A few days ago, I received the internal file for my next novel, ‘The Larkspur Legacy’, and as usual, it looks great. This is thanks to the work done by Scott and Mark at Other World’s Ink, a Mongoose Author Services company I started using a few years ago.

I think I came across them via their other site, Queer Romance Ink, where I list all my books. In fact, QRI is one of only two places online I pay to publicise my books, because they are the only ones that are worth it, if you ask me. (The other one is All Author, a separate enterprise.)

Before OWI offered the layout and cover-building services they now have, I used to do the internal layout of my books myself. This involved using a thing called Adobe InDesign, which I managed to get to grips with in a very basic way, and it was a long and nerve-wracking process, for me. Each chapter was a separate document, then turned into NotePad format, then set out in individual ID files, and there were things about headers and footers, and getting the page numbering right was a nightmare, and I was always worried I’d forget to insert a chapter when combining all files… Now, I send the guys the Word docs for the MS, the front matter, back matter, any illustrations or maps, and a couple of days later, it comes back looking perfect. Their service also allows for unlimited changes, so when we find the occasional typo I’ve left in a book months after it’s published, I can send them the amendment, and back comes the improved version at no extra charge.

Anyway, I’m very pleased to say that OWI now takes all the strain and stress out of the book layout for me. (They also organise blog tours and may other author services.) And I’m pleased to say they’ve come along today to tell us more about themselves. Earlier this week we took a moment to ask Scott a few questions about his work….

Have you always worked in graphic design and book layout?

I’ve been using Photoshop since the late 90’s. We took a trip to Kauai and fell in love with the island, and decided we wanted to live there. And if we were going to do that, we would need a job there. So we decided to get into web design. We jumped in feet first, bought Photoshop, and with the help of a graphically-inclined friend, just started using it. For most of the first fifteen years, I mostly used it for photo manipulation – resizing, touch-up, color enhancement and the like.

Then I started working with layers, and composing new things, and eventually began to create book covers. My first attempts were a bit amateurish, but over time I got better. I mostly do my own covers and cover wraps, which are a lot of fun, finding the perfect art to make a cohesive print cover.

My formatting work started similarly. I bought Vellum, a Mac formatting app, when I first started publishing my own work. It wasn’t cheap – about $300 – and I figured I could defray the costs by doing some book formatting to other authors. I’ve done more than a hundred books for scores of authors.

Do you work for specific genres?

No, although I enjoy sci-fi and fantasy the most. They’ve always been my go-to genres. But I’ve done formatting and cover wraps for those genres, horror, romance, erotica, historical, mystery, YA, plays, poetry, non-fiction, and more.

Can you remember how you first met James/Jackson?

On Facebook, I think. He was one of our QueeRomance Ink authors, and was having trouble with formatting. He asked me to tackle his latest book. And now, nine books later…

Is he easy to work with?

LOL yes he is. He’s very specific about what he wants in his books, and that’s a good thing. I have a whole word file on his specifications. 😛

He also gets back to me quickly, although the Atlantic Ocean slows things down a bit…

Do you enjoy working on his books?

It’s fun to put his books together, and to see what kind of artwork he includes each time. I only get glimpses of his actual writing, but that’s enjoyable too. I always smile when a new Jackson Marsh project arrives in my inbox.

You can find the full gallery of the covers that Scott has done from scratch here and here is the link to his own website:

https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy week to chat to us. As you can see they are a pair of very talented guys, I would now be lost without them.

Looking forward to the rest of the weekend, I have a walk planned this afternoon with my husband, Neil. We are going to visit an old friend who lives on the beach in a nearby bay. The sun is out and I am looking forward to stretching my legs. Tomorrow I will hit the button on Amazon for the release of The Larkspur Legacy at the same time as celebrating my 60th birthday with a glass of bubbly. Mrs Norwood is in charge of lunch and festivities, photos are sure to follow on my facebook page. Have a great weekend!