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Gimp For Authors – How to Make a Professional Banner

WHY GIMP?

Gimp-logo-from-siteI used Photoshop in the past, which is a great tool.  They have a subscription where you get to use the latest tools in their whole suite of products, but the price starts at $50 a month.  When I was doing web design, that was fine.  But now I'm retired and I'm on a fixed income; so now $50 a month is no longer okay!

Gimp is an open source software that is free.  They do take donations as they have a team of developers who put this together for 'people of the world'.  They are part of the group of unsung heroes who get no acclaim in the media.  So if you want to think about making a donation to them, you can do that here.  You can also download the software here.

Gimp is similar to but different from Photoshop.  These companies copyright and trademark many of their "techniques" so everything has to be done slightly differently and called a different name.  So there is a tiny learning curve in trading Photoshop for Gimp, but it's well worth it.

MARKETING WITH GRAPHICS

Romance-Book-Banner-from-gimpAs a self-published author, all marketing for my books falls to me.  I can outsource it, but that costs money too.  I have figured out, after publishing 11 novels, where my money is best spent.  The answer is on line-editing, which costs between $400 to $500 or more depending upon how long your book is.

So learning to make graphics is very important for the self-published author.  Using Gimp can make this easy for you as you can reuse some of the same templates.  It's easy enough to learn as authors and writers only need to know how to make book covers, social media graphics and website banners.



BOOKFUNNEL AND SITEORIGIN:

Bookfunnel-and-siteorigin-logosTwo of the most popular websites to give away or sell your book is through bookfunnel.com and siteoriginapp.com.  These two companies offer the opportunity to join other authors in featuring your book.  Everyone has a 'share date' and they share the promotion with their newsletter list and also with their social media following.  It's a win/win for everyone.

HOW TO MAKE THE BANNER - WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

I have a video below that shows how easy it is.  I'll post the written instructions here in case you want to keep them handy!

  1.  Open a new document.
  2. Make the dimensions 1500 px wide and 500 px tall.
  3. Change the ppi to 300
  4. Expand the Advanced options and choose a transparency background.
  5. Right-click (RC) on the background layer and choose 'fill with background color'.
  6. Get a royalty-free graphic from depositphotos.com or pixabay.com.  Save to your computer and note where you are putting it so you can find it for the next step.
  7. Open as a layer.  It will pull the picture into your project.  It will most likely be way too big.
  8. Using your mouse, hold down control and scroll up or down to zoom out on the new picture layer.  Then go over and click on the scale tool.
  9. Once you have activated the scale tool, hold down the control key and grab a corner of the photo (you may only see the yellow dotted line).  Drag it in to resize it on the background layer.  Let go.
  10. Click on M to activate the move tool, or click on it in the toolbox.  Move the graphic into the center of your background, or wherever you want it.
  11. Click on the Text tool and pull out a text box.  Click inside the box and begin to type your headline.  Use Control A to surround all the text to resize it or change the color.  Make however many text layers you need.  Once you click on the text tool, it automatically puts it on its own layer.
  12. To align to the center:  Click on your background layer.  Make sure the tool panel is open.   (Double click the tool itself to bring up the tools panel for that align tool)  Chose to assign the reference point to be the selected layer.  Then click on the individual elements within the graphic and align them to the center.
  13. Once you are done with your graphic and are happy with it, you have two choices to save it.  (1) You can "Save as" and this will save the Gimp document that you can open next time and just change the picture and headlines.  I would suggest you save at least one of these to reuse.  (2)  If you want to use the headline or graphic elsewhere, you want to save it as a jpg or png file.  Use Export As and then choose the folder and name for the graphic.
  14. That's it!  Easy-peasy -- well, maybe the second or third time you do it it will be easy.

HOW TO MAKE THE BANNER VIDEO



A Peek Behind the Novel Series – Writing in Layers – Chronology of a Crime

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

In the first installment of the Peek Behind the Novel Series, I wrote about working four different plotlines before choosing one.  By working on four of them, it helps me 'improve' on some storylines and when I have four to choose from, I am able to go into the project knowing that I have chosen the best one.  It's a technique that I use to build my author confidence.

THE FIRST LAYER OF WRITING A NOVEL - THE CHRONOLOGY OF A CRIME

In the first layer of writing, I focus only on the crime or mystery.  I make a list of the chronology of the crime.  How it happens, who it happens to, how the detectives are assigned to the case.  I focus only on the crime.  I don't think of subplots, or dialogue or even the outcome.  Only on the crime itself, almost like a Forensic Files show.

This layer of writing is only a chronological list of the crime or mystery and how it plays out.  Mine looks like a list with small paragraphs and one line clues.  It could even look like a printout from Google maps!

DIVIDE AND CONQUER:

Once I have the chronology of the crime, I begin to break the chronology into four parts.  Nothing fancy; just Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.  By breaking the crime up into four sections, I'm preparing it to be plugged into the 'four-act play' format.  I never took to the three-act play because the center section is too unstructured and it's twice as long as the other sections.  It's called one part, but it's really two parts in one.  It was too asymmetrical for me.   So rather than using a three act structure, I break Act 2 into two separate parts.

PART 1 - Introduction to the Detectives and Normal Life:

In Part 1, the detectives hear about the crime or mystery and are somehow assigned to it.  That assignment is different in each case.  I start in their normal working lives and have them pulled into the crime.

This part also entails the scene of the crime and whatever clues may or may not be present.  One or maybe two suspects will arise at the scene or shortly thereafter.

Part 1 - The Inciting Incident:

In a police procedural, being assigned to the case is the inciting incident.  They are called into this crime investigation whether they want to be or not.  Part 1 will end with the inciting incident.  They have seen the scene of the crime and have gathered their first clue or clues.  They are now off on a quest to solve the crime.

Part 2 - The Investigation Begins:

murder-in-the-sanctuary-book-coverThe Jack Nolan Detective Series is about two detectives, Jack and Fiona, who have personal lives that are also in flux.  Part 2 introduces the subplots about the detectives and the early investigations they go off on.

The facts as well as clues begin to trickle into the storyline so that the reader can start trying to10 guess who committed the mystery or crime.

The end of Part 2 is the midpoint of the story, so I try to have a twist or a revelation that changes the direction of the investigation in some way.

Part 3 - The Truth Begins to Seep Out:

Early in Part 3, the last suspect will appear and the detectives will be trying to figure out who has the greater motivation.  Or which of the suspects had the time and opportunity to commit the crime.  Also in part 3, the masks on the suspects begin to fall and their secrets are exposed and a couple even are caught in a lie or two.

The end of Part 3 is the equivalent of a Dark Night of the Soul.  This is a place where maybe the detectives can't figure out who did it, or they know but can't find proof, or there is a chance the bag guy or girl will get away with it for one reason or another.  It is a low point.  This could also coincide with a low point in one of the detective's personal lives.

Part 3 ends on this darker moment.  I want the reader to be worried that the detectives won't solve it in time, or the bad guy will get away with something.

PART 4 - The Big Reveal

The beginning of Part 4 is the big reveal.  There is one clue or one revelation that confirms the guilt of whatever the real bad guy is.  This sets up a situation where the bad guy is going to get away, or the detectives have to trap him or her -- however you choose to 'solve' the case.

The second part of Part 4 is where I as the author, very quickly, wrap up the whole crime.  I like to do this in case my readers are reading with one eye open.  People are busy today and often they may miss something.  So I like to spell it out very quickly -- because I don't want to bore the readers who were paying attention -- how the crime occurred and how the evidence was there all along.

Next you wrap up the subplots and resolve and reveal anything that is hanging in the air, like the red herring, or how other suspects couldn't have done it.  You also want to wrap up the subplots on a satisfying note.

IF YOU ARE WRITING A SERIES:

My series are four or more books, so the personal lives are written a bit like a soap opera.  The characters do have a full character arc in each novel.  They learn something in that book that I reflect on in the end, but I also drop a clue at the end of the mystery/crime that the story will continue in the next book.

I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF:

I've just given you a bird's eye view of how the book will proceed when marrying all four parts of it together.  But this first layer is only the chronology of the crime.

I also end this layer with a section I call "How it will end".  It never ends the way I think it will, but committing to an end this early at least gives me a direction and a destination.  It's easy enough to change the chronology when the story takes a natural turn or changes within the creative process.

Writing a Novel in Layers:

First - A Little About the Chronology of a Crime

Writing a Novel - Layer 1
Writing a Novel - Layer 2
Writing a Novel - Layer 3
Writing a Novel - Layer 4
Writing a Novel - Layer 5
Writing a Novel - Layer 6
Writing a Novel - Layer 7
Writing a Novel - Layer 8



Author’s Diary – Sneak Peek behind the Novel – Scene Template

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SCENE TEMPLATE?

An Example of a starting template in Darius - A Vampire Story

I learned most of what I know about writing and self-publishing from several authors who graciously shared their knowledge on YouTube and on their blogs.  I'm not an expert in writing novels by any means.  I'm beginning my 11th novel, so I can say I managed to write 10 novels and get their published on KDP!

I consider myself a plotter, but I have a system that allows for a lot of creative stretching even within a pretty rigid system.  I consider my writing template to be only guardrails.   The main purpose of these guardrails is to stay on point, stay on the story, and prevent me from wandering off into some dead end or corner that I can't write my way out of.  This system does help me stay focused.



Power-of-templates-bar

THE TEMPLATE IS SIMPLE:

POV:
TIME/LOCATION:
PURPOSE/CLUES:

Each scene starts with these three lines.  I have a sample of a starting scene template from one of my vampire books, Darius, A Vampire Story.  It's permafree on Amazon and Kobo.

In the example above, I default to using numbers, but in all honesty, I wind up adding things and swapping positions on thing, so you may want to use bullet points instead.

Below I have a made-up version of a scene using bullet points.

    •  The main characters, John and Mary,  meet & begin a conversation about work or a shared interest.
    • They hear a loud gunshot.  Mary is startled and John reaches out to comfort her.
    • I continue on listing in a bit of detail everything that needs to happen in the scene.  I don't get into any conversation, or any detail.  Just a plot point, so to speak.  This list is more of a to do list that I can keep in my mind when I'm writing, and it then becomes a checklist to make sure I put everything in the scene that I need to.
    • All things must have a purpose in the scene.  (More on this below)
    • In the beginning, you may also choose to highlight the dropping of any and all clues.

POINT OF VIEW:

The Battle for Point of View

When I begin to write the scene, I don't know whose point of view the scene will be in.  I don't pick a point of view.  I allow myself to write within the framework of the guardrails listed above until the scene comes to life.  During this time, one character claims the scene.  This allows me great creative freedom even within the framework of these guardrails.

Once I determine whose seen it is, then I can make sure that the scene is all in that person's point of view.  This is easy enough to do in the second level of writing.

DAY | TIME | TIMING:

In writing mystery romances and police procedurals, it's important to keep track of time for a few reasons.  One reason is that it's too easy to get lost in the writing and forget the time line.  It may be morning in one scene and in the next scene you're referring to something happening at 4PM.  Problems like these are very tedious to clean up after you're done writing.  It's easier easier to track the timing while you create the scene, while you write.

Another reason to track time is to make sure that a reasonable amount of action takes place in a day.  Very often, the subplot action takes place at night or afterhours, so knowing when a workday begins and ends and when personal time or evening begins is important.

Another reason is in police procedurals, they need judges to sign warrants and that's an issue of timing.  The witnesses work jobs and police tend to do things during the day.  They also tend to work long shifts and have case loads, etc.  I use the timing to keep things real, I guess you could say.



LOCATION:

I add the location of each scene to make sure that this is also taken into account.  If they are one hour away from home or two hours away from the police department, then I have to remember that -- because if I don't, some sharp reader will!

I also log the location so that when I come back to my second and third layers -- I write in layers -- I can add details about the location into the scene.

PURPOSE:

I talked about this above, how important it is to only write into the scene things that move the drama, character arcs or the story itself forward.  This is the most important guardrail.  I take this instruction or advice literally and I make sure that everything in the scene has a purpose and/or reason to be there.

Very often the purpose is to drop clues, throw in a red herring, or move the subplots along.  But every scene has at least one specific purpose.

Clues:

In writing mysteries, these are your breadcrumbs that will be dropped one by one during the story.  By keeping track of the clues and where they are dropped, you can also look later on and make sure that you are disbursing them along the way at a nice pace.  You don't want to dump four clues in one scene and then follow it with two boring chapters with nothing going on.

LAYERS:

I mentioned writing in layers above.  This is a secondary technique that I will blog about as I move along in my present book.  I'll also give you a sneak peek behind the novel to see what levels I write in.

I'll just say that writing the initial scenes is the first level of writing.  I write the outlines and then begin to write the scene.  I NEVER LOOK BACK!  That means I don't correct verb tense.  I don't worry about typos.  I don't worry about polishing anything.  It's all raw and it's supposed to be raw.  Just get the story out on paper.

I don't exert one ounce of energy proofreading or polishing until I know I have an actual manuscript.  At the end of this first layer, I won't have a manuscript.  I'll have a good, strong skeleton of a story, but it won't be a manuscript -- or anything close to one.  But having a good strong skeleton is important.

I hope this helps someone new!



Author’s Tips – Plotting with Freemind

ALL AUTHORS NEED A PLOTLINE:

Each new book requires a new plotline.  I used to come up with a plotline and go with it.  But I noticed I had a lot of insecurities as to whether it was good enough or whether I was choosing a plotline too soon.

By the third book, I started to write four potential plotlines from the beginning.  Each one was good enough.  They all had a crime or a mystery, they had suspense and even a satisfying or surprise ending.  By writing four plotlines, at some point, the one plotline that I "should be writing" clings to me and I to it.  I know instinctively that 'this is the one'.

HOW TO QUIET WRITING INSECURITIES:

When I had only the one plotline, I still had an insecurity as I began to write.  What I found with starting with four is that I know I worked on all four and I know I'm writing the best one I came up with.  I feel like the plotline I chose wants to be written.  The characters are already coming alive before I even finish the plotline.

It's more work to start with four plotlines, but the satisfaction of knowing I'm writing the right book, and being able to let go of any self-doubt and insecurity, it's well worth it.

THE TECHNIQUE OF OUR PLOTS WORKED, BUT I GOT SCATTERED!

So I could tell the four plotlines was a working strategy going forward.  The first time I did this, I opened a new Notepad document, plotted a crime and a potential storyline.   When I finished, I named it the first potential plotline and filed it.  Rinse and repeat.  Sounds pretty straight forward, right?

Well, after I chose the one potential storyline, I went on to write the book.  The technique worked but, as usual, I got scattered pretty soon thereafter.  What do I mean?  I mean I couldn't remember where I filed each plotline.  Did I put it into my blogging folder?  Was it in the last book folder?  Was it filed as a general document in my website folder?  I couldn't find them no matter what.

I don't know if everyone is like this, but as soon as I have more than three pages of anything, I start going upside down if I don't have a "system" to keep myself organized.



ALL IN ONE DOCUMENT?

Then in response to getting scattered, I just wrote all four plotlines in one document, but then I was overwhelmed by how long the document was and it wasn't easy to see which plotline I was in.  The Notepad has a tendency to return to the top when you flip out of it to check a spelling or anything.  Ugh, I again went upside down.

FREEMIND - The solution:

Then I found Freemind.  Of course I saw it on YouTube, where I learn all of my author tricks and tips.  Freemind allows me to keep all four plotlines on the same 'board'.  BUT I can close each one and it is very easy to determine which plotline I'm on.  This is also a way where I can scan over all past plotlines to get ideas when it's time for the next book.

This was a game changer for me, which is why I pass this on to other new authors -- or just authors who go upside down like I do!

I made a very short video on YouTube showing how this works.  Most of the FreeMind is intuitive and self-explanation when you begin to use it, but it's always helpful to just see it in action.



Writer’s Diary – Creative Energy vs. Mundane Chore Energy

What's the Difference between these different types of Energy?

Since I began writing full time, I've noticed a difference between the type of energy writing fiction takes.  Because I'm using creative energy, there's risk involved.  It requires me to make decisions and choose to go down one avenue of story and not another.  There's always a possibility that I may wind up in a dead-end or wish I had chosen another route.  No one likes disappointment, especially the type where you look back and see hours and hours of wasted writing time!

When I write, I need fresh energy, a feeling of having a full well of creative spark, almost an excitement.  I even feel more self-trusting when I'm in this state.  I'm committed to allowing myself to create.  This happens for me right after sleep.  That means the mornings -- or after a nap in the late afternoon.

If I've had a sleepless night, or have been running from pillar to post for three days in a row, I'm creatively useless.  If I try to force myself to write in this state, I never produce my best work.  I also can't write if I'm exhausted, or feeling ill, if I feel despondent about the state of the world right now, or if I'm scattered because of too many things going on at once.  Can anyone else relate?

How Does This Affect Writing a Novel?

Over time, I have come to accept this in myself.  I allow the type of energy I have dictate whether I do creative work or mundane chores.  I can do mundane house chores while half sleeping.  I can clean when feeling ill.  I can do laundry and even cooking if I'm not feeling that great.  And I do.

Once I know I'm kind of creatively useless, I shift into mundane-chore mode.  This is the time I do all my mundane chores.  But I've also found that there are even mundane chores in the production of a book, especially if you are a self-publisher.  For example:  I won't even try to design a book cover, but I can collect inspirational photos into a folder so I have them ready the next morning when I'm refreshed and have more of a creative flow.

Other mundane chores involved in the Self-Publishing world are:

  • Research in writing, publishing, social media marketing, KDP ads, etc.
  • Education - Watching videos on subjects that you need to know as a self-publisher.  This is a great way to harness mundane energy and make it work for you.
  • Checking through drafts to make sure you have start-and-end quote marks.  This is definitely a mundane chore, but has to be done!
  • Listening to your work:  Microsoft Word has a "read aloud" feature so when you're too tired to write, you can listen to your chapters being read back to you.  This is a great way to find those errors in your writing that you can too easily gloss over when you're the author.

Wrestling with the Force of Energy Never Works For Me:

female hands writing on laptot, close up

I see YouTube videos and blog articles by authors who set out very strict writing time schedules for themselves.  They don't seem to have trouble following these tight and rigid schedules.  I can't operate within that system.  I gave up wrestling with my energy a while ago.  But I believe I have found a way to make this work for me, not against me.  I see my new techniques as respecting my limitations and also harnessing my different energies to work for the same goal.

Learn to Harness The Different Types of Energy:

It all begins in analyzing your own energy levels, and how they play out in your own life.  Maybe you have a baby that takes all of your energy during the day.  Your time to be creative may be at night.  But maybe you can take advantage of his/her nap time to do some of the DIY Publishing mundane chores or research or education.

Once you get a read on how your own energy ebbs and flows, you can more effectively plan on how to shift between these states and harness them both to work for the same goals.

I hope this article helps, especially those just beginning their writing journey.

 

 



Scrivener Tip – Long and Short Lists of Keyboard Shortcuts

Long List of Scrivener Keyboard Shortcuts:

I made the four-page list of Scrivener shortcuts into a gif to give you an idea of how many keyboard shortcuts there are.  Why make lists of them?  These came in handy for me because until I made my own theme in Scrivener, I had to strain to see a lot.  The default coloring of Scrivener is so white and bright that it made seeing the gray fonts very hard -- at least on my aging eyes!

We each have our own methods of doing things, and only a few of these shortcuts may become your favorites.  But it will come in handy as you get more and more productive as a writer.  Which will happen.  The one thing Scrivener does is streamline writing and allow you to power focus on your project.

Below is a moving gif to give you an idea of what the list looks like.  I got this information from a website called How to Scrivener.  I don't have to tell you this is only one of the many resources he has for Scrivener users.

 

HOW TO USE THE SCRIVENER LIST:

I simply copied and pasted them into a Word document and printed it out.  I keep it on my right hand side and one by one, I just chose a new shortcut to focus on that session.  Little by little, they became natural.  I no longer need to refer to the list anymore.

PASSING IT ON:

I'm passing this on to new authors as so many other authors passed on their tips and tricks to me.  I hope this helps someone.

In case you don't want to copy and past your own document, you can click below to print out my copy.  Be sure to visit How to Scrivener to see all of the various resources he/she has for Scrivener users.

DOWNLOAD KEYBOARD SHORTCUT LIST

 



Author’s Resources – HTML and CSS Cheat Sheets

WHERE CAN I FIND THESE CHEAT SHEETS?

WHY WOULD AN AUTHOR OR WRITER NEED THESE WEBSITE CODING SHEETS?

If you're an writer or fiction author and you either have or plan to have a website, it's only a matter of time before you will need to know at least a little about HTML which controls the structure of a website or CSS which controls the style of a website.

This website, overapi.com, has AMAZING Cheat Sheets for these languages as well as many others!

Just look at how much work went into theses!

Above is only the HTML Cheat Sheet. This is only a screen shot.  The sheet goes all the way down the page.  The only coding you will need are at the top.  I remember wanting to change a background color, or change the size of a headline, or add more or less margin or padding space and these came in so handy.

You will only need one to three sections on each of the cheat sheets to have everything at your fingertips.

This resource came in so handy when I put up my first website.  I hope it will come in handy to new writers and authors who 'need to tweak' just like i did.



What happened during the Carolingian Renaissance?

Changes During the Late 8th and 9th Centuries:

The Carolingian Renaissance was a period of cultural revival in Europe during the late 8th and 9th centuries. It was led by Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, who sought to revive the learning and culture of the Roman Empire.

During the Carolingian Renaissance, there was a renewed interest in classical literature, philosophy, and science. Manuscripts were copied and preserved, usually by monks, and new schools were founded.

Carolingian minuscule or Caroline minuscule is a script which developed as a calligraphic standard in the medieval European period so that the Latin alphabet of Jerome's Vulgate Bible could be easily recognized by the literate class from one region to another. It is thought to have originated before AD 778 at the scriptorium of the Benedictine monks of Corbie Abbey, about 150 km (93 mi) north of Paris, and then developed by Alcuin of York for wide use in the Carolingian Renaissance

The Carolingian Renaissance also saw a flowering of art and architecture. New churches and palaces were built, and illuminated manuscripts were produced. Carolingian art was characterized by its use of geometric shapes, bright colors, and intricate designs.

The Carolingian Renaissance had a lasting impact on European culture. It helped to preserve classical knowledge and to lay the foundations for the Renaissance of the 14th and 15th centuries.

Below is a List of Specific Events During the Carolingian Renaissance:

  • Charlemagne founded the Palace School at Aachen, which became a center of learning and culture.
  • Alcuin of York, a renowned scholar, was invited to the Palace School by Charlemagne. Alcuin helped to revive classical learning and to standardize the curriculum of the schools.
  • The Carolingian minuscule script was developed during this period. This script was clear, elegant, and easy to read, and it became the standard script for manuscripts throughout Europe.
  • New churches and palaces were built in the Carolingian style. These buildings were characterized by their use of geometric shapes, bright colors, and intricate designs.
  • Illuminated manuscripts were produced during this period. These manuscripts were decorated with beautiful illustrations and calligraphy.
    Carolingian scholars translated classical works into Latin, making them more accessible to scholars and students.
  • Carolingian scholars wrote new works on a variety of subjects, including history, philosophy, and science.
  • The Carolingian Renaissance was a time of great cultural and intellectual achievement. It helped to preserve classical learning and to lay the foundations for the Renaissance of the 14th and 15th centuries.


Self-Publishing Tip – Cover sizes

Cover Sizes - Which Comes First?

I chose to write this blog post for new authors who struggle, like I did, when it comes to getting things together right before self-publishing your own books.  I managed to flip upside down when it came time to uploading and publishing.

One reason I went upside down was because I was nervous about doing something I wasn't familiar with.  The second reason was that I had done so much research that I was overwhelmed with information and I had the information in different places.  Sheer confusion.

WHAT DO YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO UPLOAD AN EBOOK COVER AND A PAPERBACK COVER ON KDP.AMAZON.COM?

The ebook cover needs to be 2560px (height) x 1600 px (width).  The instructions say the ebook only has to be 76 dpi, but I always make sure mine are 300dpi.  It's just more high quality.  Amazon has a way of compressing them and they always look good online, so I would suggest you do the same.

It's all about the size.

76dpi, 150dpi and 300dpi - What's the difference?

The difference is size in dots per inch.  Without getting too technical, which isn't necessary, 76dpi is the most common size to use online, on websites, anywhere that you want your pictures to load fast.

150dpi is a bigger size, and that is seen sometimes online.  But that would usually be used for someone publishing actual artwork or photography.

300dpi is what a printer would need to print a color copy of anything.

72 dpi is referred to as "low resolution" and 300dpi is considered high resolution.

IMPORTANT LINKS TO KEEP HANDY:

Amazon offers a Cover Creator, but the covers are template based and it's best to learn how to use Gimp or some other free graphics program in order to make a cover.  They aren't hard to do.  Stay tuned for videos on how to easily make a cover.

The information about formatting in general begins at this link.

The paperback calculator is at this link.