You are invited

to my cover reveal

today

February 20, 2019

 

 

My memoir reflects

the first 24 years of my life

as a Mennonite girl

***

 

Would you buy this book?

It takes a few seconds (1-2 eye-blinks) for readers to decide whether to buy a book randomly spotted in a bookstore. They scrutinize the book in one gulp: title, graphics, and color. “Does this book grab me? Is it worth my time?” they ask.

It took time . . . a long time . .  to decide on a title, a photograph, font style and size, and placement of the cover elements.

 

The Title

I agonized over the title and sub-title. It too evolved over time. I blogged about the process!

Mennonite in Shiny Red Shoes

Coming of Age Mennonite: A Daughter’s Quest

A Mennonite Daughter’s Journey Home

A Mennonite Memoir: The Farm Mechanic’s Daughter

I was Mennonite: The Farm Mechanic’s Daughter and a Cultural Imprint

A Mennonite Daughter: Thorns and Roses

A Mennonite Daughter: Plain Girl Finds Love

The Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl

 

Then the struggle with A versus The.

Should I use the definite or the indefinite article? The Mennonite Daughter: A Story of a Plain Girl versus A Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl

Editor Annie Tucker stopped the fuss with her suggestion about dropping the article in the title and keeping “the” in the subtitle. Thus, the title . . .

Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl

 

 

The Photograph

While we were clearing out Aunt Ruthie’s house, I spotted an album with tattered pages I hadn’t seen in decades. There I found a photo of me as a 4-year-old holding a homemade doll. My white leather shoes fit into the black suede high heels I wore that day in front of a lilac bush.

 

The Design

I am self-publishing this book, so decisions about the content and layout fall on me. But I am fortunate to have an in-house artist. My husband Cliff created the cover, which the designers at 1106 Design tweaked.

Before the final design was approved, he made stand-up mini-posters for my desk and dresser to help inspire as I scrutinized copyedited drafts.

 

 

 

Inspiring Cover Reveals from Author Friends

 

Some beta readers

Melodie Davis, Whatever Happened to Dinner and her jazzy, fun video 

Mary Sue Koeppel, her book cover on Amazon

Kathy Pooler, scroll down to see Pubslush campaign for her first memoir. Her second is in the works

Merril Smith with A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast 

Shirley Showalter with her fanfare with friends and publisher

 

 

A Developmental Editor

Susan Weidener and a book design cover for her beloved John 

 

 

An Invitation to You

I would like to feature other authors’ cover reveals next week. Please contact me here or by email, so you can be included in the post. Thank you!

 

 

What’s Next: Another Photograph!

Next week the reveal continues with the back cover display, portraying me as a Mennonite teacher. Stay tuned!

“A book cover is a distillation. It is a haiku of the story.”   Chip Kidd