Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
Here it is, finally…
The Story Behind My Cover
We all know the importance of choosing the right cover for our books. According to Hobie Hobart in this article, ” 8 Mistakes That Will Absolutely Kill Your Book!”:
“Bookstore browsers spend an average of 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds studying the back cover before making a buying decision.”
Furthermore,
“Online bookstore reduce the decision time even further… in a matter of seconds your book cover either sings or is ignored among the other small thumbnail covers in the search genre.”
A book cover is supposed to hook the reader into wanting to know more, set a tone, be attractive, meet standard guidelines related to color, fonts, eye-appeal,etc.
A job for a professional graphic designer in my book. Yet, the cover has to resonate with you, the author as well.
I was fortunate to work with my publisher, Paul Burt of Pen & Publish Press and his graphic designer who offered expert services while allowing me the creative control over the final product.
The Story Behind the Book Cover Decision:
And there is story behind this book cover decision; more like a saga worthy of it’s own book.
It was not an easy path.
First, I found an image that captured the message of hope, courage and resilience I wanted to convey in my memoir. Then I envisioned a specific scene that highlighted the dance metaphor I had woven throughout the narrative. When the first graphic artist failed to replicate my vision, Paul hired another designer whom he trusted.
But this designer fell down a hill while hiking with his grandson and was hospitalized for a few weeks. Life has a way of happening when you least expect it or want it to happen. But I digress.
With great expectation, I awaited his rendition. On the day it arrived in my Dropbox, I opened it, my heart pounding. I wanted to love it.
And I didn’t. Not quite.
So I conferred with my friend and memoir colleague, Susan Weidener who happened to be my real-life guest in my home when I opened the image. We looked through some old photos, scanned Amazon memoirs and I decided…
a memoir is a slice of life and the photos before me offered a window into a specific slice of my life. I will use a photo.
After going back and forth with the graphic designer, getting input from family and friends, experimenting with fonts, I found the photo that I feel captures the heart of my story…a young single parent who fights for her children and has yet to learn that the best way to take care of them is to take care of herself.
***
Ever Faithful to His Lead Synopsis
A loving family, a solid nursing career and a strong faith cannot rescue her until she decides to rescue herself.
A young woman who loses sight of the faith she has been brought up with attempts to find her way in the world, rejecting her stable roots in lieu of finding adventure and romance. Despite periods of spiritual renewal in which she receives a prophecy, she slides back, taking several self-defeating detours that take her through a series of heartbreaking events. When Kathy’s second husband, Dan’s verbal abuse escalates, Kathy finally realizes she must move on before she and her children become a statistic.
How does a young woman who came from a stable, loving family make so many wise choices when it came to career, but so many wrong choices when it came to love, so that she ended up sacrificing career and having to flee in broad daylight with her children from an abusive marriage? What is getting in her way and why does she keep taking so many self-defeating detours?
The story opens up the day Kathy feels physically threatened for the first time in her three-year marriage to her second husband. This sends her on a journey to make sense of her life and discern what part she has played in these vulnerable circumstance. She must make a decision–face her self-defeating patterns that have led to this situation and move on or repeat her mistakes. Her life and the lives of her two children are dependent upon the choices she makes and the chances she takes from this point forward.
***
How about you? How did you decide on your book cover?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
This Week:
Thursday, 7/17/14: “ Five Principles I Learned in Writing My Memoir by Linda Brendle”, her blog tour and book giveaway for her new memoir, A Long and Winding Road : A Caregiver’s Tale of Life , Love and Chaos.
Next Week:
Monday, 7/21/14:
“Finding Forgiveness While Writing Memoir by Joan Z. Rough”
Tracy Lee Karner is featuring me on her blog. Tracy is a Food, Travel and Creative Writer who is the author of Toward the Light, becoming a writer despite everything.
Kathy, what a special cover….a photograph, perfect! I’m so looking forward to reading your memoir! God bless you for all your hard work and the good message you’re sending.
Thanks, Louise! I have appreciated all your support and encouragement along the way. 🙂
Kathy,
It’s perfect! I cannot wait to hold my copy.
Much love, Christina
Thank you, Christina! You have been a very important part of my journey. xo
Beautiful Kathy. Your arduous efforts have paid off in a lovely result. Your shy smile hints at a deep story within those pages, and I especially admire the title font choice and subtle craftsmanship of the text and linen textured background. May it inspire legions of readers!
You asked about other cover experiences: The cover for The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing gave the publisher and me fits. Like your publisher, they changed designers. Each time I got a fresh batch of possibilities, I cringed. They were so awful, I couldn’t believe the Lighthouse Point Press staff would even present them to me. I’d cobbled together a primitive b&w cover for a dozen preview copies I had printed that included what has become my signature logo — the line of five hearts. I finally suggested they use that! The next suggested offering was an enhancement of my concept, and we all loved it. I stuck with a variation of that design for The Heart and Craft of Writing Compelling Description that I self-published last year.
As another self-published project, Adventures of a Chilehead: A Mini-Memoir with Recipes, was a brand new challenge. Before seeking a professional designer, I wanted to find a concept I loved. On a lark, I opened PowerPoint and began fiddling around with a simple chile ppepper graphic I pulled out of the Microsoft clipart collection. That chile became a head, taking on a distinct personaliity, and the cover evolved from there. As I continued to tweak it, I decided against turning it over to someone else. As with the Description cover, I sought input from several friends who have a good eye for graphics and incorporated most of their suggestions.
But please don’t anyone take my do-it-MYself cover project as a recommendation to do-it-YOURself! Unless you are fully conversant with all the fine points of graphics programs, know how to control and modify font sizes and enhancements, etc. do yourself and your book a favor and get professional help!
Yes, Sharon I totally agree…unless you are fully conversant (which you are!) in all the fine details of graphic design, hire a professional. I know you are very skillful at digging into DIY projects and I know I’m not. I have to say all your covers are catchy and effective. Brava! And thank you for your thoughtful positive feedback on my cover.I appreciate all the guidance and support you have provided me along the way.
It’s a beautiful cover Kathleen. The little girl in the red coat is particularly evocative, foreshadowing the wolves that she’ll meet on the way.
Thank you, Audrey! What an insightful perception. It certainly strikes at the heart of my story. I appreciate you stopping by and am thrilled our paths have crossed through Joe Bunting’s Story Cartel Course.
Dear Kathy, I remember well the look on your face the day you opened the Dropbox and saw the first cover. Disaster! It occurred to me at that time that many memoirs feature photographs on the cover of the author and/or his or her family. You had already written a wonderful blog post for the Women’s Writing Circle entitled Woman as Caregiver, which featured old photographs of you and your children – taking the reader back to another time and place.
From this, we began rummaging through old photographs. You have selected the perfect one for your cover! Bravo to you for sharing with your readers a young wife and mother’s journey through emotional abuse. It has been a joy and an honor to me, personally, to have been brought in many times by you to offer my advice on this project.
Susan, Thank you! Your presence on my journey has meant so much to me and my memoir. That is why I chose you to write the Foreword. As is your mission through the Women’s Writing Circle, you helped me find and nurture my voice so this desire of my heart could become a reality. For that,as well as for your friendship, I am very grateful.
Kathy,
Actually, the title of the blog post was Woman as CareTAKER. A definite difference, and one you eloquently explore in your memoir.
Susan
Interesting distinction that I never gave serious thought to until you mentioned it, Susan.
The first set of cover designs I was presented with for TWO HEARTS were disasters. They, in no way, reflected the story I wanted to tell and the vision I had for the cover. I took browsed through hundreds, if not thousands, of stock images to find images to present to my cover designer to illustrate my vision. In the end, we used one of those stock images and the designer used a font that was perfect. I love the cover we ended up with but have sometimes wished we would have used a more personal photograph. I’m reading your memoir now Kathy, and this cover definitely captures the essence of your story.
Linda, I love your Two Hearts cover. It’s amazing the amount of time and care that has to go into the decision. Thank you so much for your validating comments about my cover. It warms my heart!
Kathy, I am so glad you have found the perfect cover that conveys the message you were looking to share with the world. I like the sideways angling of the photo, and the fact that the title and subtitle are legible from a distance. Always important when on a book shelf.
Thanks, Sonia! There rare so many factors that go into this decision.
Quite an adventure indeed! From trying to find a vintage prom dress for a photo shoot, to a painting service somewhere in Eastern Europe, and a local painter incapacitated by a bad fall, we worked to make Kathy’s original concept come to life.
Sometimes you have to change course when things aren’t flowing.
I was relieved when Kathy and our graphic artist had the cover almost finished when I returned from vacation. The linen texture and matte finish provide a subtle elegance, much like the author.
Congratulations Kathy! Full speed ahead!
Indeed, Paul,”sometimes you have to change course when things aren’t flowing”. It has been an ever-unfolding process. Thanks for all your support and guidance. Yes, full speed ahead!
Congratulations, Kathleen! This is an important and big step. I’m so glad you are happy with your final product. Looks great!
You know, I remember oh, so well, the turmoil of choosing the cover for “Through Frankie’s Eyes.” I lost sleep over it! 🙂 I was so torn because so many usually only go with a dog on the cover when the story involves a dog. But for me, it was Frankie AND my journey, so I felt it important to have both of us on the cover, though one designer advised against it… and that hung me up for the longest time.
Then I had another photo shoot scheduled to try and get a new shot, but sadly, Frankie passed away. So I had to follow my gut with the cover I originally wanted, as well as over 500 likes I got on my Facebook page when I asked my audience to choose between two covers I was considering. The one that I ultimately chose was what I loved with all my heart, as well as my audience loved it too. And to me, that is what mattered.
I hope the next book does not cause me so much turmoil in choosing, but I must say, I sure did learn quite a bit in the process. Whew!
Thanks, Barbara! You certainly echo my experience of finding the right cover. I didn’t put it on Facebook ( a wise move on your part) but I did pass it by many others before I made my final decision. I’m hoping that the tough lessons I’ve earned in publishing my first memoir will help the next one go smoother (and quicker). Thanks for sharing in my excitement. 🙂
What a great milestone, Kathy! Congrats! It makes the book seem real now, doesn’t it? There’s something about seeing your name in big bold letters that makes you think, wow, I’m actually doing this …
I learned a lot about cover art by perusing Joel Bookman’s (“The Book Designer”) monthly ebook cover contest and reading his notes about why certain designs worked or didn’t. I found a few designers whose work I liked and eventually hired one. She came up with 5 designs, all completely different. Two of them I didn’t like at all, and I choose elements from the other 3. I’m very happy with the result.
What’s the next step for you?
Welcome, Valerie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your book design experience. Clearly, it requires a lot of thought to find the right match. Glad to hear you are happy with your results. Joel Bookmsn of the Book Design is an excellent resource. My next step–the marketing– continue to work on getting this launched so I can start working on memoir #2. I’m planning a virtual blog tour and undergoing a website upgrade/redesign. Onward!
Well, it was worth the wait, Kathy!
Having gone through the cover design process 4 times now, I totally understand your reactions. Mine was a little different, as we were looking for a template for the series.
But with each one, and each new photo, there was that moment just before I opened the file. It’s a great feeling when you look at it and think “that’s it!”
Congrats!
Congratulations, Kathy, on a cover that reveals the core of your memoir — decisions and choices impacting not only your life but the lives of your children. The photo is evocative of the sense of protection those of us who single-parented felt for our children, holding your son close and keeping a protective hand on your daughter’s shoulder. I see so much in that photo! Despite the ups and downs getting the right cover for your book, I think the choice made here is a winning one!
Excellent choice Kathy! You made it all come together. Can’t wait to read it.
Thanks, Fran, you’ll get your copy soon!
Congratulations on getting to the final cover, Kathy. It is so important that it be right and that you’re happy with it.
The cover decisions were probably the most challenging tasks toward publication of both my memoir and my novel. I’m so grateful for good designers who stuck with me through dozens of nit-picky changes.
Thanks, Carol. I certainly agree that deciding on the book cover is one of the most challenging tasks toward publication. I appreciate you stopping by.
Wonderful post and love the photo and your cover, Kathy. Congratulations on making it to this huge milestone 🙂
I look forward to reading your memoir. Thanks again for sharing your journey.
Cheers from across the Pond.
Welcome back, Carolyn.Thank you for stopping by and for your generous feedback. I’d love to hear your thoughts after you read my memoir. Yes, cheers back across the pond. 🙂
Kathy,
I love your cover because it makes your story very “real” and relatable. The blue is very eye-catching as well.
I went with a design, based on a photo with the same idea in mind. The photo had a special significance to me and was referenced in the opening of Akin to the Truth.
I wish you all the best!
Paige
Thanks for stopping by, Paige! I appreciate your feedback and I wish you the best with yopur memoir, Akin to the Truth. I remember how important all those old photos were to finding your story.
Kathy,
I really like the cover you chose. I’m also really excited to read your book. From the synopsis, it’s clear that it is a story of introspection, personal transformation, and best of all hope. We can always use a good dose of wisdom and hope. I’m putting my order in this week!!
Aaron, it’s so nice to see you here. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing such heartwarming thoughts. I hope all is well with you.I see you recently posted and I plan to work my way over to your site. I always find “wisdom and hope” there. 🙂
Kathy, I can so relate to the anguish you feel every step of the way. I think your cover is beautiful and captures the essence of your story.
Dear Pat, you have been with me from the start and have helped show me the way to this point by modeling perseverance and grit. I appreciate your positive feedback on my cover. Your ongoing support and cheers have helped me reach this milestone. Thanks a million!