#luckily i have read about other artists who had extremely similar methods of working so I dont feel ENTIRELY alone here | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

reejindeed · 3 months

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Hi ceej, hope you're well! I was wondering how you draw scenes with multiple characters without getting overwhelmed and how you decide what poses they should be in?

When it comes to big group shots, I try to break things down into little vignette scenes by grouping characters together, usually in groups of two-three. Those two to three characters all have something going on, either someone's doing something and the rest are reacting to it or someone is striking a pose and the others are striking poses around that pose. You give yourself one anchor point, one action, and then think of how the characters would react to that action... Then you just keep repeating that process with however many characters you need to squeeze into the piece. From there it's about contrasting body language and facial expressions. Just the regular "family photo" shot can be kind of boring, especially if it feels overly posed. Generally I try to go with something that feels very candid.

Unfortunately when it comes to how to decide what to start with from there, I can't help much. I've never fully been able to describe my method beyond I'm just... Drawing what I see? I don't always feel like I'm really the one deciding what's going on in my drawings, everyone has always kind of moved around and did whatever they want. I just apply the filter of "this is supposed to be this character." I can "direct" in the way that you can direct a model, but unless you physically went up to them and moved them around like a paper doll yourself there's only so much control you have.

This is why I really struggle to explain HOW to draw something (like hands or faces) or how I choose what I draw. In my eyes, I'm drawing what I can see. I spent a lot of time training myself to "look harder, see more," throughout high school and college, so this is the method I've always preferred. Even though I'm not working from photo reference or anything like that, I can "see the model" that I get the basic shapes and movements and gestures from that I can apply to whoever it's meant to be, if it's meant to be fanart.

So other than breaking open your skull and trying to completely rewire your brain to be as crazy as mine, my suggestion would be to look at group shots from comic books and photos. See how everyone is interacting with each other, and what little stories they seem to be telling... Then think about what kind of story you want to tell yourself. It doesn't have to be a full epic, it can be as simple as "X decided to annoy Y and Z finds that amusing. A and B are judging from the sidelines, having their own conversation about it." I think a lot of baroque-era genre paintings also set these scenes really effectively, if you want something more historical to look to.

#i know im not the only one who works this way #luckily i have read about other artists who had extremely similar methods of working so I dont feel ENTIRELY alone here #but it is really difficult to explain when people ask about my process #like fuck man I dont know I'm just drawing the strange people who live in my head there's no real way to explain it better than that #asks #i tried I'm so sorry

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nothingwithoutwords · 7 years

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A Masterpost on Self-Publishing

Everyday I receive questions about the self-publishing process, so I thought I would create a post about the process itself, as well as the most commonly asked questions I receive.

Here we go.

THE COMPANY

For my poetry book, I used Createspace.com, a company owned by Amazon. This website is used to self-publish paperback books. They have distribution online only, to retailers such as Amazon (US, UK, and all European channels), Book Depository, Barnes and Noble, and more. If you select "expanded distribution" when creating your book, your book will be available at these locations. It will also be available on your own Createspace estore.

To create the ebook/Kindle version of my book, I used Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). This company creates an ebook available for purchase on Amazon. They offer a KDP Select option which enables you to promote your book through free book promotions or "Kindle Countdown" deals.

There are many other self-publishing websites (another popular one is Lulu). Every author is different in what they want from the experience, so I recommend that you do your research and pick which self-publishing company offers what you're looking for.

THE COST

The cost of the self-publishing process depends on a lot of things. If you are planning on doing everything yourself, the process is extremely cheap. If you want to hire someone to create your cover, professionally edit/format your manuscript, or handle the marketing of your book, these are available through Createspace for a fee (or you can find an artist/editor friend to help you out!).

If you want to do everything yourself, then the process is free. Now, there are small costs that are not absolutely necessary, but can be helpful. For example, you will have to purchase your own proof copies if you would like to review the paperback before publishing it. Additionally, if you want to send copies to reviewers or buy social media advertising for your book, these things will cost money.

THE PROCESS

The process is very simple, but you will need to do research when you get stuck. It took me a while to figure out the layout of my cover/back cover and the sizing of my pages, but Createspace has a great support team when you need help.

To begin, you will need to make a free account on Createspace.com and start a new project. It will walk you through the steps: entering the title, subtitle, author name, etc. You will choose if you want a matte or glossy cover, upload your cover PDF and upload your manuscript.

On their website you can find commonly used book sizes and templates for creating your cover.

Then you will set your book price and royalty, the distribution channels you want, and fill out the tax forms (please do research on this before filling out--it is different for everyone!). You will be able to review how your book looks online, but it is highly recommended that you order a proof copy and go through it thoroughly before publishing. Then, in 3-5 days, (sometimes less!) your book will be available for purchase online.

Createspace allows you to view your sales (they update every couple days) and see what countries your book was purchased in. That's it!

For Amazon KDP (ebook) the process is very similar. You make an account (or if you already have an Amazon account, use that!), upload your cover and manuscript, review it, and publish it. You will have to complete tax forms again for this as well. Formatting an ebook is a lot trickier than the paperback in my opinion. Don't get frustrated, but be sure to do some research (poetry can definitely be tricky).

MAKING MONEY

Createspace takes out a portion of the sales for printing, manufacturing, and shipping the book. Then you make the rest of it as a royalty (standard royalty is typically $1-2 per book sold). With ebooks you will typically receive a greater royalty because manufacturing and shipping aren't being taken out of the price.

FAQ

Is it easy?

That depends. If you're getting professional help, it's probably going to be a smooth process. If you're doing it on your own, like many people do, it can be frustrating at times, but it's totally worth it. I felt so accomplished when I did the entire process on my own.

I've had my book published for a couple months but I'm not selling any.

Unfortunately, self-publishing is the easiest part of the process. When you self-publish, know that you will be doing the marketing on your own. If you don't have a social media platform to advertise your book, you will most likely have a hard time selling copies that aren't to friends and family.

Luckily, there are lots of things you can do, such as being active on social media, asking a local library or bookstore to let you have a book signing/reading, or hosting a giveaway. These are a few ways to give people a taste of what is in your book and get your name out there. Donate a few copies to local libraries as well!

Some authors may disagree, but I highly recommend taking advantage of KDP Select and offering your book for free. When you're not selling any, it's most important to get your book into people's hands. Set your book for free download for a few days and advertise it on your social media. Hopefully some of the people who downloaded it will leave reviews to help you out. If you don't want to give away your ebooks for free, you can choose to do a Kindle Countdown Deal and put it on sale for a few days as well.

What are some ways I can advertise my book before it's out?

A book launch is an important part of the success of your book. I didn't know about a lot of these methods, but I will definitely be implementing them for my next book.

1. Put your book info on Goodreads and become a Goodreads author. Goodreads is a social media platform for avid readers and authors. It allows readers to add your book to their "tbr (to be read)" pile. Goodreads has an author program you can join that allows you to host a giveaway. I recommend doing this a little before your release to get hype for your book. That way when it is released, hundreds of people will already have heard of your book, and many of them will add it to their list of books to read.

2. Post about it on social media. Post a small sample, pictures of the cover, information on when it comes out, etc. Get people excited for your book's release!

What program did you use to write/layout your book?

I simply used Microsoft Word to layout my book. On Createspace you can find templates for laying out your cover, and find a list of fonts most commonly used (and ones that won't give you trouble during printing) so I recommend that you stick to those.

It is best to upload a PDF so when you are done with your manuscript, save it as a PDF to upload it. That applies to your cover as well.

Is it true you'll make less of a profit by self-publishing?

Sometimes. Self-publishers have the option to set their own price and royalty, which you don't get when you traditionally publish. But your ultimate profit depends on your ability to market your book and of course, how good the book is. Some self-publishers become so successful that they end up getting picked up by traditional publishers and become New York Times bestsellers. Others choose to stick with self-publishing their entire writing career and make a great living. It depends on the quality of the book and your ability to market it.

If you're choosing to self-publish, have realistic expectations. Don't expect to sell thousands and thousands at first. (You CAN if you put in the work and grow an audience, but it takes time.) You should be publishing because you want to share your work with the world. The money you make from it is simply a bonus.

I hope this is helpful. If you have any other questions, my inbox is always open.

Shelby Leigh

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