How long have you been writing?
I enjoyed writing when I was just a kid, but never did anything more with it until just about five years ago…after I’d had four kids and been married almost 20 years. Never too late to start!
What got you started writing?
I read voraciously. So I guess you could say that habit became the foundation for my writing. I didn’t go to school to learn how to entertain readers, I just knew how because I am one. Now, I did have to brush up on some basics. It went like this: Google, how to punctuate dialogue>search. 🙂
What was your experience regarding creating a cover. Did you try to make one yourself?
My experience with my original cover was one of my least favorite of the publishing process. I was working with a small publisher and they only gave me to revisions before I had to start paying for each subsequent one. And because they lost my paperwork, the first design was NOTHING like what I was asking for. So then, I only had one revision once they fixed it. I had to settle and I hated it. I firmly believe, since the cover is one of the most important things about a book, that any company offering a cover as part of a package or ala carte should give more than two revisions. (Which is the first thing that caught my eye with BespokeBookCovers!) So in the end, I secretly despised my cover but never told anyone because I thought I was stuck. So, when I decided to take my book back from my publisher this year and publish it myself, the first thing I thought of was the ability to get an awesome cover design.
How did you find Peter?
Well, Google, of course. Pretty much how I find anything.
Did you have any fears or reservations when searching for a designer?
Certainly. Spending a chunk of money out of my pocket when I’ve already spent a lot for editing, etc., was daunting. In addition, I didn’t want to end up with another cover I hated. So choosing a great designer was paramount.
What attracted you to BespokeBookCovers?
The website is very well designed, to begin with. Your website is the book cover of your business and Peter knows book covers. So the website drew me in. I loved some of the previous covers that were displayed and thought…just maybe…I could love my own cover if I let Peter have a crack at it. Then I just sent a tentative email asking some questions and his response was quick and thorough and helped put my mind at ease. So I took a leap and sent my deposit and waited not-so-patiently for the results.
What was the process like working with them?
Effortless. Peter asked me to look on Amazon and find some covers that I really liked so he could get a feel for what my style preferences are. Brilliant. I probably sent him thirty covers! I then told him about my book and he did the rest. One of the best things about Peter is his quick communication. He makes it very easy to dialogue about any questions or concerns.
How did you feel about the result?
Absolutely LOVED it. It’s perfect and it makes me happy every time I see it. As a matter of fact, I put it as my background on my phone so, at the moment, I see it many times a day. It’s a good mood lifter. Haha. But seriously, Peter nailed it. Everyone has told me how beautiful it is and how it would definitely make them want to pick it up off a shelf and read it.
What difference has the next cover design made to your success?
I’ve only had the new cover for a short while but it has changed everything about my process for marketing my book. Before, I always pushed my ebook because then people didn’t see the cover close up. Now, I’m so excited for people to get their hands on this beautiful work of art. I’m enthused to market to local stores and I’m coming up with all sorts of other ideas as well. Bottom line is that I’m now incredibly proud of my book and I think the outside now matches all my hard work on the inside. Thank you Peter! You rock.