For 2026 I will not be taking on any new page layout - book design projects

I will turn 75 this year - it seems a good time to retire for real. For 2026 I will not be taking on any new page layout / book design projects.

Since I started offering book assistance to independent authors, one of the biggest changes is that Amazon and Ingram Spark created their own tools for independent authors to do page layout and book design, and you can now find the answer for just about any self publishing question YouTube.

This year Canva / Affinity has released their free tool set, affinity studio (which is very comparable to the Adobe page layout and photo editing software). A great option for those who want a bit more professional tools than provided by Amazon and Ingram Spark.

So good luck to all independent authors.

About getting your self published book into bookstores

Self-published book into bookstores  Is a good long article covering the issues and dangers of getting you book into bookstores.

“Many Authors want to get their book into hundreds (or even thousands) of bookstores across the country. It’s one of the most common dreams I hear from first-time Authors.”

“Today, being in bookstores doesn’t guarantee book sales—and it’s not the best way to make money with your book."

"Even if you can get your book onto thousands of shelves across the country (and most Authors can’t), you’re taking a huge financial risk—the kind that can bankrupt a self-published Author.”

Be sure to look at the section on books stores and the return of unsold books.

Disclaimer – I do not know anything about scribemedia.com or its offerings to authors but the article gives the clear unvarnished facts and is worth reading.

Twelve things you need to know about Print on Demand and Self Publishing.

  • As a print-on-demand author – one person needs to ‘own’ the relationship with Amazon KDP or Ingram Spark. This includes giving them tax information, a bank account where royalties will go, and a charge card where author copies of the book will be paid for.
  • Because Print-on-Demand (POD) is a technological and internet based process, the Author or some one they are working with needs to have a good working ability to do things on line such as filling out forms and uploading files.
  • The two major POD printers are Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark. Both have similar, though not the same, requirements for interior and cover files. Both companies offer some online tools to allow creating of simple texts and cover designs using their tools.
  • Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark allow for e-book, or print-on-demand printed books, or both. The design requirements for printed books is quite different from e-books. To issue you book as both requires two separate sets of files. One designed for print and one designed for e-book.
  • People do judge a book by its cover. Professional cover designers can help improve the look of your book. Continue reading→