Content
Coming soon.
Style
Visual
Checklist
MWSA Visual Checklist
EXTERIOR
Cover art
_____Attracts the eye
_____Telegraphs the genre/content
_____Expresses the mood, tone
_____Has a principal focus
_____Sticks with a few colors
_____Uses color for background, not white
Cover text
_____Prominent title, large enough to read on thumbnail
_____Easy to read font Not easy to read
_____Author name visible
_____Back cover text easy to read
How to find (and evaluate) your book's back cover on a Kindle book
Unfortunately, Kindle formats almost never include a back cover!Click to expand image
Go to the book’s Amazon listing (available by clicking on the book’s cover on our website).
Select the hardcover or paper version of the book (arrow 1).
If you can’t see those versions, click on “See all formats and editions” (arrow 2)
Click on “Read sample” (arrow 3)
The back cover should be on the last available page of the sample (i.e., you may have to scroll all the way to the end of the previewed pages).
INTERIOR LAYOUT
Front Matter, paginating with lowercase Roman numerals
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Epigraph
Contents (not required for fiction)
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Prologue
Body, pagination using Arabic numerals, odd numbers on the left
Chapter headings uniform
Drop caps uniform
First paragraph flush left, subsequent indented
Outside margins >1/2 inch (thumbs not in the way)
Inside margins read without prying book open
Space between lines sufficient
No large spaces between words
Serif font large enough to read
Epilogue
Back matter
Appendices
Indices
Addendum
Notes
Glossary
ILLUSTRATIONS/EMBELLISHMENTS
_____High quality photos, not blurry
_____Captioned consistently
_____Maps are legible
_____Scene dividers consistent
EBOOK CONSIDERATIONS
_____Same requirements as a paper book for front cover art and text
_____All front matter info is included and on separate pages
_____Hyperlinks for contents, footnotes, and websites work
_____Text is flowable and can be adjusted
_____Text flows around photos