I mentioned in my IWSG post last week that I was just about to order the proof copy for my second book, SUSY Asylum. Well, I did, and I got it yesterday. Can you say, "Happy dance?"The first time holding a new book that I've written is such a surreal experience. It's time for one more read through to catch a few more of those pesky typos and then it will be ready to release on Amazon.
I have been struggling with one thing since the Indie ReCon online conference. Is the cover that I directed appropriate for my book...and books (since I will be re-releasing Provex City shortly after SUSY Asylum goes on sale). I always envisioned my covers with full artwork like the Harry Potter books. So that's what I had created. But the Harry Potter books are technically middle grade. Looking at countless covers on Amazon, over ninety percent of the young adult books out there have graphic art covers. Am I sending the wrong message with my covers? I wrestled with the question for weeks and finally decided, yes, I am sending the wrong message to readers at a first glance. There is a good chance the first impressions of my covers are that they're for a younger audience than intended.
I believe that when you're ready, the right people will appear. And that was my experience here. I was intrigued by M. Pax's new covers, Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge and Boomtown Craze (maybe you've heard of them...wink wink), and saw that they were done by the same cover designer: Erin Dameron-Hill. You can visit her blog and see a bunch of her covers HERE. I emailed her...and I had a new cover less than a week later. I'm excited to finally show it to you...SUSY Asylum like you've never seen it before!
Now Erin is working on the new Provex City cover to match the look and feel of this one, and I can't wait to see it! She does great work, is really responsive, and has affordable prices. If you're looking for a cover designer, she's definitely someone to check out.
