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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Marketing Materials - Covers

13 September 2011, Marketing Materials - Covers

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little.  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel.  Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing.  In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes.  You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published.  I'll keep you informed along the way.  At this moment, I'm showing you the marketing material I put together for a novel.

Today's Blog:  I want to write about one more idea before we get to populating a marketing website.  That idea is the cover.  When I first began writing novels, my impression was that the publisher would read my novel and have someone design a cover for it.  My imagination couldn't be farther from the truth.  Just as I showed you how to write marketing material to produce teasers, inner, and back cover material, you need to realise that most material for your novel comes from you and not the publisher.  And even the information that comes from your publisher can be enhanced by your professional attention early in the process.

For example, when developing the marketing material for my novels, my publisher sent some ideas for the back cover and their press release.  I shot back the teasers from the short form and the reviewer's quotes from the long form.  My publisher loved them.  She smooshed them together a little and wrote her copy from them.  I realized then the importance of this kind of material.

When my publisher needed a cover idea, they didn't come up with one by themselves.  They asked me for a design idea, and I provided them one.  Since then, every time I write a novel, I put together a proposed cover.  Your question is likely, how do you go about making a cover proposal.
I'll tell you tomorrow.

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