I look at a lot of book covers. These days, that means
almost exclusively e-book covers. I subscribe to eighteen different advertising
services. You’ve probably seen some of them – they send you a daily e-mail,
listing free and discounted e-books. This type of service is ideal for those
readers who want to be specific about what they receive. For example, I receive a range of romance books plus women’s fiction,
and sometimes I check the box for thrillers and action books. That means you don’t have to slog through listings of books that don't interest you. It’s a great system.
Since I get so many of them each day, I’ve become adept at
scanning them. And do you know what? I’ve found that the book cover is even
more important than many experts indicate. No doubt I’ve missed out on some
good stories, but if the cover doesn’t appeal to me, I don’t look at it. Why
should I when there are so many from which to choose?
From the point of view of a writer, this is where a good
cover designer comes in. I need my covers to stand out from the rest – or at
least be attractive enough that a potential reader will stop and check it out.
I had the good fortune to discover a new cover designer
recently. New to me, that is. Elizabeth Mackey has designed covers for some of
the most popular authors of the day, such as Melissa Foster, Russell Blake,
Nick Russell, Kate Aaron, Anna J. McIntyre, Traci Tyne Hilton, George Wier, and
Billy Kring. You’ll find many more authors on her website: Elizabeth Mackey.
Elizabeth has now re-done seven of my covers and is working
on another as we speak. Those of you who know my books will recognize Between a
Jock and a Hard Place. Since Elizabeth worked her magic on the cover, sales
have gone up about four-fold.
Elizabeth has also designed the covers for a new series I’ll
be releasing throughout 2015. She excels at this – putting thought, plus her
talent into coming up with a look, or a theme, if you will. I’ll be excited to
share them with you when the time comes, but right now I’d better get back to
writing them.
So when you see an outstanding e-book cover, remember that
there’s a talented designer behind it. And of course … enjoy!
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