I've Got You Covered

 Self published just means you are literally a DIY author. Usually not because you want to, but rather you don't have the spare 10s-of-thousands of dollars laying around in your couch cushions to pay for an editor, a cover designer, and a marketing/advertiser. While I have read various posts about WHY such people are important, and WHY authors need to go into debt to have these people in their life, I'm certain none of them will work for the thirty-six cents, hair clippies, broken crayons, pen lids, lego bits, and stale gold fish crackers that I found in my couch cushions. (Or will they? 🤔🤷‍♀️)  Trust me, I know I'd rather just sit around all day and write while having someone design my covers, grammar check my work, be the advertising genius flowing more money to me than is going out. Of course, while I'm dreaming, I'd love to have a cook, personal shopper, a twice-weekly housekeeper, and one person solely dedicated to cleaning my daughters' room. Oh yeah, and one of those handy women who know how to fold bottom sheets and clothing into tiny neat squares so it doesn't take up a lot of space..  

Today, back in the real world, we are going to put on our cover designer hats and talk about covers. I subscribe to Canva. Canva is a great site that has all sorts of images that you can use without violating copyright laws. That's where the magic happens. 

I was recently revamping some covers as the original ones never really made sense. They were good enough for when I made them, but I always figured they'd get revamped at some point. 

One such example is my Embers to Ashes (book 4 of the Portrait of an Unlikely Affair Series.) Here's the one I published with:

Not bad. It works. It tells the story. It's different. But it is provocative enough? I want a cover to draw you to it. To say, "Oooooh, that makes me want to read that book!" Does this cover scream that? 

I knew it could be better--- more.  So, I set to work. Here's all of the covers I toyed with...

*******POSSIBLE SPOILERS SO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK YET, CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK **************

Since I showed you the cover I published with, it's only fair to show you the three other possible "original" covers that 'could have been.' I took a poll and these three didn't quite make it....

 

In all honesty, I did really like this 3rd one. 

And then the revamping of the covers came because I wanted to make it more 'in line' with the other books. Catch your attention. Even though this is book 4 of the series, it does take the series off in a direction all of its own, with new characters, new situations, and a new level in the relationship. 

Now, for the revamp discussion....

My first attempt is this. Dark, mysterious, and the light. It ties into the story but...It really doesn't scream "READ ME!!!"

This next one, it's more of the romance kind. Book four does deal with relationships. Old ones, new ones, and ended ones. It deals with friendships. It deals with beginnings, endings, and insecurities. So this one had potential but then I looked at her hands and can only see like weird tentacles or something. The shadows are off. It's weird. And once I saw the alien-like hands (or a guinea hen keet foot), I couldn't unsee it. So I said nope, not this one. 

This next cover went well with the flow of the covers for books 2, 3, and 5. The whole nature thing. BUT it does resemble The Legend of CuSithGrim in the stars. I want it to be its own. So, I had to move on.

So, I started looking at backgrounds that were natural and were taken in the mountains of Montana, as that is one of the locations our story takes place.  I found this one. It could be anywhere from Cable Glen area or toward Mineral City. But...It's just too busy.  Had to move on again. 

Since my books are now categorized as Military Romance, Action and Adventure Romance, I decided to go with that angle. I dislike putting people on my covers that would give you a mental image to my characters. I like for you to have your own. So, silhouettes are great. This one is a little too dark. Let's try more. 

Again, going with a romance angle. This time I chose soft. But....maybe not quite screaming "READ ME!!!"

Now we are coming down to my top three considered covers for the re-vamped Embers to Ashes. Yes. Each one of these three were dissected and considered and tried and over-thought.

This next one was created in jest and then it became, "Hmmmmmm, you know....." So, when you look at the the best sellers in romance categories, even Military Romance, you will likely see that 9 of the top 10 best sellers in the category have a shirtless man on the cover. So, I typed in the key words "masculine" and "muscles" and got a whole bunch of shirtless opportunities for a cover. Since it is brought up more than once in the series that others have an image of Brian becoming a monster wielding a battle axe. Plus, when Brian attends the "reunion" as Cade Bennett, he does so with a beard and a look that is completely NOT him.  Of course, Cade would need tattoos. Anyhow, I wasn't sure anyone else other than me would get the "inside joke" of this cover, so I had to put it as #3.

It was really difficult to choose between these next two covers. This next cover is a highway in Montana. It represents the continuing journey, the unknown, and infinite possibilities. But, in some ways, the title doesn't fit the photo. 

I chose this next cover because it was elegant. It is classic. It is romantic. And it ties in with the story. Since it shows two people, I did blur the image so that I could use it without really influencing your imagination of what they look like. Plus, it gives a little mystery to the title. I like mysteries. So this was the cover I ended up going with. 

I hope you like it. Let me know what you think! Which one was your personal favorite?

I'd also like to point out that I have FIVE books currently enrolled in Kindle Unlimited - Portrait of an Unlikely Affair, the Legend of CùSithGrim, the Allegheny Chronicles: Eden and the Alchemist, Along the Way, and Wherever It Goes.  Speaking of which, 3 of the 5 of those were recipients of cover re-vamps too. While these books are enrolled in Kindle Select, they will NOT be available via eBook on barnesandnoble.com. You can still get the paperback of those novels on B&N.com and eBooks on the other six novels as well. Just not those four through September 10th.

And in case I haven't mentioned it -- JUNE 19th!!!!!! Could've Been Something, a collection of short stories, musings, and other writings will be released on kindle, paperback, and hardcover on Amazon. It will also be released on ebook and paperback at barnesandnoble.com. 

Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. I appreciate it! Have a great week!!

📖✒️🥰

Find all of my TEN (🙌 )of my books in one easy link at Amazon:

www.amazon.com/author/embrooks

If you don't care for Amazon, I have those same ten available at Barnes and Noble, too, in paperback and on Nook. (Search Em Brooks and the title!)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

If you know of another book retailer you love to buy books from, let me know and I'll see if I can get my books sold there too.

Keep up to date with all of my writing at:

TheAuthorEmBrooks.blogspot.com