May 1, 2016Dreams to Sell, the eighth book in the Men of Marionville collection, made the All Romance eBook Best Seller list! Into the top half, no less! I'm doing a happy dance!
Why is this a big deal to me? Dreams to Sell is out in the second edition, that's why. It was first published in 2014 at the now defunct Amber Quill Press. The only thing that changed on that book was the cover. I didn't even write a new cover blurb.
Covers are a big deal. They introduce the book to the reader. Everyone is aware of this. Publishers even go so far as to write clauses into the publisher/author contract about cover art. Every contract I've ever signed, with ten different publishers, contains copious and detailed language about cover art. And they all put it in writing that the publisher has the last word and final say on the cover. The author's opinion is, at best, noted.
Hmmm.
I'm consumed by what's going on in the publishing world. Authors across the broad spectrum of genres, myself included, are going independent at an ever increasing rate. Based on my somewhat limited experience, I think I know one of the reasons - book covers.
Dreams to Sell. The original cover just about reached the visible level. It was not eye-catching at all. Go to any online book seller and you'll find white backgrounds. Does a white cover stand out? I don't think so. The original cover was very white and there was nothing I could say about it without risking every subsequent cover from the publisher's cover artist also being very white.
I made the current cover all by myself. Is it the cover to end all covers? Oh, hell no. It's adequate. It has the necessary elements - the lovers, the house, the sunbeams to represent riding off into the sunset together. And I tossed in a little series banner at the bottom just because I wanted to. But to me, the most important thing is, it's visible. It doesn't fade into the background of a white product page.
If, as my cover making skills improve, I decide to redo a cover, I won't have to put in a request with a publisher. I'll simply do it. I like that.
KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Dreams to Sell - book eight in the Men of Marionville series.
Dreams to Sell is available at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online book sellers.
