Finding the Best Stock Photos for Your Book Cover

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Stock Photos |Finding the Best Stock Photos for Your Book CoverAn adage tells us not to judge books by their covers, but that’s just what everyone’s going to do anyway, especially when talking about actual books. If your name isn’t quite enough to sell the book on its own, the cover design might be. On the other hand, a bad cover might drive away from the otherwise interested buyer.

It doesn’t matter whether you are planning to sell your book online or in a brick-and-mortar store or even as an audiobook. Front cover, or its thumbnail is the first thing a potential buyer will see when browsing the book section. And yes, the reports of the death of printed books have been greatly exaggerated. While the number of bookstores has been declining, printed books remain the most popular medium with audiobooks gaining popularity and e-books losing some of their charm lately.

So, the design is essential. But a good plan costs a lot. Well, not always. But before talking about the cover images themselves, let’s talk about the general design guidelines and current design trends a bit.

We won’t go into too much detail about the cover typography here, but good typography is essential and should match the overall design. Handwritten or big bold sans serif fonts for fiction and clean and crisp fonts for non-fiction are popular choices.

You may have seen the words “Millennial pink” and “Gen-Z yellow” thrown around. They aren’t witty comebacks to “OK boomer” but popular contemporary design colors. Millennial pink is a dusty pink color popular in fashion magazines, Tumblr, and books aimed at the young and millennials. Celebrities like Beyonce and Kendall Jenner popularized Gen-Z yellow, and it remains a popular color for dust jackets and book covers. Trends change fast, and we don’t know what will become popular in 2020. Pantene color of the year is always a trendsetter, so maybe we’ll see Classic Blue in bookstores this year. But keep in mind that using something that doesn’t have real staying power can make your design look outdated fast.

What about the actual cover images then? First, think about your genre and audience. Each style has its stereotypical theme. Fantasy novels have knights, swords, and dragons. Planets, androids, and spaceships are ubiquitous in science fiction. They might be cliches, but that’s partially what the buyer is expecting to find. Don’t always aim for the least common denominator, though. Floral background and a shirtless beefcake on the cover signals a romance novel but may drive away everyone except the lovesick and romance hungry.

When you have the theme in mind, you need to think about the style you wish to go for. Making an exceptional design takes some experience, but there is one affordable shortcut that takes advantage of already proficient designers: Stock photos. There are stock images of almost every theme with many different styles, so there should be something for every need. So how to find what you need? Dreamstime employs a powerful search engine where any search keywords can be filtered with different modifiers. You can limit your search to only images with people, choose pictures that haven’t been used before to avoid using the same image as someone else, apply desired color composition, exclude undesired keywords, and so on. Choices are almost endless. For inspiration you can check the editor’s choice section for some of our popular images.

Finally, a couple of useful tips: Choose a few different covers and run them through a test audience. With stock images, this won’t be prohibitively expensive. Also, I would avoid the so-called “free stock” sites. Any good public domain images are probably already in use in a million different places. You would want your book cover to be unique.

When you have decided on your cover image, make sure you get the correct image license. There are licenses for every need, from online publishing to printing.

4 Things to Look For When Finding Your Dream Job

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | 4 Things to Look For When Finding Your Dream JobFinding your dream job requires major insight into who you are, first and foremost. Your beliefs, values, desires, and interests all play a role in how you perceive the perfect dream job. While these factors will be different for everyone, there are some universal truths that we’d like to cover. Aside from what sets your soul on fire, finding your dream job is about fulfillment and enjoyment. This article discusses the factors that make dream careers enjoyable and rewarding. Here are four things to look for when finding your dream job.

1. Are the Hours Ideal?

Even if you could get hired to sit in your pajamas eating ice cream, you’d still want to make sure that the hours made sense. Maybe it’s important to make time for family dinner. Perhaps you want to fit a workout in before dark. These preferences will impact how you think about the convenience of your work hours. In all fairness, however, there may not be a perfect situation. The best thing to do for yourself is to consider whether or not you’re settling too much for the hours required. If you find that you are, it’s probably not your dream job, after all.

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | 4 Things to Look For When Finding Your Dream Job

2. Is the Work Rewarding?

In today’s economy, you might think that settling for aspects of your dream job is the same as getting your dream job in its entirety. This way of thinking is an attempt to make the most of an imperfect situation. Ask yourself if the work you are doing is truly rewarding work, as in, it’s rewarding because it’s EXACTLY what you WANT to be doing. If you want to be a children’s book author, but your job is to spend most of your time writing Amazon reviews, you’re not genuinely working as a writer, at least not the way you think of it. So, if you find that your job is close but no cigar, keep looking.

3. Are You Being Taken Seriously?

One of the most important parts behind finding reward in your dream job is knowing that others at your work appreciate what you bring to the table. You should never go fishing for compliments, but, having a genuine presence and sense of respect from others where you work are two essentials. If you’re asking yourself how long does a background check take because you haven’t heard back, chances are the company isn’t valuing you like you deserve. If your work is dismissed or overshadowed, you may not be working in your dream environment. In cases like these, search for job opportunities that give you the recognition you deserve.

4. Could You Improve the Situation?

Maybe you have found your dream job, and it’s almost everything you could ask for. Ask yourself if these “almost” situations could be improved by changes that you make. For example, let’s say you’ve dreamed of managing an art gallery. Now, you’ve been given the position, but the gallery is two hours away from where you live. You don’t want to commute every day, but you love the job. Could you consider relocating? If you did move closer to work, you’d eliminate the one pitfall of an otherwise perfect job. See if any of your job opportunities could turn into dream jobs with a few changes on your part.

Looking for your dream job is about taking the ideas you’ve created in your mind and finding the opportunities that match them in real life. If you can’t find a perfect match, create one and make flexible changes that bring you closer to landing the job of your dreams.

7 Mistakes To Avoid After A Car Crash

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Car Crash|7 Mistakes To Avoid After A Car CrashYou may have seen car accident reports on TV and how it’s a widespread occurrence around the world. These reports often remind people what to do in case they’re involved in a car accident. In fact, as per this site, https://realjustice.com/fort-lauderdale-personal-injury/car-accident/texting-and-driving/, there are many times that an accident is a result of texting and driving.

This is why it’s important to know what to do after an accident. This is not only to ensure your safety and minimize injuries but also to secure and strengthen your injury claim later on. Anything you do after a car accident can make or break your claim and compensation.

For these reasons, listed below are seven mistakes you must avoid after a car crash.

1. Leaving The Scene Of The Accident

Understandably, the accident scene can be too stressful and traumatic for you. Perhaps, your first instinct is to save yourself and flee from the scene. Unfortunately, leaving the scene of the accident is considered illegal, especially if someone has been injured or someone’s property has been severely damaged. This will only make it more difficult for you and your lawyer to file a stronger injury claim later on.

Moreover, car accidents often happen in the middle of the road, so it’s your responsibility to move your car aside to make way for the rest of the drivers. Otherwise, if you choose to leave everything behind, not only are you committing illegal acts but also leaving a nuisance on the road. Failure to comply with this rule can result in a misdemeanor or felony conviction.

2. Not Calling The Police Department

Some of you may think that exchanging information with the other driver or party is enough, and then you can simply go separate ways. But whether you’re injured or not, it’s a vital step to call the police right away after the accident. The presence of the police is crucial, so they can create a police report that you can use for filing your claim and compensation, or when needed by the court.

3. Not Calling For Medical Assistance

One of the critical mistakes you must avoid is not calling medical help. Even when you’ve only sustained a bruise or a scratch, you might not be aware of your other incurred fatal internal injuries and bleeding. These are often dangerous and deadly when not treated on time. Thus, seeking immediate medical help will ensure that your injuries, both internal and external, are detected and treated right away. Additionally, seeing a doctor will also help you secure medical records, which is vital evidence for your legal claim in the future.

4. Admitting Your Mistakes

Even if you feel you’re at fault, never utter statements that imply you’re at fault. Some people tend to say ‘I’m sorry,’ ‘I didn’t mean to,’ ‘I didn’t see you,’ or ‘I took a wrong turn’ when they’re rattled. Unfortunately, these statements can severely jeopardize your chances of seeking compensation for the injuries and damages you’ve incurred during the accident. That’s why you must never admit any fault in a car accident, despite assuming that you’re entirely or partly responsible for it. Let the judge decide who’s at fault.

5. Posting On Social Media

Nowadays, many of you are fond of sharing every little detail of your life on social media. You may be tempted to share your side of the accident or post pictures on your accounts. Unfortunately, doing so can hurt your case and claim. You’ll only risk leaking valuable and confidential information to the other party’s insurance adjuster or defense attorney, and they may use it against you. As much as you want to share that traumatic experience as a way of destressing yourself, your best bet is to talk about it with your personal injury lawyer only.

6. Talking To An Insurance Adjuster Without A Lawyer

As sorry and sympathetic they may sound, the insurance adjusters are not on your side. Their main goal is to save money by offering you settlements lower than you deserve. Some insurance adjusters will try taking the opportunity to talk to car victims while they’re still confused and unable to think clearly. As much as possible, avoid making settlements and agreements with any insurance company before consulting your lawyer.

7. Stretching The Truth

Don’t try to stretch, add, remove, or exaggerate your details about the accident, even the minor ones. If the other party detects inconsistencies and false accusations in your statements, it can quickly jeopardize your case. In case there are minor details you don’t remember, tell your lawyer right away.

Conclusion

Car accidents can be disorienting and overwhelming. The influx of stressful events after a car crash may cause you to make hasty decisions without consulting your lawyer. Know that this could severely impact your case and injury claims later on. Thus, before divulging or sharing any information, you must first hire a personal lawyer to help you get through the entire legal process smoothly and hassle-free.

3 Big Misconceptions About Taking A Sabbatical

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Taking a Sabbatical|3 Big Misconceptions About Taking A SabbaticalTaking a sabbatical is a good idea for a lot of reasons, but people often misunderstand why they are useful. Many people also get the wrong idea about taking lots of time off and they think that it will damage their career and their life in some way. Unfortunately, these misconceptions mean that so many people are not benefitting from taking a sabbatical when they could be. These are some of the biggest misconceptions about sabbaticals and why you should take one.

You Should Only Take One When You’re Burnt Out

The biggest misconception about sabbaticals is that you should only take one when you are completely burnt out. They have this idea that you should work yourself to the bone and only when the stress becomes so much that you feel like you can’t go on anymore should you think about taking some time out. But even though sabbaticals do help you recharge your batteries, there are a lot of other great reasons to take one. It gives you time to focus on personal goals and it can give you more perspective on your career. So don’t think that you only deserve a sabbatical if you are under extreme stress. If there are things you want to achieve in life or you just want some time to focus on yourself, those are perfectly valid reasons to take a year off work.

You Can Only Take One

The general perception is that people only take one sabbatical in their lifetime. It’s seen as a time when you can achieve that big thing that you’ve always wanted to do, and it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But that isn’t the case at all and there is no reason why you can’t take regular sabbaticals throughout your life. In fact, best-selling novelist and corporate leader Karan Bajaj advocates taking a sabbatical every 4 years. It gives time to achieve more personal goals instead of focusing on one single thing, and it’s an effective way to find more balance in your life. By having regular time off to focus on yourself, you will ultimately be happier.

It Will Stall Your Career

This is the number one reason that people don’t take sabbaticals when they should. They worry that taking significant time out will stall their career and other people will overtake them, meaning that they miss out on opportunities for advancement. However, the opposite is actually true. If you want to advance your career and get promotions, you need to be at the top of your game. Unfortunately, it’s hard to stay motivated and put the work in if you haven’t had enough time off, even if you love your job. When you take a sabbatical, you will return to the role with your batteries recharged, ready to hit the ground running. You also have a fresh new perspective on the job so you can bring great new ideas and a different approach. This all means that you are more effective and you are actually more likely to progress.

It’s important that you ignore these myths about taking a sabbatical and consider taking some time out if you think it will benefit you.

Using Your Office To Drive Productivity Is Essential

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Productivity|Using Your Office To Drive Productivity Is EssentialProductivity is important to your business. If your productivity isn’t high, then there is no way that you are going to get very far on the market. You won’t be putting out the right kind of service to your customers, and people that do choose to use your business are going to get frustrated extremely quickly. One of the things that you can do to try and improve this is make a high-quality business office that is designed specifically to drive productivity. That’s what we’re going to be looking at in this article, so if you would like to find out more about this topic, keep reading down below.

Workspaces

The first thing that you are going to need to think about are the workspaces that you are providing for your employees. If you have people constantly shut away behind closed doors, then there is going to be no collaboration, no communication and everyone is going to feel isolated. This is not the way to do things as people who feel like they are constantly on their own are less likely to work well. As such, you should think about using office cubicles so that most people are together in one part of the building. This encourages teamwork and collaboration which will encourage a higher rate of productivity.

Social Areas

Another thing that you are going to need in your business office are social areas. These are things like break rooms as they are places for your employees to sit back and chill out on their break. Your employees are still human, and they need somewhere to go that isn’t their desk during their breaks. If you work them too hard or you don’t allow them a space where they can really unwind, even if just for a short time, then they aren’t going to work hard for you, which will impact your productivity.

It isn’t difficult to create a simple break room where people can talk to each other when they are not working.

Colors And Lighting

You should also consider the colors you use and the amount of natural light you get in the office space. Have you ever heard of the phrase happy employees are hard working employees? Well, it’s true. We recommend that you use bright colors such as yellows and blues for your office to encourage a good mood, and let as much light in as you can. Humans respond positively to natural light, so it’s a good thing to include. There are some other elements too that help you add a vibrant and productive touch to your workplace. All you need is to explore all of them and implement them on your workstation. You can read them all here https://www.officefinder.com/officeblog/4-ways-create-more-productive-work-space/ and see how it helps you add beauty to your office.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do in order to design an office that drives productivity. At the end of the day, the productivity of your business as a whole should be one of your main focuses, so creating the office should be at the top of your to do list. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you end up with the results that you are looking for.