Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Designing the Book Cover

A week ago today I was prompted to upload cover files for Where Love Once Lived. The choices were author photo, cover image, and miscellaneous. I don't have any images, so I clicked the button labeled No Files to Upload. The questionnaire I was expecting popped up next. I had my answers ready, so all I had to do was cut and paste from a Word document to the input form. Here are the questions about the cover along with my answers.

Q: Describe your own ideas that you would like to see captured on your cover. Are there any particular color(s) or types of imagery that you would like to see on your cover?

A: A potential reader should know by looking at the book that it is Christian in nature. That can be as subtle as a cross or a partial view of a church. Not too flashy. Solid looking. Peaceful. There could be an interior or exterior view of a bookmobile since it plays a big part in the story. The main characters are in their mid-fifties, but they first fell in love thirty years earlier while in college. The male lead character has a neatly trimmed beard and light brown hair. The title is Where Love Once Lived. Brian thinks he will find love by returning to the city and the job where he last felt love, but instead, he finds happiness when God's love returns to his heart, where it once resided.

Q: Describe your target audience, by factors such as age group, interests, education, gender, etc.

A: This book is about Christians living, making mistakes, and growing from those mistakes. I tried not to make it preachy, and didn't align it with a particular denomination. I suspect it would appeal to a more mature audience because the protagonists are in their fifties. However, several younger friends have read the manuscript and said they enjoyed it. Also, the copyeditor said she felt it would appeal to both young and old readers.

Then they asked for 250 words to be used on the back cover. Since I showed that to you in an earlier post (see April 6, 2010), I won't repeat it here.

After submitting my cover information, I learned CreateSpace has another cover choice. It is called Illustrated rather than Signature and costs $500 more. It provides an original illustration. I asked if it was too late to upgrade and was told I could.

They said it would take six to eight weeks to finish the interior and the cover, but at least they are doing two activities at once. Perhaps they've been reading this blog. Now that I've completed the gathering of information for the book cover, I'm anxious to see what they come up with.

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