If you’re struggling to figure how to find content out or what kind of material your audience is consuming and engaging with, find a “mentor influencer,” that is, someone who’s killing it in your field.
Check out their website and look for these things:
Keywords. Look at blog post titles and opt-ins.
Giveaways. What are they giving away as a free opt-in for their newsletter?
Social Media. What platforms are they the most active on?
You’re not looking for content to copy, but instead, you’re looking for the formula or outline. The goal is to research the topics and method that your competition is sharing and how their audience is responding to them.
To be clear, do not steal other people’s work! The purpose of this research is to look for keywords and common topics. Add your unique experience, insights, and voice to the discussion. No plagiarism allowed!
Example:
As an example, Bethany Jett l-o-v-e-s planners. So if she’s going to create a blog post or giveaway for her audience, she might scope out some of the bigger players in the planner space.
During that research, she would find that people are asking questions about the different types of planner layouts to use when getting started. Therefore, a smart blog post for her would be How to Choose Your Best Planner Layout, along with a downloadable PDF handout to collect emails.
Then, Bethany can share a post on her social media platforms about different planner layouts. And if she was intent on getting the most from her marketing efforts, she would film a video to put on YouTube.
Basically, you don’t need to recreate the wheel. If the movers and shakers in your genre are sharing Monday Motivation tips on Tik Tok, by golly, you might want to start doing that, too!
At Serious Writer, we want you to work smarter, not harder. We want you to save time and get a high return on your investment.
Find the winners. Determine the formula. Go create!
In the past few years, we have seen many trends in book cover designs come and go. However, there are some new changes on their way that will be dominating publishing markets by 2022!
In 2020 it was all about matte covers with no shine or gloss to them as they felt more contemporary but now this year’s trend seems like a predecessor of sorts because instead of having vibrant colors inside your pages you’ll see duller shades which give off less attention-grabbing feel due tp overuse perhaps? Who knows what tomorrow might bring so stay tuned.
Typography
Typography is an important aspect of graphic design and will continue to be in the future. The use or lack thereof can make or break a book cover, which means it’s crucial for indie authors who are looking at creating their own unique identity with what they produce as well as how people receive said product from them through media channels such as social networks like Facebook etc.
Bold typography is going to be used to catch the readers’ eye. This will create visibility and draw potential customers into reading more about what they’re looking at, which ultimately could increase revenue for your company!
The way that books look can really capture your attention – so most of the time they have the use of typography in order to make sure you’re drawn into their world right away!
Minimalistic Cover Designs
Minimalistic designs are popular among graphic designers because they want to create a simple design that everyone will understand. For example, you might see the name of your book and an illustration or drawing depicting what’s inside in small letters on one side only – no clutter!
Minimalistic covers are all the rage right now, with one central element being prominent. This is in contrast to the book cover whose entire surface was laden with patterns once upon a time ago when design styles were more complicated than they seem nowadays due to the simplicity that allows you to focus on just 1 central element instead of everything around it.
Minimalistic book covers are often designed to be minimalist in nature, which means they have a lot of white space on the cover. This is done with an intention that draws attention toward one specific element within these designs—usually what provides context or details about its content.
Hand-Drawn Letters
Illustrations have been the go-to design for book covers over recent years, especially those that tell a children’s story or contain mystery. These are often illustrated with handwritten letters on them as well!
Hand-drawn illustrations, calligraphic typefaces, and rough sketches are all trends that we can expect to see more of in 2022. This is because illustration has become so widespread – it’s almost like an obligation! So if you want your book cover design to stand out from the rest then give them some personality by including these elements into their creative process for this next year.
Retro Elements May Come Back
Book cover designers are going back in time to 70s and 80s style. The public is remembering TV shows from that era, so it’s only natural for book covers designed then be projected onto them as well.
The designs in 2022 will be reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s. We can expect fonts from that era as well as colorful graphics to give off an old-fashioned vibe with modern twists that we haven’t been seen before now!
Collage
The use of collages in book covers is a popular trend that we can expect to see more often in 2022. This creative design technique allows for expression and summarization at once, creating an innovative look with unique content!
Collage is an interesting trend that encourages designers to explore creative possibilities. The more combinations of shapes and textures you can get on your design, the better!
Great book themes are fascinating, exciting, and alluring. They have the power to engage readers with their contented topics or stories that keep them on edge until they reach an unexpected ending! The year 2022 will be an interesting one.
Here are some themes we predict that might stick out in the crowd:
Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has and will continue to have an influence on writers for a long time. Fiction and nonfiction books touch upon many aspects of this event, including natural disasters or panic which are portrayed in different ways depending on the author’s perspective.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Robots and artificial intelligence are making waves in the world today. From factories to our homes, robots have taken on many jobs that would otherwise be done by humans – these advancements will only continue! The information is fascinating and readers want to read about new research, not only advances in robotics but also to gain a better understanding of how robots will be used in the future.
Women
The number of female writers in the book world is on fire, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. In 2022 we’ll see even more independent, strong heroines take over popular culture as a whole!
The future of books is sure to be an interesting ride. With e-readers, tablets, and smartphones coming out with new features every day, it’s hard to keep up when we don’t know what will happen next.
One tip is to pay attention to the popular new shows on streaming sites like Netflix, as well as what movies are releasing in the next few years. You’ll start seeing books with similar themes populate the shelves. Yours could be one of them.
The future is shining for those who love reading! In 2022, there will be new trends that cut across the top genres in books from science fiction to romance—and everything else!
The global reading industry is doing well, (sadly) thanks in part to all the free time people had during the lockdown. Here are some fiction genres that will continue to be popular throughout 2022:
Romance
The genre of romance is a popular one, with its readership loyal to the core. The top romance subgenres include young adult and inspirational stories, in addition to historical romances which fall under this classification, as well.
Children’s
While you may suspect that romance is categorically the top seller out of all genres, you might be surprised to know that children’s fiction sold over 1 BILLION books in 2020. The children’s category ranges from board books to YA.
Did you know that Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is the bestselling crime novel of all time. It’s been translated into 50+ languages and made into a few different feature films.
These exciting stories keep you on your toes by wondering what will happen next. Furthermore, it seems like every other week there’s an announcement about another novel being made into a movie or TV show.
Fantasy and Science Fiction
The vast, cumulative power of Science Fiction and Fantasy has always been a driving force in literature. It’s no surprise that these two genres continue to be one-of-a-kind with their broad market base or people looking for fantasy stories set among the stars
Young Adult
With the value of reading still high among young adults, this generation will continue to appreciate a good book. The top genres here include sci-fi and fantasy in equal measure with romance as well for those interested lovers’ stories!
This list definitely isn’t exhaustive. What genre is your favorite? Let us know!
For writers, the holidays are often opportunities to get some creative work done. The Brew & Ink Crew discuss their plans and goals for creative endeavors over the Christmas holidays. Then author Steven Faletti shares Caught in Between, ch10 of Hero is a Four Letter Word. Listen and vote for the next episode!
Listen here:
In this episode:
How do creative people approach time off and holidays?
What are the different members of the Brew & Ink crew going to do over the holidays?
What creative things are they going to do?
Steven shares Caught in Between, chapter 10 of Hero is a Four Letter Word.
