In honor of Read-A-Romance Month and Romance Awareness Month, this August we’ll once again be sharing some new, focused insights of indie romance authors who have been navigating the world of the genre and writing all about love in their latest novels. To read this year’s article, click here! Here, you can read the full follow-up interview with AK Landow. For her website and social media, see below!
How do you curate a cohesive aesthetic and visuals for your stories and series? What about the creation of merchandise that pairs with your stories? What sorts of artists and creatives do you normally consult for your vision to be realized?
I’ve found that I like to identify “real life” muses for my characters before I type a single word. It helps me visualize who my characters are from a physical perspective. For example, my upcoming release, Home Town Advantage, features two characters inspired by pro quarterback Sam Hartman and actress Eve Hewson. You can see how well my cover designer captured them. I already have pinboard models for all the characters in the series.
Bright colors seem to be where RomComs are these days, so I’m making sure my covers and all social media graphics have that.
As for merchandise, it’s always a balance of fun/appropriate items and costs. I’m a small indie author. I can’t afford to get too crazy. I’ve paired with a woman who creates jerseys. She produces and sells them. I take a very small royalty. It’s more about getting my readers the jerseys they want as opposed to making money. I also like to support the women who support me. A longtime reader of mine recently opened a bookish merchandising company. I’m ordering an exciting item from her to include in the PR packages for Home Town Advantage. In fact, she’s Connecticut-based. The company is called Mother & Daughter Designs. I highly recommend them. I also like to include the items I know readers enjoy, like bookmarks and stickers.
Going off of this, explain the process of seeking out and attaining cover photos/art for your books. What is it like to choose designs and/or models that best fit your story? If you use real people on your covers, is it difficult to find models that align with the characters in your mind? Do you pick the model(s) before or after writing the character or couple?
This was mostly answered above, but… I’m moving away from model covers because RomComs are now illustrated covers. When I used models on the covers, I would select them before I started writing to make sure the characters in the story match the cover. It’s so frustrating to me when that doesn’t happen. When I first started writing, I wrote the book and then looked for appropriate models. I quickly learned how much easier it is to find the models before you write and then write the story to match those models.
I pick athletes, actors, and/or models first (having some rough idea of what I’m looking for), and then I give it to my cover designer to match their general appearance. It’s never exact because I might have different things in mind for eye color, hair color/length, etc, but it’s very close.
When it comes to illustrated or discreet covers, whether this be cartoon illustrations or more subtle designs, what is your thought process?
Again, mostly answered, but… I want something fun and eye-catching. My marching orders to my cover designer for my upcoming series were that I want people to see the book and know right away that it’s an AK Landow book. Detailed characters, bright colors, and a fun overall look that we can carry through the entire series.
To what extent has the cover design process changed/evolved over time based on trends and the cover styles and design choices that are deemed most popular at the moment? What is your overall perception of the fluctuating nature of book aesthetics? How have these been impacted by both reader preferences and social media discourse?
I didn’t set out to be a rom-com author. My first series is all couples on the covers. People started calling me a rom-com author, given that my natural comedic personality would come across on the pages of my books. I began to lean into that and now embrace it fully. Initially, I didn’t love illustrated covers. My second series was originally published with couples on the covers. It was a mistake. Rom-coms are firmly illustrated covers now. I’ve redone my entire second series. My third series had illustrated paperbacks and model covers on the ebook to appease those fans. My next series is only illustrated. That tells people it’s a rom-com, and that’s the message I need to send. I’m finding my illustrated covers are bringing in a whole different group of readers.
On social media, they will not assume it’s a rom-com unless it’s illustrated.
More generally, how do you navigate the ever-changing ebb and flow of trends and popular preferences within the online book community? Feel free to share your thoughts about the dynamics of the community itself, as well as your approach to it.
It’s hard to navigate the changing landscape. Before I started writing, I didn’t appreciate how much more there is to being an author than simply writing. I have to stay on top of social media (more than anything else). Ten years ago, authors promoted themselves on Facebook. It shifted to Instagram. Now it’s all about TikTok. Indie authors are made on TikTok. As a slightly older author, I find it hard to manage my TikTok account in terms of changing music trends, hashtags, and overall aesthetics. I do my best. When I have a TikTok pop off, I see an immediate increase in sales. The correlation is indisputable.
As for the community, it’s the best and most shocking part of my author journey. I didn’t expect so many new friends. It’s a very supportive, female empowering community. Everyone has been kind and helpful.
What has your experience been as an indie author encountering pirating and copyright issues with companies like Amazon or Apple Books? Has this struggle worsened or evolved in any specific ways over time? How has this impacted you? Feel free to share any specific anecdotes you have regarding this topic.
Some authors get very upset about this issue. I have too many things going on to let it bother me. I hire a watchdog company that monitors pirating for me. I get a report every morning letting me know how many pirated sites they’ve found, removal letters that have been sent, and when the pirated copy is removed. I refuse to spend any more mental energy on it than simply engaging the company and reviewing the morning report. Pirating is part of this process. The more popular a book is, the more it’s pirated. If a time comes when Amazon gives me an issue about pirated copies, I know I’ve done all I can to protect against it. Spending more of my time during the day on this issue will get me nothing. Getting upset about it will also get me nothing.
With the advent and rapid evolution of generative AI, particularly in creative fields like writing and visual art, have you seen this making an impact on the online book community at large, or your particular body of work and fanbase? Have you encountered any challenges in the face of AI? In other words, tell me about your AI-related experiences and your stance on it.
The bookish community is upset about AI and I’ve seen a lot of authors suffer consequences of using it. I would never knowingly use it. Frankly, I don’t know how to use it. When my kids offered to teach me, I declined. I’d rather not know. Plausible deniability.
Have you seen the online book community change or transform in any other ways that you’d like to discuss? Is there anything else in general you’d like to share that hasn’t been covered yet?
I’ve only been writing for 3 years. I started on a bit of an island. I wish I had more firmly entrenched myself in the community before publishing, but I was excited to publish and did the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Hit the publish button. I pour my heart and soul into every book I write. That’s why 1 negative review hurts more than 40 positive reviews makes me feel good. These books are my babies. Unfortunately, trolls exist who like to put people down. Instead of focusing on them, I’m choosing to focus on the 99.9% of this community who have been nothing but encouraging and helpful. I have been the recipient of so much kindness in the past 3 years. I do my best every day to return that favor. I help new authors as best I can. I support my readers as best I can. Romance reading is often an escape for people. I want to give them a little time away from reality to laugh, cry, and overall enjoy themselves.
Of note, I tackle at least one major social topic in each book. While my books are light and fun, there’s always a deeper undertone. Sexual harassment, pay disparity, and other challenges facing women are often found in my books. I hope they provoke thought in readers who had never considered these issues before.
To learn more, please visit AK’s website, aklandowauthor.com. Here, you’ll also be able to find her socials!