Lapis and Faelan acquire the scantest of info from Cile, but fortunately Linz and Jetta show up with documents from Danaea’s stash that might have clues as to where the mercs took Rin and Tovi. Lapis refuses to wait any longer to find the kidnapped teens.
I also finished WorldEmber with 17K + words. Check out the articles here. There’s quite a few that relate to the Lapis of Nicodem serial.
Lapis volunteered to go with Cassa on her search for the terron lizard Badger and his advisors but did not expect to confront more khentauree. They find out Badger has agreed to help Gredy’s mercs, and what they’ve done will prompt Cassa and Lapis into more extreme actions concerning Ambercaast.
If you write on a budget, you end up doing your own ads. This includes video promotion as well.
Videos are no longer just for book trailers. Tik Tok and YouTube are social media powerhouses because people like to watch videos, and so much so, that Instagram is no longer a “picture” app but a video one (or so they claim. Most people I follow on Instagram prefer pics).
Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
If you write, you are going to end up creating a video at some point to advertise your book, or create a tutorial, or put your smiling face up for fans to see. While short clips can be filmed on your camera and uploaded to your social media of choice, book trailers, tutorials and such need a bit more editing love and care than that.
And, like photo apps, there are a variety of free or cheaper programs you can use.
I do not own a MacOS or iOS product, so apps like iMovie won’t be covered here. I’m also not going to cover phone apps. I personally believe that, for book trailers, tutorials and such, you need more computing power and monitor space than you get on a phone. On-the-go is fine for a quick Tik Tok video, not so much for a nicely edited book trailer.
Video Editing Apps
Canva
Canva makes another appearance. Not only can you create regular photo ads with Canva, you can create book trailers as well.
Canva provides all the tools you need to create awesome videos, including stock footage. There is a slight learning curve, and sometimes it’s difficult to get words to show up well against a moving background. Keep at it, though, and you’ll make awesome book trailers!
This YouTube video by Daniel Schiffer is an interesting look into what one can do with the free video features.
Overall, Canva is a gentle intro to video editing. The downside is that many others are using it to create content as well, so you might produce something that looks similar to another creator’s content. Of course, a lot of people use Instagram’s filters, and produce fairly unique content, so while it’s something to keep in mind, it’s not a dealbreaker.
OpenShot
My husband uses OpenShot. It’s free for Windows, Mac and Linux, and is an easier program to learn than some other apps out there, though it does have its frustrations and limitations. He uses it to create short music video clips, then transfers them to Da Vinci Resolve for filters.
If you’re a beginner interested in making book trailers, this isn’t a bad product to try.
VSDC
VSDC offers a video suite that includes screen recording and video capture software. It is an easier-to-learn freemium app. The video editor pro version is only $19.99, so if you try it out and find you like it, but need chroma key, masking and other features, it’s on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
Da Vinci Resolve
Da Vinci Resolve is for Windows, Mac and Linux, and has a ton of free features for video editing. Yes, you get more effects if you pay for the pro version, but if you are making simple tutorial videos, free will beyond suffice.
Did I mention, Da Vinci Resolve is free? It’s one of the industry-standard apps for editing video, and it is awesome. You get a lot for free. If you’re interested in a more advanced product for creating a professional tutorial or author introduction video, definitely look into Resolve.
For someone on a budget, the pro version is spendy, and probably out of reach at $295, but that’s a one-time payment for a lifetime of use. In this, Resolve is WAY cheaper than Adobe’s subscription-based model.
When Creative Cloud apps crash-dived into snail-on-ice slow in 2021, I tried Resolve and was very impressed. Yes, there is a learning curve, but there are many, many videos and tutorials out there for you to watch/read. It’s easier to pick up, if you have previous experience with video apps. If you are planning to create a series of tutorials or use more video in your advertising, Resolve is worth a look.
3D and Misc Apps
There are other free and inexpensive apps out there that can help you in your video creation. While they are not video editing apps, they can provide an interesting addition to your video toolset.
Blender
Ambady Sasi from Pixabay This pic made me smile 🙂
Blender is an all-in-one completely free 3D app for Windows, Mac and Linux. And it is awesome. More and more studios are using it, and if you plan to dabble in 3D, see if it’s right for you, there is no better program to start with.
I’m serious about that; Maya’s like $1700 a year. Studios pay that–and luckily, you don’t have to! You get quality without the price tag.
Blender does it all, from modeling to adding texture/material to lighting to animation and rendering it all. If you are a little hesitant about 3D, check out Blender Guru’s donut tutorial. He teaches you what features do, and how they work with each other. He’s easy to understand, which puts uncertain newbies at ease (yeah, I watched the whole thing a couple of times. There are other videos out there that fall into the “I did this donut in two seconds unlike Blender Guru” category, but they aren’t interested in teaching. They’re interested in being trolls).
Blender has a ton of fan support. There are numerous add-ons, pre-made models and 3D objects for you to use. You can check out sites like BlenderKit, SketchFab, TurboSquid and the like (but make certain your choices are free to use. Many creators sell their models, textures and add-ons, and you don’t want to use one for commercial use that isn’t intended for commercial use).
Now, the caveat: 3D is tough on your computer. There’s no getting around that. Make certain your specs can manage it. Even on a brand-new lappy, if it’s cheap, it probably can’t handle 3D. Even if it technically can, be aware, without graphics card capabilities, renders take forever. It’s a downside to 3D, but new technologies are on the horizon and will hopefully make it easier to work with.
Flowscape
I use Flowscape all the time, for stills and video. It can be downloaded directly from itch.io or through Steam, and is available for Windows and Mac.
Painting I made for a Wellspring World article on caravans. Yes, Flowscape is great for worldbuilding, too!
PixelForest had the idea of a game that painted with a 3D brush. The program has pre-made models (though you can import others if you wish) that you select, then spread across the landscape. You can create beautiful settings with a few clicks.
Why do I mention Flowscape? It’s easy to use, cheap (I bought it for $10 on itch.io, and added a tip. PixelForest’s the single developer, so all support is appreciated), and you can create some amazing landscapes with it. That’s important, because you can transform a dirt square into 1) a cool map for your book, 2) a setting for a book ad, 3) a setting for a book trailer, and then 4) use the camera to shoot a video of your wondrous landscape (I actually use OBS Studio for this, which is also a free program!).
To Sum It All Up…
Video is an important part of any author’s marketing and branding. If you’re uncertain about using video, that’s OK! Slowly work your way into it. You don’t have to produce the best book trailer your first time working with video.
Don’t know where to start? I would suggest finding a couple of pictures on the free stock photo sites that represent your book, then use them as backgrounds while you animate text over them. That’s like making a story in Instagram, only you have more options.
You may find out you like it better than you think.
My next post is going to be on art programs the writer/artist on a budget can use to create illustrations for their work. See you then!
Has the destroyed khentauree emitted a distress signal? Are more machines coming to retrieve it? Lapis spots glints in the distant mountains, just like the cyan reflection produced by the sphere in the destroyed khentauree’s chest–and they’re headed towards the Mawai science station. The community needs to prepare, but a threat other than the khentauree looms. Gredy’s embarrassed rage causes him to threaten the terron population in the Depths–and now several members of the lizard community are missing.
Authors use graphics for numerous things: ads, videos, illustrations, book covers, Amazon A+ content, logos, their website, and more. Of course, industry-standard software has industry-standard pricing, which puts apps like Photoshop way out of an indie or beginner’s budget.
Unfortunately, writers on a budget usually can’t afford to pay for someone else to create book covers, ads and other marketing content. They need to do it themselves, which can prove a daunting task. Not only might they not feel artistically-inclined, but creative options are often expensive.
Let’s dive into more affordable options for writers on a budget.
First, I’m going to cover a couple of apps that anyone can use, including writers who aren’t comfortable with creating their own graphics content. It’s a daunting prospect, to make covers, ads, videos, when you don’t have a good sense of what is effective. Canva and Pixlr take the guesswork out of it with the use of templates.
Canva
Canva is an all-purpose app and a fav among authors because the free version has a lot to offer. You can create your own social media ads, book covers and videos by using templates and stock images. If you purchase the pro version, you get access to more templates and images, but the free version is great–and you can upload your own images if you want. The downside? Everyone else is using it, too, so it’s difficult to create something completely unique.
Despite that, Canva is great for writers on a budget because FREE. If you are uneasy about creating graphics content, this program is for you. Choose a template, stick a stock photo in, add text, you’re good to go!
It’s a web app, so you do need internet access to use it.
Pixlr
Pixlr is a photo editing app with templates one can use to create ads specifically for social media, YouTube thumbnails and the like. It’s designed to be simple to use by non-professionals. Upload your photos and start the fun!
Its background removal is not too shabby, and the filters create a myriad of interesting looks. If you don’t have your own image to manipulate, it uses a stock photo site (the ones I messed around with were from Unsplash). Use the text tool to add words, and you have an ad. You can also add sound, and work with video.
Again, Pixlr is web-based, so you need an internet connection to use it.
Other Options
Other options include, but are not limited to, apps like VistaCreate (previously Crello), Visme and Adobe Spark. VistaCreate strikes me as an app directed towards small businesses, and while it is easy to use, it may not be what an author needs. Adobe Spark and Visme cost money, and on limited budgets, $10 a month for Spark and $15 a month for Visme is a bit much, especially when there are free options available.
Photo Apps
If you are more comfortable working with images, there are several programs out there for the budget-mindful writer. As with the writing apps, since I don’t own a Mac or an iOS device, I have no experience with Apple-specific programs like Sketch and Procreate.
Photo Sites
Before you use a photo app, you need photos! It’s easier now than ever to access free images for ads, collages, covers and videos. Be aware, though, that not every picture is one you can use for your creative designs. Photographers and artists own the copyright to their images, and they must give permission for you to use them. Sites like Pixabay and Pexels say, upfront, that the images are free to use, and while they ask that you link back to the creator, attribution is not necessary.
Also be aware, that when you read “Royalty-free”, that doesn’t necessarily mean the image is free. Oftentimes royalty-free means you pay for an image (usually between $50-$500, depending on the resolution), but you don’t have to give the photographer part of every sale brought in by their artwork. That’s the royalty-free part. Adobe Stock, iStock, Getty Images and other services work this way, and cater to graphic design professionals and businesses. While they may provide a free image here and there, most of them are far out of reach of small budgets.
Oh, and do you know where NEVER to go to get media content? Google. That’s right. You need permission from the creators to use content, and downloading random pics you find in a Google search doesn’t provide that.
Pixabay is my go-to site (with Pexels coming in second, which really doesn’t matter much because Canva bought both of them and so they share images). They have a large selection of photos and art you can use in a variety of ways (and video and audio, too). If you make an account with them, you can download hi-res versions of images.
Not every pic is free to use on Pixabay, but it’s very uncommon to encounter one that isn’t. When you go to download the image, the pop-up will tell you whether the author will allow you to use it or not. I’ve only encountered one photograph in…jeebus, ten years? that’s asked that the image not be used for private or commercial use, so it doesn’t happen often.
And yes, you can alter images downloaded from Pixabay. In fact, it’s encouraged.
Pexels
Pexels is the place I go if I can’t find something on Pixabay. I like Pexels well enough, but I prefer Pixabay’s search (and, as stated previously, it kinda doesn’t matter much anymore, since the sites share pics). I get the impression people tend to think of Pexels as having better photos, but I see it as equal to Pixabay.
I suggest, when using the program, if you see something that you like, immediately download it. Trying to retrace steps, or search for the author’s name or media title, is rarely successful. Pexels search is fine for general searches (bonfire) but narrow ones never produce results. Sometimes you can use Google to find an image by typing ‘Pexels’ then the title/author in the search bar. Sometimes.
Unsplash is concerned with the quality of the photos, so you won’t find a ginormous amount of images to sift through here. Sometimes having less is more.
Unsplash was purchased by Getty Images in 2021. I guess they wanted to get in on the “free” action because free photo sites are very popular. We’ll see if they keep it that way.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for on these three sites, look around; pictures posted under Creative Commons licenses can often be used. But remember, no Google. It’s best to stick to “our media is free” stock photo sites.
Completely Free Graphics Apps
Now that you have a photo, you need a program to spiffy it up! Let’s start off with the completely free programs.
FYI, there are a couple of different types of image programs. Basically, there are two types; ones that are raster-based (Photoshop, which works with pixels) and vector-based (Illustrator, which works with lines and nodes). Vectors can create higher-res images and are good for artwork and text, but they can’t manipulate photos like a raster program.
GIMP
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is completely free and for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is a Photoshop replacement, and nearly everything you can do in that app, you can do in GIMP. There is a learning curve, especially if you have little to no experience with graphics software in general, but they have documentation and tutorials to help you along. And, if you want a Photoshop-style interface, you can get ad-ons to create a more familiar atmosphere.
You can crop photos, apply filters, add text, and much more. It is a powerful program created by people who believe software should be free.
I used GIMP for several years, until I upgraded to a 4K screen on my laptop. Yeah, their interface became small and unusable. A shame, but it is what it is. The most recent update I have (2.10.28) is a little better in that regard, but it’s something you should be aware of.
Inkscape
Purple trees and snow, created with Inkscape
I used Inkscape to design graphics for ads when I worked as a librarian. I found it a bit easier to use than GIMP, but again, there is a learning curve.
Inkscape is a free SVG program for Windows, Mac and Linux. Consider it an Illustrator replacement. You can easily manipulate text and shapes, and apply some pretty nice effects to spruce things up. Getting a photo up to snuff in GIMP, then bringing it over to Inkscape to add text, is a decent way to make an ad, if you want more control over the results than what a program like Canva provides.
FYI, if you’ve used graphics software before, getting up to speed in GIMP and Inkscape won’t be a problem. Otherwise, things will feel foreign and frustration can set in because you have no idea what anything does. While it’s rewarding to sit down and learn, not everyone has the time, or inclination, to do so.
Photopea
Photopea is a free, browser-based photo editing software that works with both raster and vector images. It even loads GIMP files. It’s easy to use, with an interface very familiar to anyone who has previously used imaging software. It has templates you can use for social media posts and ads. The goal of its creator is to make a sophisticated photo editor professionals want to use. It’s worth checking out!
Not-so-free but Cheap(er) Software
While there are freemium apps like Gravit Designer and Sumo Paint, these programs save their best stuff for the paid sub version (in Gravit’s case, that’s $99 for a year. And, frankly, when I was trying to view its website to see what it had to offer, I kept getting pop-ups I could not close, demanding I sign up. So I didn’t bother to use it, just clicked away).
Let’s look at a couple of these options.
Affinity Photo
Messing around with Affinity using Flowscape pic
I really like the Affinity suite (Photo, Designer and Publisher). I started using the apps after Photoshop 2021 began to work slower than a snail on ice (only a SLIGHT exaggeration). Affinity Photo is nearly up to Photoshop standards; it color grades, uses overlays and blending options, replaces skies, masks subjects, has a wide variety of brushes, and does it all without the price tag.
Affinity Photo is for Windows, Mac and iPad, and is a one-time cost of $54.99 as of this writing. That’s pricy, but the company often runs sales (probably to catch all the dissatisfied Adobe customers who have pulled out all their hair in frustration). I was able to pick up the program for $25 (as well as the other two apps for the same price. That’s a suite of graphics and publishing software for $75.) When you realize that the stand-alone Photoshop app is a monthly sub of $29.99, it makes Affinity a huge bargain. ‘Buy it once, it’s your’s forever’ is worth saving up for, especially if you plan on creating your own covers and media content for the foreseeable future.
While there is a learning curve, there are plenty of tutorials online for interested parties. It’s not a bad idea to learn the suite, since professionals who are looking for alternatives to Adobe are adopting these programs, giving Affinity even more reasons to produce great content.
Photoshop Elements
If you want something with Adobe’s name attached, Elements is the least expensive option. At a one-time purchase of $99, it’s far cheaper than a sub for Photoshop or Creative Cloud, but it is also a pared-down version of its older sibling. It does a lot of the same things, but if you want, for instance, to use a pen tool that curves, you’ll need to find a different program.
The last time I used Elements, it was a decent program, and unless it’s been plagued with bugs similar to the Creative Cloud apps, it will be a fine purchase if you have the cash. Considering there are cheaper–and just as good–alternatives out there, it’s really not worth paying just for the name.
Time to Wrap Up
I’ll cover video as well as apps like Artbreeder and FlowScape in another post, ’cause this one’s long!
We’re lucky that there are options available to writers on a budget who need graphics software but can’t afford professional prices. There are many, many more options available than I have listed, and it’s worth the time to check out other apps and read reviews. Each person has a different way of working, so each one will have a different software appeal to them. And just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’s terrible software–and just because it’s spendy, doesn’t mean it’s great.
I say this because the problems I had with Photoshop during 2021 put me behind schedule on illustrating book three in my Wellspring Dragons series. Combined with other factors, I ended up releasing it three months after I originally planned. So yeah, just because software comes with a name and a price tag to match, doesn’t mean it’s worth it. Sometimes, Budget is Better!
Kwyn Marie 