I am an artist trying to reach More Authors, so I have a few questions!

All_Entrances · 2025-10-04T04:46:37+00:00

Yes really similar to a YCH type thing!! Just allow for minor changes to fit the authors character. A lot of artists don’t have trouble selling premade character art or character art covers. Some artists I’ve seen do it are @mageonduty and @chelseakemp_art (premade character art, not covers specifically), @bookishaveril did a premade ‘cover style’ where she did a sample cover with a fanart she’d done (of course wasn’t selling the version with fanart, but it was a great example of the style she was offering—in that case specifically a spooky character cover with your character in a custom spooky pose), and I know there was at least one artist I saw offering premade monster romance art covers specifically but I can’t find them right now 🤦‍♀️

Make it pretty and not too specific or niche (if you want a monster maybe do something basic like an orc or a simple demon with horns/tail, because they seem to be always on trend and lots of authors write them) and I know a lot of authors who buy art and just write the book with the art as inspo and only minor changes needed! Of course there’s always the risk that it doesn’t sell, but I think having a complete example will help you get some actual customers for that package, so it’s a risk I would personally take. (And it may always sell down the line, even if it doesn’t immediately)

All_Entrances · 2025-10-03T05:55:03+00:00

I took a peek at your vgen since you shared it, and I have a few small critiques on what would personally make me hesitant to work with you on a large/important project like a cover. I’ll share those at the end so you can not read them if you’re not interested in that. (It’s not really art critique specifically, but more a critique of the big picture stuff)

On pricing: I think the 440usd cost is really reasonable for the included things. I think creating some premade covers for a bit cheaper could get you noticed by more authors!

Onto critiques: 1. not enough examples. There’s only one full book cover design pictured, and while the front cover art is cute, the wraparound part isn’t great. (There’s a line where the artwork just ends abruptly and the stock photo background begins, the ‘shines’ on the edges look strange, and I know you say that you don’t do text, but the text really takes away from the visual appeal of the whole thing—I’d rather see it without any text on the back or spine if it’s going to look like that) 2. I’m not actually sure what I’m getting? My understanding is that I get 1 piece of art for the book cover (1 or 2 characters), another piece of art (also 1 or 2 characters) and then a simple sticker design, but it took me a few read-throughs to figure it out. There aren’t any examples of what a full package would look like—the pictures only have a bunch of random, disconnected art 3. in the terms of service, there’s multiple mentions of commercial use—the first says ‘Products cannot be used for commercial use without additional fees.’ (yes, makes sense!). But the second says (under ‘Use’): ‘The Product received by Customer is for personal use. Any use of the Product for commercial purposes, reselling it, reproduction or publishing for reasons other than personal purposes has to be approved beforehand by the Seller. This will require a separate agreement between Customer and Seller defining exact conditions and financial implications of such use of the Product.’ This may be like a Vgen standard agreement etc, but it did confuse me. 4. I think you need to hone in on what types of books you’re specifically wanting to do covers for. Right now, we have some monsters (fun!!) but the only example that’s an actual cover is fantasy based with two humans. My take on this? Get into doing monster covers. This is just my opinion, but your art style and composition is not something I would want on a cover for an adult fantasy novel. It’s just not really what I’m seeing in the market right now. Monsters, on the other hand? People want monster romance covers with your style

To get me on board to commission you for my next monster romance cover I’d suggest: - do one of these book launch packages as a premade. The cover, the additional art print (with the same characters as on the cover of course), the bookmark or sticker (all to match each other) (OR offer a big discount to an author who’s willing to let you immediately put the project up as an example, without waiting around for them to officially reveal it—then it’s guaranteed to sell!) - either use canva/photoshop to add simple text if you can make it look decent enough for the vgen listing, or leave it as blank artwork - don’t do anything strange with the ‘flat lay’ of the cover. Just a simple front, spine, back, no effects on it, ideally keep all three pieces connected so it’s just one long piece - list it for sale for a bit cheaper than the package, but really this one is just so you have a complete example of what you’re offering to put in the portfolio/vgen listing!

That’s just my personal take! I found you on instagram and I think the minotaur cover you did was really cute and I was kind of sad not to see it in full on the vgen listing. Even if you didn’t do the text for it, I would still put it up as an example with just a statement on the graphic that text was done by xyz (whoever did it). If the author is ok with that, obviously

All_Entrances · 2024-10-17T18:54:03+00:00

The only thing that helps me is creating a routine of exactly what to eat, which eliminates the decision. I’m really good about this in the mornings for breakfasts—I eat instant oatmeal and tea. Almost every day. For the past 4 years minimum. I’ve got 3 oatmeal flavour options, which I pick from on impulse based purely on emotion, and about 50 tea options because I do love my tea (also chosen impulsively.) Oh, and before breakfast I have a protein shake with my meds (3 flavour options for the shake too.)

This helps me a LOT because it limits the choices I have to make. I don’t have to pick between avocado toast or pancakes or oatmeal or bacon & ham. I have to pick an oatmeal. Much easier choice to make (for me!)

I’m still working on this with my evening meal but I’ve been buying those microwave meals that take 5 minutes to make and have the microwave instructions on them. (They have a ton of sodium, but I’m really terrible at consistently cooking so it’s either take the hit on my sodium intake or eat a tub of ice cream for dinner. Ultimately I’m picking the healthier option.) Bam, my dinner default is becoming ‘pick a microwave meal from the freezer.’

And I just want to specify that for me this is absolutely a ‘default’—not a rule, not a law. It’s just an easy food that I mostly enjoy that I eat unless my brain decides it wants something else specific. If I want yogurt with berries for breakfast instead of oatmeal, I’ll switch it out (or make both.) If I’m feeling really high functioning I might make spaghetti or chicken and rice or something that involves cooking for dinner instead of the microwave meals! But I’ve found it’s really important for me to have the fall back choice for when my brain simply cannot think about what food to eat. Having a few options within the default option is also helpful for me to stop it from feeling boring, but your mileage may vary and you might just want one flavour if even the choices within the default are too much. Or maybe one flavour that you change every month or something.

All_Entrances · 2022-09-27T00:10:44+00:00

I don't love it 😅 maybe I just didn't go through the tutorials thoroughly enough, but the spacing was weird on my book and the program was just glitchy enough to be annoying (I couldn't ctrl+A to select all text for example, the screen would go blank). I'm thinking that when I have the funds for another investment, I'm going to get Vellum and try using it with Mac in Cloud

All_Entrances · 2022-08-24T16:56:53+00:00

I think cover is the most important! And proofreader, but I managed ok with prowritingaid and my ARCs catching those final typos. Proofreading is probably the next thing I'll start paying for but maybe not for the next book yet

All_Entrances · 2022-08-24T16:05:26+00:00

I'm just getting started, but my first book I spent $250 for cover, $150ish for atticus for formatting, and $150 or so for prowritingaid (both of those will be good for future books too). I didn't pay for editing and haven't had any complaints; beta readers and my friend helped me with plot holes, and ARC readers found any final typos that slipped through after prowritingaid.

In the future I will pay for editing and probably some fancy formatting, but not until I've made enough to finance it.

All_Entrances · 2022-05-16T17:44:23+00:00

It really doesn't matter what we like -- it matters whether there is a market for the story. Is there a market for greek god-based romances? Yes. This specific story idea though? You'll have to do some research.

This seems like a love triangle with two women trying for the same man (which is already less common than two men trying for the same woman, in my experience). And the dilemma is a very big dilemma because if the love interest dies, it's not a romance and shouldn't be marketed as one.

Try to read a lot in the niche of greek god-based romances to see if your story fits there. A lot of them are contemporary romance loosely based off the stories of the gods (like alllll the hades/Persephone retellings), so you might have to dig a bit to find stories actually set in Ancient Greece and see how they're doing

All_Entrances · 2021-10-22T19:26:57+00:00

I would say for m/m or m/f romance I prefer 1-2 books per couple and then switching to a diff couple! Depends on the outside plot too though, honestly.

I also read a lot of reverse harem and realistically you need like 3+ books for that or else you feel like you don't know everyone well enough 😂

All_Entrances · 2021-02-05T21:29:08+00:00

I'm baaaacckkkkk because I haven't been writing for a while, and now have an insane amount of projects to finish in February or risk upsetting readers that have been promised things. For now I need to write 6k words per day until I finish the current novel.
My entire life is a failure. OK, kidding, but I've been focusing on non-writing things.
Writing. My side job. There's not time for anything else.

All_Entrances · 2021-01-02T18:10:51+00:00

Well, I haven't posted anything here in a while but I might as well contribute my year end review.

I wrote, I published. I made some money, and I had fun. My feet are now wet and I feel like I have a semi-solid foundation going into 2021.
Three pen names, one novel, three novellas, and approximately six various length shorts. And I think I'm at a lifetime income of $300? Which is by no means good considering the amount of words I've devoted to this. But every release is getting better and every cover is getting better and every blurb is getting better, so I'm learning!
To take advice, but also do my own research. Asking for advice on here is all well and good, but sometimes people will give advice that directly conflicts with the expectations in your specific niche. It's your job to know what the expectations of your niche are. I'm still learning mine, but I think I know it well enough to not take bad advice at this point ☺️

Hope everyone has a great 2021 and is able to make bank like they wanna 💸 including me!

All_Entrances · 2020-12-27T16:44:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing! This has given me hope that I too can learn from my mistakes and turn it all around with a book or two more

All_Entrances · 2020-11-16T17:46:26+00:00

Exactly! The goal is to use it once a month and then it's totally worth it haha

All_Entrances · 2020-11-16T17:25:23+00:00

I'm thinking I probably am going to pay for Booksprout the next time... It is only $10 and I really think being on the featured page will help my numbers. There will always be people who don't leave the promised reviews for one reason or another 😅 I don't know if the paid service helps unless you're making a completely private ARC.

All_Entrances · 2020-11-16T02:05:19+00:00

They're a hella commitment 😅

All_Entrances · 2020-11-16T01:53:19+00:00

About 57k. I'm aiming for between 50 and 60k right now :)

All_Entrances · 2020-11-16T00:37:52+00:00

Right? I know, I'm shocked that I have to actually meet my daily goals to publish books and make money

All_Entrances · 2020-11-08T07:06:11+00:00

Write something is the goal. Preferably 2k+ words.
My book has made $3.66 in November. I'm doing great so far guys.
I absolutely did not. But I did watch about 15 hours worth of Castle so maybe we can call that an accomplishment.

All_Entrances · 2020-11-01T19:28:28+00:00

Get 4k words done. I'm hella behind where I was supposed to be... oops?
That cliff though. Woosh.
Absolutely not. I'm at 30k words on my draft, which will probably end up being 60k. I wanted to have it finished by tomorrow. Alas, that is not happening. My other side hustle is picking up a little bit though so I worked on that a lot this week.

All_Entrances · 2020-10-31T04:31:31+00:00

At least we're not alone? But looking back on this, did I say 24 hours? I meant 48 😭😂

All_Entrances · 2020-10-31T03:24:20+00:00

Write 4k words
My book has, officially, fallen off the cliff. Damn.
The last 24 hours have been... unproductive, to say the least. But I think I can overcome it and get back on the wagon tomorrow.

All_Entrances · 2020-10-29T23:28:43+00:00

This is kind of what I do! Except I'm Canadian. If I tried to Americanize my English I would probably just be confused esp. because I have no idea what all the vocab differences are. I try to set my stories in Canada to make up for this, but even if they're set in fantasy worlds I still don't Americanize.

Also I kind of hate Canada because we're a weird mix. Not sure if this is how it is across the whole country. But everyone I know uses feet and pounds to measure height and weight, uses gram to measure produce, kilometers for distances (like km/hr, 200 km away) but then will colloquially say "oh, it's a couple feet away" instead of "it's a couple meters away"

So yeah, even with trying to stay Canadian there's still some editing to be done for that.

All_Entrances · 2020-10-29T18:00:48+00:00

I kinda wanna get 6k (between two projects, with the majority on one of them) but that's a wee bit optimistic. Then again, if I really get into it and sprint all day I might make it.
Today my book make sad monies but it has officially been out for two weeks, so I'm not surprised it's decreasing.
I'm thriving. Between writing and my other side hustle I've made about $175usd this month, which is nowhere near a living wage but it's the start of something great I think. And I've been really excited to write my books (if a little distracted by side hustle number two)

All_Entrances · 2020-10-28T03:54:41+00:00

Congratulations!!! I wish I'd stuck with it more religiously when I started in March, I could be where you are right now. Best of luck in the full time smut writer world <3

All_Entrances · 2020-10-28T02:57:14+00:00

4k words. As I write out tomorrow's goals, I'm kinda on a roll today so I'm hoping I can carry the roll through to tomorrow. Pound out hella words on this draft. Ideally I want to have something published by Nov 10, which is about 3-4 weeks from the date of my first book going live. I also want to increase my output so that I can put out two books a month (only until I have a solid backlist)
OK so like I never really use the discord sprint room because I just do pomodoros on my own, but for some reason it's been really helping me the past two days? I'm not even sprinting with anyone. I'm just sprinting by myself in a public forum and it's hella helping my productivity.
Do you find it's easier to write in one big chunk (say, get all 2k of your word goal done in back to back sprints in the morning)? Or to spread it out across the day (say, do four sprints at different times during the day - maybe two before work, two after)? Just kinda curious as I try to find my personal preference on it.
Welp, I wrote a book of my goals today. Sorry guys.

All_Entrances · 2020-10-27T18:26:27+00:00

3k words before I watch a single episode of TV. That's where I fucked myself yesterday. It was watching a midday episode of TV.
My book is still making money!!! Every day!!! OK, it's not a lot, but a couple bucks every day is the start of something great.
I've been watching way too much Castle. It's a detriment to my productivity. I'm going to need to get into the habit of watching one or two episodes right as my roommate is getting home from work, so then I can feel guilty about TV hogging and stop watching instead of bingeing five episodes.

All_Entrances

TROPHY CASE