - $75, depending on the project and how labour intensive it is. Exterior layout is usually $50.
In the GTA and looking for a workshop? Head here: http://skyladawncameron.com/slushpilesurvivor
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Get the scoop from a professional slush reader!
You have ONE chance to impress a publisher or agent...and ONE person stands in your way.
The Slush Reader.
Of the manuscripts a publisher receives, they usually accept well under 5% (and often under 2%).
Before a book can even be considered by an editor, it goes through a "slush reader," or a person whose job it is to glance through the manuscript and decide if it's worth a closer look.
I work in the acquisitions department of a small publisher and I deal with the slush pile. I'm that person you hate--it's my critical eye that reads your cover letter, evaluates your synopsis, and scrutinizes your manuscript. I send out rejection letters.
You may have an excellent critique group to help edit your novel. You may have read every book there is on writing synopses and cover letters. You may think you're ready, but... Would you survive the slush pile?
Send me what you would send a prospective publisher (at a minimum, your cover letter and the first twenty pages of your manuscript, and at a maximum, both of those plus your synopsis and blurb), and $50, and I'll give you a 1-3 page critique of whether or not, as a slush reader, I'd recommend your work to an editor for a full read and why.
Manuscript format: 1" margins, Times New Roman 12pt, double spaced, RTF format. Name and book title in the header of each page.
Payment: Cash or cheque (if cheque, it must be drawn in CDN funds) made out to Skyla Cameron, or PayPal (Contact for details--my availability is limited Please don't send money without speaking to me first.)
Turnaround time: 3-5 days once payment is confirmed. (Please, please email for availability first.)
Email all items to skyla@skyladawncameron.com
What I won't do: I won't recommend you to a publisher. I won't edit your book. I won't guarantee that my suggestions will result in a publishing contract. This isn't the fasttrack to a publisher. I do, however, guarantee an informative critique based on my experience as an acquisitions editor.
Please do email me first to discuss details, expectation, and availability.
***If you're in the Greater Toronto Area, please keep an eye on this space for announcements about upcoming workshops where I'll cover the dos and don'ts of submissions, as well as give feedback on submission packages.
Also note, if you're planning to submit to a publisher I work for, I'm not able to do this privately for you. You can attend one of my workshops, but please don't submit to me privately. Conflict of interest.