Wednesday, February 1, 2023

IWSG - Book Covers & Book Launch Help

Ack! I almost forgot to put together this post! Note: I will have to either post this month's submission calls in a separate post or add them to this one later. It's been a crazy (albeit good) day, and I just didn't have time to get it together.

It's the first Wednesday of February (I am never, ever ready for a new month, it seems), which means it's time for another round of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.


Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG serves to create an environment for writers to share their insecurities and support their fellow creatives. Anyone can join. Simply click on Alex's name and put your blog on the linky list.

The co-hosts this month are: Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner!

The optional question is: If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

I'm Indie, and my husband makes the covers for me. I find it amazing that I can tell him some events/items to focus on, and he comes up with these great covers. 




And he puts together marketing images. This question is oddly timely, because I should be sending my newsletter out within the next week featuring the cover reveal of Happy Ghoulidays II! My newsletter subscribers get to see it first. If you're curious, you can sign up for the newsletter over to the right. He's putting the finishing touches on it as we speak. Getting the official cover is one of my absolute favorite parts.

If you're willing to help with the book launch in March, between Monday, March 6 and Friday, March 17 (release day is the 17th), you can sign up by clicking HERE.

I will have to do my submission recap in a separate post with the submission links, because I have to get up really early for a work meeting, and it is way past when I should have gone to bed for it (not that I can sleep when I go to bed earlier than usual, anyway, but I can at least be in bed reading until sleep is a possibility.)

What are your insecurities? Who does your covers? How much say do you get? Which of your books has your favorite cover?

May you find your Muse.

19 comments:

Kyra Lennon said...

I really like your covers!

Liza said...

I love that your husband does your covers! What a great team.

Natalie Aguirre said...

That's so awesome that your husband designs your covers and helps with your marketing. He's talented.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's cool your husband does the covers. He does a great job.

Bish Denham said...

So...your books a family affair! Very cool.

Karen Baldwin said...

Your husband designs your covers? And helps with marketing? WOW!! The books covers he's designed are awesome!!!

Patricia JL said...

Your husband does a great job on your covers.

I signed up to help.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

My husband makes our covers too! Certainly makes them affordable for us.

Computer Tutor said...

Do you realize how lucky you are? Having an in-house cover designer? Wow.

emaginette said...

I agree. He does a pretty good job. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Olga Godim said...

Your husband designs great covers.

Fundy Blue said...

Lucky you to have an in-house cover artist. Your cover's are great.

Annalisa Crawford said...

How fantastic your husband is so involved with your writing. Your covers are awesome.

I've made my own, just bought a pre-made for the first time, and had publishers design them for me. The hardest by far was narrowing down the choice of pre-mades. I think I did ok... we'll see!

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

I love that your husband makes your covers! I have to pay for mine, lacking any great skills in design or art, though I've pulled off a few simple ebook covers on my own.

Hope you managed to stay awake through your meeting yesterday!

Loni Townsend said...

Woot that your husband can put together your covers for you and they turn out how you like. That's a good talent to have.

Jessa said...

Beautiful covers! Your husband does a great job!

alberta ross said...

in the past I have done my own but now I'm back I think I might try ready made ones - at the moment I'm doing a plain navy and white for a poetry collection but the novel writing I think might be better with a picture - you are lucky having a talent right next to yours

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Shannon - that's great your husband is so supportive and helpful ... the covers look amazing. The business of short story authorship will really help many - cheers Hilary

Shannon Lawrence said...

Kyra, thank you!

Liza, thank you so much!

Natalie, I agree! He was interested in graphic design and wanted to give it a try, and it blows my mind what he comes up with.

Alex, thank you!

Bish, yes! I like that way of looking at it.

Karen, thank you so much! He comes up with marketing images. I really liked the sticky notes he made for my last release.

Patricia, thank you!

Diane, I agree, it saves money for sure. It's technically the third time we've worked together at a job (we met because we worked together.)

Jacqui, I definitely don't look this gift horse in the mouth!

Anna, thanks!

Olga, thank you!

Fundy, I'm definitely lucky!

Annalisa, I look forward to seeing the new cover! Covers are one of the funnest parts, even when I have short stories published in a different publication.

Rebecca, if he wasn't so good at it, I'd have to pay, too. It amazes me how he figures out how to make each different version needed.

Loni, it's extremely helpful!

Jessa, thank you!

Alberta, good wishes for making your upcoming covers! For some reason it's not linking to you at all for me to come visit you.

Hilary, thank you!