 We all do it ... judge a book by its cover. And the title, too. It's hard not to. This is the cover of a new ebook I put together. I like the cover, but I wonder if the black cloud, or the title, could be off-putting. After all, even though that bird is coming out from under the black cloud hanging over its head, who wants to admit they're feeling out of sorts? The ebook is available for download on Waystation Whistle, so public opinion on the cover will be clear. It's a test: lots of downloads = it works. Not so many? Not so good. Good days and not so good I wrote the book because in the last few months I've had good days and not so good days. The days when I'm able to turn things around are the days I do something. Something I enjoy. At least for a little while. It's the distraction that makes things better. To step away from my routines, the news, my work, and worries. How are you doing? Even if things are going well for you today, consider downloading the book and passing it on. Maybe it could help someone you know. Share it with them ... and let me know what you think. A cover that does work Last week I submitted the cover for my book, A Snail Mail Guide to Cursive Writing, for a public, online review by a publishing company. You've seen the early sketch. Because I'm self-publishing the book, I was interested in getting feedback from professionals in the book business. More than 600 covers were submitted. Yesterday I watched the webinar, wondering if my cover design would be selected. It was. Of course my initial excitement was quickly tempered with the knowledge that I had to be prepared to hear the good ... and the bad, so I braced myself. Would it be a good review? Yes, it was. And I have to admit, it felt good. What did they say? "Really nice. It's got a retro vibe." "This has that cohesion, that gestalt ... where it just feels really tight." And two suggestions: remove "by" in front of the author's name, and "make the author's name bigger." Done. Here's the final.  Of course the cover is just one element in writing and pulling together a book. It's a lot of work. If you've got a book, ebook, report, or magazine idea simmering and need help with the structure, inside layout, or editing, let's talk. Look like the professional you are
digital (and print) publication design ebooks • books • magazines • reports • catalogs
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 If you recognized the headline from this post as the title of a Rolling Stones song, you're right. You can't always get what you want. I’m in the final stages of finishing my book and discovered a problem. A new problem. I’ve already worked out other issues: a new book title and new book cover. I’m pleased with the new title and cover, but it's the layout that’s causing me fits. So what’s the problem? It’s a workbook and I wanted to design the book in landscape format with a spiral binding it so it would open flat and offer plenty of elbow room for practice writing. But I also want to publish the book through two self-publishing houses: IngramSpark and Amazon’s KDP. IngramSpark offers the landscape option, KDP does not. Neither offer spiral binding. From the beginning I knew I would publish and sell the book from my own websites, but I want it to go further than that. Publishing through IngramSpark and KDP will broaden the book's reach and get it into more hands. After all, that's the reason I'm writing the book. So I made the decision to reformat it. Ugh. That means reformatting every single page. It’s a lot of work. Get what you need So yes, it’s true. You can’t always get what you want. But, as the song goes, “if you try sometimes, you get what you need.” Turns out, I like the cover better and though it’s been time consuming, the portrait layout is working well. And getting what I want? When the book becomes a best seller, I'll think about a special edition ... horizontal format with a spiral binding. Wouldn't that be something. p.s. Here's the new cover.   Update: The winner is .... Cover #1 Most of you thought it best reflected the subject of the book, cursive writing. Thank you for voting and sharing your thoughts. ---------------- I need your help. I'm in the final stages of designing my book, Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter and I need your help. There are three cover designs to choose from, and I'd like to know which one you like best.  Cover #1 (voting has ended) Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter is a workbook. It includes instruction for writing each letter of the alphabet and introduces a more creative, engaging way to practice and improve your writing skill: writing and mailing letters to your friends and family. Inside there are tips for who to write to and what to write about along with detailed instructions for how to address an envelope ... and where to put the stamp(!). It also includes writing samples from over 20 people (so students can learn to read, as well as write, cursive), and a selection of writing prompts from the popular "I Write Letters to Say" series.  Cover #2 (voting has ended) So which cover do you like best? To make your selection, just click on the cover you like, and it will generate an email that will come directly to me ... just type Cover #1, Cover #2, or Cover # 3 in the subject line and your vote will be counted. You can also add any comments or suggestions. Next week I'll reveal which cover got the most votes and share more details about how you can order your copy of Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter.  Cover #3 (voting has ended) Thanks for reading along (and choosing the cover you like), I really appreciate it.
P.S. If you know someone who would enjoy this email, you can forward it to them. P.P.S. If you're writing a book, get in touch if you need help with developmental editing, design, or project management. |