Creating a Book: From Concept to Manuscript
Everything you need to know to create a professional manuscript, from idea conception to completed book.
The Anatomy of a Book
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
A deep dive into the anatomy of a book, covering everything indie authors need to know about structuring their work, from the half-title page to the backmatter. Learn how ScribeCount helps streamline the publishing process.
Full Guide: The Anatomy of a Book
The Importance of good coverart
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Your book's cover is the first impression readers get, and for an indie author it's one of the two places I always tell people to spend real money. This guide covers genre conventions, technical specs for every format, working with designers, and what AI-assisted cover art means for disclosure and copyright in 2026.
Full Guide: The Importance of good coverart
Title and Half-Title Page
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Learn the importance of the title and half-title pages in indie books, how to format them professionally, and why they matter in book branding and reader experience.
Full Guide: Title and Half-Title Page
The Copyright Page
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
The copyright page is more than a formality — it establishes your legal rights, provides essential bibliographic data, and signals professionalism. This guide covers every element, current US copyright registration costs, AI disclosure language, and a sample layout you can adapt.
Full Guide: The Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
A table of contents is a roadmap for your reader and, for ebooks, a functional navigation tool that platforms expect. This guide covers what belongs in your TOC for fiction versus nonfiction, how front and back matter are sequenced, and what 'hyperlinked' actually means in practice
Full Guide: Table of Contents
Adding Story / Content
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
The main content of your book is its heart — but how that content is presented on the page affects the reading experience as much as the words themselves. This guide covers chapter construction, numbering and titling, drop caps, scene breaks, and where AI writing assistance fits into the process responsibly.
Full Guide: Adding Story / Content
Backmatter
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Backmatter isn't an afterthought — it's the marketing real estate you get for free, read by readers at the moment they're most engaged with your work. This guide covers afterwords, appendices, and series promotion, with the ScribeCount tools that turn backmatter clicks into trackable results.
Full Guide: Backmatter
Blurbs and Reviews
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Your blurb is the sales pitch every potential reader encounters before deciding to buy. This guide covers how to write a blurb that hooks, where it appears across formats and platforms, how AI tools can responsibly speed up the drafting process, and how to track which version actually sells.
Full Guide: Blurbs and Reviews
ISBN's
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Few subjects confuse new indie authors more than the ISBN. The key to understanding it is simple once you see it: ISBNs relate to format, not edition. This guide explains what that means, where to get ISBNs, and how ScribeCount uses them to track your sales.
Full Guide: ISBN'sReady to Take Control of Your Author Career?
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