Note: This is a follow-up from my post over on my main blog a couple weeks ago Save Me From Indecision where I asked for some help in deciding which cover best fits my upcoming book The Unusual Mayor Marheart.
The post included a survey, that, well, didn't go as planned....
The Cover Survey to End All Cover Surveys
First off, thank you to everyone who took part in last month's cover survey, for the comments you emailed in, and to that terrific person who clued me into a little jewel-cutting info.
There was a very clear winner, and I don't want anyone to think this is a conspiracy theory or me trying to overthrow the World Cover Survey Order (there is such a thing, right?), but as soon as the results were in...
It was time to go back to the designer's drawing board.
That's right. Like certain Central American polling stations from the 1980s, I chucked the survey results right into the bin.
Unlike those disenfranchised citizens, however, I think once you see the final results, you'll agree it was the right choice.
Let's Start with Those Survey Results
If you missed it, our fearless voters were choosing between these three cover mock-ups...
- The purple cover was the clear winner with 44.4% of the votes.
- Blue came in a close second at 40.7%
- And Old Red garnered a mere 14.8%
Taking a Closer Look
If you'd asked me a few weeks ago, I'd have agreed with the results. The purple really was nice, but something about it was bugging me.
Then, after seeing the purple cover next to the original covers on a few retailer websites, and after the proof copy of the paperback showed up, I realized what it was.
It looked cheap... it looked like some sort of tacky Cassie Black knock-off being sold on a street corner... it didn't scream, "Professional!!!!"
Instead it screamed, "This is really the best you could do?"
Back to the Design Table
As I mentioned in the survey, I wanted these covers to have the same "look" as the original trilogy so readers would know that these books were all part of the same series. But, since these new books will have an all-new storyline, I also wanted to differentiate them from the original three.
But how could I do that? Did I keep playing with the purple? Did I try another color altogether? Did I redesign the entire series (dear god, no!!!).
Then one morning, after the cats had woken me up WAY too early (assholes), an idea popped into my head.
An idea that went completely against the survey results (given that Old Red came in dead last).
The Early Morning Idea
What if I just kept the original colors (red, black, white), and reversed them? You know, swap out the white for black, red for white, etc?
I played around with a few combinations of this and immediately thought, "Yes! That is the look I'm after."
I also played around with the overall design a bit and decided to ditch the magnifying glass since it made the whole thing look too messy.
I also spent a disturbing amount of time tapping right and left arrows trying to get everything perfectly centered (sometimes the design software doesn't like to play nicely).
Anyway, here are the results of all that tedious fiddling....
Thoughts on the Results?
Of course, none of this is set in stone. So I'd love to get your thoughts on it. Hate it? Love it? Feel "meh" about it?
Personally, I really like that this style will make the whole series look more cohesive by sticking with the red, black, and white, rather than deviating off into a whole new color scheme, and I honestly think it catches the eye more than the purple and white cover.
And if I ever do something crazy like write another Cassie trilogy (ugh), I still have one more option for color swapping (white "bottom bubble things" with a red cityscape)!
But Wait, There's More!
As if the cover hasn't been breaking my brain enough, I've also been cobbling together a description for the book, and I think it's nearly there.
Here it is, and if you want a sample from the book, just keep scrolling...
Cassie Black is back, and she’s now heading up MagicLand’s newest detective agency.
Well, sort of.
Cassie Black may have just defeated an evil wizard, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting kicked out of the Academy’s detective training program. The upside is that it’s forced Cassie to start her own agency. The downside? A complete lack of clients.
Cassie thinks her career is on the upswing when Rosaria’s new mayor hires her to find a missing jewel. It’s a huge case that could turn the agency around. Trouble is, the jewel hasn’t been seen for well over 400 years.
And Cassie suspects there’s more to the mayor’s sudden demands the jewel be found ASAP.
What’s more… something besides tea is brewing over at Magic HQ, but thanks to a little snag in Magic bureaucracy, Cassie isn’t allowed to lend her skills to the problem. In fact, if she doesn’t sort out that bit of bureaucracy in the next few days, her sleuthing career will be over before it ever begins.
It all has Cassie looking wistfully back on the days when all she had to do was save the world.
If you like contemporary fantasy filled with wry humor, paranormal mystery, and diabolical office chairs, you’ll love the twists and turns of this start to an all new trilogy featuring Cassie Black.
The Unusual Mayor Marheart is available for pre-order at select online retailers and from my Payhip Bookstore.
If you'd like to try a couple sample chapters, you'll find them HERE.
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Have a great week, everyone!
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Haven't started the Cassie Black Trilogy?
Then be sure to grab your copy of The Undead Mr Tenpenny today and let the snort-laughs begin!
You can also find the book at most online retailers.
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