This week I'm celebrating:
1) I've almost finished the covers for my thriller, Coldest Night, and my CPs will help me narrow the field from 14 to the 6 or 7 best ones. What would I do without their help?!
2) I haven't decided when to have the poll for the covers yet -- but it's coming. :)
3) With creating covers out of the way I have something even more important to do -- FINISH THE BOOK!!
4) Perhaps doing covers before I finish the book seems odd, but I'll feel more secure once it's done (covers are 75% of the reason readers choose to buy!) and then I can concentrate fully on the manuscript.
Do you stick to an organized plan for your projects or sometimes throw caution to the wind and do what you feel?
My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
Celebrate The Small Things Linky:
Grab the Linky html-code here:
** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **
Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)
Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 20, 2017:
Free YA Mystery/Thriller Paperback – Win 1 of 5 paperback copies of The City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson, about an orphaned girl in Kenya who becomes a master thief and is seeking revenge for her mother’s murder at a rich official’s home. Enter via rafflecopter on the Children’s Book Reviews blog. (ends Feb 3)
Free Historical Urban Fantasy Novel – Win Gilded Cage by Vic James, an upstairs-downstairs type novel full of magic and mayhem. Enter via Entry Form on the Book Riot blog. (US only; ends Jan 24)
Free YA Contemporary Novel – Win The Sun is Also a Star by New York Times Bestselling author Nicola Yoon, about a girl whose life is falling apart when it looks like her family will be deported back to Jamaica and has no time for the amazing boy she just met. Enter via Entry Form on the Book Riot blog. (ends Jan 24)
Free 2 Lonely Planet’s Organizer/Travel Guides – Win Lonely Planet’s Where To Go When, organized into months with a list of the best locations to visit, along with optimal conditions and circumstances. Also win Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017. Enter via Entry Form on the Pawsitive Living blog. (ends Jan 28)
Free $100 Google Play Gift Card – Win a $100 gift card good for all ebooks on Google Play. Enter via Entry Form on the Book Riot blog. (ends Jan 23)
For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.
1) I've almost finished the covers for my thriller, Coldest Night, and my CPs will help me narrow the field from 14 to the 6 or 7 best ones. What would I do without their help?!
2) I haven't decided when to have the poll for the covers yet -- but it's coming. :)
3) With creating covers out of the way I have something even more important to do -- FINISH THE BOOK!!
4) Perhaps doing covers before I finish the book seems odd, but I'll feel more secure once it's done (covers are 75% of the reason readers choose to buy!) and then I can concentrate fully on the manuscript.
Do you stick to an organized plan for your projects or sometimes throw caution to the wind and do what you feel?
My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
Celebrate The Small Things Linky:
Grab the Linky html-code here:
** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **
Foxy's Friday Freebies!
Foxy has been nosing around the net.
When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -
- Free short stories, novellas, and novels
- Giveaways for books and swag
- Free services for authors
Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 20, 2017:
For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.
If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here! Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com
36 comments:
I'm a pantser. Disobeying organization is a gift and a curse. The feels! I love getting covers done before the book is finished. Not necessarily the best idea since I keep delaying releases. And I don't make my own covers. Anyway, enjoy your weekend Lexa and all the best with your covers!
I don't think it's weird that you're choosing covers before you've finished the book; like you said, covers are important! They say don't judge a book by its cover, but I know I do. Good luck choosing, and finishing your book!
Covers determine whether I go any farther, so they are important.
Pretty much everything I do in life is by feel, so...
I can definitely see the value in designing the cover before the book is finished, and I suspect it can only help, not hurt. Enjoy your weekend!
Covers are very important!!! It's like the first impression you can make. I can't wait to seer them!!!
Have a nice weekend.
First impressions are everything, especially with book covers.
Now, I'm sort of a throw caution to the wind gal. Should know better though!
Marilyn @ Onbecomingawriter.com
Looking forward to the poll. Getting the book covers right is so important. It's definitely one of the things that helps me decide if I want to read something.
I barely know what a plan is, so I'm always jumping into things head first.
Covers require a lot of thought, so as long as the story is pretty much done, there shouldn't be any problems getting that hurdle out of the way. Now if you write in a new scene that would make an even better cover, then you're in trouble. Looking forward to seeing the results.
I think doing the covers could be helpful in focusing your ideas. So no, you're not crazy for doing them instead of finishing the book.
Congrats on getting close to finishing your book and I can't wait to see the covers! I have to say, I do like organization but sometimes I must do what I feel because it will nag me otherwise.
I knew covers were important to consumers purchasing books but I had no idea they weighed in so heavily. How exciting that you are very close to finishing your book. Thanks also for listing Foxy's freebies. Nice to know there are free or fun things to try and win. Happy Friday!
My projects are usually based on emotion. But once I start I can't stop until I'm finished.
I used to be organized because I needed to be. My life was always about juggling balls in the air and not dropping any. Now, life is slower, and I still enjoy projects but my AADD keeps getting in the way. It's not so bad.
Covers are a big deal! I tend to finish the book before I work on cover. Mainly so I have a better feel of what I want on my covers. Can't wait to see!
Hope you get a cover that thrills you to your toes!
Awesome your covers are almost done. Can't wait to see what you've been working on.
I do plan projects, particularly writing ones, but these only come to life in the middle and you can't anticipate the dynamism at the beginning so I have to be prepared to make changes along the way
Really looking forward to seeing the final covers - must be very exciting getting this bit ready - knowing you can see the finish line with your book. As for me with planning - I do it if I need to dig deep or have time limitations other than that I go where the music takes me :) Have a great week and thanks as always for hosting this lovely link-up.
Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace
I definitely change plans when they aren't working. At the very least, I give myself permission, in advance, to change if necessary. That gives me the confidence to have a try.
Throw caution to the wind! It sparks the creative gears too.
Lexa, I'm usually a throw caution to the wind kinda gal but I try to jot a few projects down to help me stay focused on getting these things accomplished each day. Sounds like you're doing well on your end. Best of luck with finishing up Coldest Night book cover and have a good weekend!
I try to mostly stay organized, but sometimes I stray. I especially stray when I am stuck or I feel like something else needs to be done so I can keep moving. Can't wait to see the covers and vote in the poll. Best of luck with the cover and with writing. :)
~Jess
Can't wait to see that cover! I always have plans, but that doesn't mean I'm strict on following them. I see it as a balance between both. Have a great weekend!
My plans are changed often, especially when a story isn't working out the way I hoped. Sometimes change is for the best.
Looking forward to seeing the covers.
Ooh! I like your poll for the covers! Looking forward to it!
You do amazing things with your covers... it was so hard to pick, so I can't wait to see what everyone's favorites are :)
Choosing covers before finishing the book actually makes sense to me. I find the visualization that goes along with making a cover helps inspire my writing.
Great job on the progress of the covers for Coldest Night! I can't wait to see them in the polls. I agree with you about CP's. They are invaluable!
Have a wonderful week, Lexa!
I like to wait until the story is finished, because I usually get a better idea about what I want when I look at my stories from a distance. Can't do that when I'm working on the project itself.
Yep. Lexa. Covers. Tagline. Blurb. Author Name. First page. That's how I choose amongst the many. Your covers are awesome. Can't wait to see this one!
I agree, covers are SOOOOOO important. One of my friends actually had a cover made just to keep her inspired and pushing toward completion of the book. That's right, the cover was completed 3 years before the book fell into the hands of an editor. So no, I don't think you can work on that too early. =)
Covers are very important, and you are so good at creating them. I can't wait to read the rest of the book, though.
I'm a pantsing then plotting kind of girl. I've gotta follow the story for a while then think and plan, Follow, then ....
I both love and hate working on covers. I love when it just comes to me, like Isabel & Leo just plopped onto my lap in one session of searching online for a perfect image of a couple playing on the beach. Everything about that photo was perfect. But, for The Box Of Souls, I had to work with a designer and I had no idea what the cover would be like. We went back and forth until she drew me an original graphic that worked. And you're right, people shop with their eyes, so the cover is uber important!
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