Debra is thrilled to get the cover for Family Secrets, but she's not sure it fits the story.
I was over the moon on Monday to find an e-mail with the cover for Family Secrets. The entire project is really moving forward at a fast clip, which is extremely exciting. However, when I opened the attachment, my first thought was...well this doesn't work for the story.
The cover itself is beautiful: a couple in a sexy embrace on the sand with the lake and skyline in the background. However, the really, really cute guy on the cover looked a bit too young and a bit too Hispanic for the character I'd created. Not wanting to be over-analytical, I sent the cover out to gather some opinions. No one echoed my concern, which on the one hand reassured me, but on the other hand I knew those opinions I'd solicited hadn't read the story and wouldn't know what my hero was 'supposed to' look like.
I contacted my editor, who was of course familiar with the story, and she said she liked the cover, but recommended that I let someone know my concerns if I really felt it wasn't working.
This made me very nervous. I definitely don't want to be known as an author who complains about nit-picky things.
When I first started with TWRP, the cover they sent was the cover you got. Unless your name or the title was spelled wrong or incorrect, it was considered a final cover. With my last two projects, however, there's been room for 'opinions'. There's no guarantee that a change will be made, but I had the opportunity to approve or comment.
After going around and around with it, I finally decided if I was concerned enough to let it worry me, it was worth sending an e-mail.
So I did. I simply said that although I liked the cover in an overall sense, I felt it just didn't fit my character and the story. The branding seemed off. What if someone picked it up expecting a Latino story? They'd be disappointed. We definitely don't want our readers to feel that way. And what if someone passed it by because the cover didn't look like the kind of story they'd read, and therefore they missed out on a story they might really like? :)
I hit send, then held my breath.
By the end of the day, I had an e-mail back saying they would look into changing the couple on the front, since I felt it didn't fit the story.
So, now I wait again. But I feel better knowing I voiced my opinion and advocated for my story. If it stays the same, at least I know I tried. And it's not like I make a habit of this. This is my eighth cover/story with TWRP, and it's the first time I felt the cover didn't work for the story. Usually they are spot on.
How much input do you get on your covers? And how often do you request changes when you get the first draft?
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debratsjohnromance.com
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Showing posts with label covers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covers. Show all posts
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Another New Cover!
To say I'm blown away by the cover for This Feels Like Home is an understatement. I just love, love, love it. It is so perfect for the story. It might just be my favorite of all of my covers so far.
And on that note, I'll just let it speak for itself...
Can a danger-addicted cowboy and a safety-conscious urbanite ever see eye-to-eye?
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
And on that note, I'll just let it speak for itself...
Can a danger-addicted cowboy and a safety-conscious urbanite ever see eye-to-eye?
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Cover AND a Release Date! (Blog Tour Coming Soon)
A lot has happened since we last 'chatted'. Late last Friday night I got the cover for An Unexpected Blessing, and just now when I checked e-mail before writing this post, I got the release date for the book as well. It made the cut-off for Thanksgiving this year by a hair...it will be released on November 21, 2012...the day before Thanksgiving!
To say I'm thrilled is putting it mildly. Just picture me doing a wildly joyful Happy Dance!
Now, a different kind of work starts. I need to get a blog tour scheduled. In anticipation, I had already scheduled one date, but when I wasn't sure if we were looking at a 2012 or a 2013 release date, I held off on scheduling any others. Now I need to kick things into gear.
Some people use an outside source for scheduling their blog tours, but I set my own up. I try not to make it complicated. When I see a post on one of my loops asking for guest bloggers, I send a quick e-mail out. Usually I'm able to fill the calendar around my release date with half a dozen to a dozen blog stops.
To keep things organized, I start a page in one of my writing notebooks (The ones I'm always scribbling ideas in.) listing all of the stops, their internet addresses, the date of the post, and what's expected: interview, general post, topic specific post, etc. I mark it with a brightly colored sticky tab so I can easily find the page. Then I'll start a calendar with the locations so I can see the big picture and not overschedule myself on any one day. I'll also print out any instructions and/or questions and label them with the date of the post as well.
Then it's time to dig in and get the posts written and sent off to the proper hostesses. About a month before my tour, I start visiting these blogs everyday to leave comments and start a presence. (This part worries me a little this time around. I've noticed that a lot of my Blogger comments are being labeled as SPAM and disappearing. I haven't found a way to fix this. I hope something magical happens by the time all of this rolls around so I'll be able to comment on my own guest posts. Not being able to reply to other commentors would not be a good thing. So, if anyone has any advice about or a solution to this problem, I'd greatly appreciate hearing it.)
For this particular release, most of the promotion will be done before the book actually gets released. Once Thanksgiving passes, most people set their sights to Christmas and won't be thinking about Thanksgiving even the day or so after. So I need to get them thinking in anticipation of buying the book on its release day before their interest drifts to another holiday.
All in all, I have my work cut out for me over the next two months...but like I said, I couldn't be more thrilled!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
To say I'm thrilled is putting it mildly. Just picture me doing a wildly joyful Happy Dance!
Now, a different kind of work starts. I need to get a blog tour scheduled. In anticipation, I had already scheduled one date, but when I wasn't sure if we were looking at a 2012 or a 2013 release date, I held off on scheduling any others. Now I need to kick things into gear.
Some people use an outside source for scheduling their blog tours, but I set my own up. I try not to make it complicated. When I see a post on one of my loops asking for guest bloggers, I send a quick e-mail out. Usually I'm able to fill the calendar around my release date with half a dozen to a dozen blog stops.
To keep things organized, I start a page in one of my writing notebooks (The ones I'm always scribbling ideas in.) listing all of the stops, their internet addresses, the date of the post, and what's expected: interview, general post, topic specific post, etc. I mark it with a brightly colored sticky tab so I can easily find the page. Then I'll start a calendar with the locations so I can see the big picture and not overschedule myself on any one day. I'll also print out any instructions and/or questions and label them with the date of the post as well.
Then it's time to dig in and get the posts written and sent off to the proper hostesses. About a month before my tour, I start visiting these blogs everyday to leave comments and start a presence. (This part worries me a little this time around. I've noticed that a lot of my Blogger comments are being labeled as SPAM and disappearing. I haven't found a way to fix this. I hope something magical happens by the time all of this rolls around so I'll be able to comment on my own guest posts. Not being able to reply to other commentors would not be a good thing. So, if anyone has any advice about or a solution to this problem, I'd greatly appreciate hearing it.)
For this particular release, most of the promotion will be done before the book actually gets released. Once Thanksgiving passes, most people set their sights to Christmas and won't be thinking about Thanksgiving even the day or so after. So I need to get them thinking in anticipation of buying the book on its release day before their interest drifts to another holiday.
All in all, I have my work cut out for me over the next two months...but like I said, I couldn't be more thrilled!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Attention Grabbers
There's a lot of discussion as to what grabs a reader's attention about a book. Is it the title? Cover? Blurb? Excerpt?
This week I spent some time thinking about several of those things. I officially signed a contract for a Thanksgiving novella with The Wild Rose Press. The title I came up with even before I started writing the story: An Unexpected Blessing. So that's all good to go.
After I signed the contract, I had some other paperwork to fill out. One sheet was the cover information sheet. It asked for information about setting and basic plot, a description of both characters, and what I thought was the most important aspect of a cover. For me, I think the people should be the most prominant thing on a cover, but the background should also give a hint about the story. In this case I suggested a fall setting with a two story farm house as the background. I described the overall mood of the story as cozy and romantic with a bit of spice. It also asked for examples of other covers in their catalog that fit the general idea I had for the story/cover. I've always been pleased with my previous covers, so I listed two of those titles. From this information, one of the cover artists at TWRP will design my cover.(I requested the fabulous Angela Anderson who has done all of my covers.) 
The other sheet was the Manuscript Information Sheet (MIS). On this form I filled out things like copyright name, heat level (spicy!), wrote a dedication, and provided 'praise' snippets from reviews about my work. Then I had to come up with a one sentence tag line for my book. (This was new...I hadn't done it for previous books.) I went with: Can the ex-con and the girl he's always had a secret crush on find happiness despite the past?
The trickiest things on this form were deciding on an excerpt and writing the backcover blurb. I worked on finding the excerpt first as technically this was already written and all I had to do was find the 'perfect' portion of the mss. Usually I go with a kissing scene for my excerpts, but this time I was undecided. I found several other passages that I liked as well. So, I copied and pasted them into an e-mail and took a poll of several of my friends, my sister, and my mom. Ultimately we decided on this:
“Are you going to dance with me or not?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.” Joe stood and offered his hand.
Katy slid hers into his warm grasp. As always, his touch caused a little shock in her heart. The weight of a hundred pairs of eyes followed them out onto the floor. The dirt was packed smooth, and a ring of hay bales marked the area. Her tummy quivered with a combination of nerves and anticipation.
He found an open spot, which wasn’t difficult with the other couples affording them a wide berth, and then curved his arm around her waist to draw her close. Her body fit perfectly against him. A shiver tingled through her. She rested her free hand on his shoulder.
His thigh brushed hers as he rhythmically shuffled his feet to the music. His gaze captured and held hers. The rest of the room faded as she stared into the warm, melted chocolate brown of his eyes.
She didn’t care that people whispered. Snuck glances. Or outright gaped. All she cared about was swaying to a soft, slow beat. The quicker thud of her heart. Strong arms wrapped around her. And the desire to stay right where she was. Maybe forever.
Finally I turned my attention to writing the blurb. When I write a blurb, I start by going back to my synopsis. I take a couple of lines from the first two paragraphs about each character, focusing on goal, motivation, and conflict. Then I peruse the rest of the two page summary and try to narrow those seven or eight paragraphs into a few succinct sentences that will hopefully grab a reader's attention and make her want to read the book. Here's what I came up with:
Single mom Katy Roth thinks life can't get any worse. As Thanksgiving approaches, she finds little to be thankful for in a life that is quickly spinning out of control. To make matters worse, her parents have hired a new handyman.
Joe Mason is the town's bad boy. Literally. He's just returned from a four year stint in prison. He wants to put the past behind him and get on with his life. Trouble is, most folks aren't too thrilled he's back.
Especially Katy. Joe's had a crush on her since junior high, but she wants nothing to do with him. Until through her young son's eyes she discovers the good in him. Can they get beyond a small town's prejudice to hold onto a love neither expected?
One of the things I love best about TWRP is the amount of control and input we as authors have over these very important attention grabbers. So, what do you think? If you came across that blurb and that excerpt, would it pique your interest enough to want to read more?
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
This week I spent some time thinking about several of those things. I officially signed a contract for a Thanksgiving novella with The Wild Rose Press. The title I came up with even before I started writing the story: An Unexpected Blessing. So that's all good to go.
The trickiest things on this form were deciding on an excerpt and writing the backcover blurb. I worked on finding the excerpt first as technically this was already written and all I had to do was find the 'perfect' portion of the mss. Usually I go with a kissing scene for my excerpts, but this time I was undecided. I found several other passages that I liked as well. So, I copied and pasted them into an e-mail and took a poll of several of my friends, my sister, and my mom. Ultimately we decided on this:
“Are you going to dance with me or not?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.” Joe stood and offered his hand.
Katy slid hers into his warm grasp. As always, his touch caused a little shock in her heart. The weight of a hundred pairs of eyes followed them out onto the floor. The dirt was packed smooth, and a ring of hay bales marked the area. Her tummy quivered with a combination of nerves and anticipation.
He found an open spot, which wasn’t difficult with the other couples affording them a wide berth, and then curved his arm around her waist to draw her close. Her body fit perfectly against him. A shiver tingled through her. She rested her free hand on his shoulder.
His thigh brushed hers as he rhythmically shuffled his feet to the music. His gaze captured and held hers. The rest of the room faded as she stared into the warm, melted chocolate brown of his eyes.
She didn’t care that people whispered. Snuck glances. Or outright gaped. All she cared about was swaying to a soft, slow beat. The quicker thud of her heart. Strong arms wrapped around her. And the desire to stay right where she was. Maybe forever.
Finally I turned my attention to writing the blurb. When I write a blurb, I start by going back to my synopsis. I take a couple of lines from the first two paragraphs about each character, focusing on goal, motivation, and conflict. Then I peruse the rest of the two page summary and try to narrow those seven or eight paragraphs into a few succinct sentences that will hopefully grab a reader's attention and make her want to read the book. Here's what I came up with:
Single mom Katy Roth thinks life can't get any worse. As Thanksgiving approaches, she finds little to be thankful for in a life that is quickly spinning out of control. To make matters worse, her parents have hired a new handyman.
Joe Mason is the town's bad boy. Literally. He's just returned from a four year stint in prison. He wants to put the past behind him and get on with his life. Trouble is, most folks aren't too thrilled he's back.
Especially Katy. Joe's had a crush on her since junior high, but she wants nothing to do with him. Until through her young son's eyes she discovers the good in him. Can they get beyond a small town's prejudice to hold onto a love neither expected?
One of the things I love best about TWRP is the amount of control and input we as authors have over these very important attention grabbers. So, what do you think? If you came across that blurb and that excerpt, would it pique your interest enough to want to read more?
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
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