Concept: Simple illustration of magpie with locket in its beak.
Audience Response: Gotcha! I didn’t show this image on the Facebook or Instagram polls because I wanted it to be a surprise!
Abigail: “Love this. Looks very clean and professional.”
Cons: Interestingly, when shown to fellow authors from my publishers group, NOT ONE person voted for this cover. And yet this is the cover. WHY? There is a lot of calculation and psychology that goes into cover selection.
Pros:
- Title stands out: One strength of this book is an amazing title, and this cover lets the title do the talking.
- Clear: Many readers select a book based on a thumbnail image on Kindle, Overdrive, or Barnes & Noble online. These small images need to be clear and readable.
- Simple: If a cover is too complicated or confusing, a reader might assume the book will be too confusing and will pass it by.
- Tone: This book might be about postpartum depression, but the story is NOT depressing. This cover conveys a book filled with humor, colorful metaphor, propelling symbolism, and narrative that is almost cartoon-like in its perspective on the struggle of family life.
- Curiosity: You can’t deny that this little magpie perks your curiosity. What is it doing with that necklace in its beak? This cover hints at mystery and surprise within the pages of the book. The reader anticipates being taken on a fascinating journey of discovery.
Final Cut: Ultimately, one factor finalized the decision to go with this book cover.
MEN!
Yes. You men were the deciding vote!
One might think a book that recounts pregnancy and childbirth in explicit detail might be just for women. However, the beta readers who finished fastest and had the most to say have all been men. A majority of my first endorsements were from men.
Perhaps this is because men have always wondered what goes on in a woman’s head and this book gives them a front row seat to one woman’s psyche.
Ultimately, the final selling point was choosing a cover that wouldn’t be a barrier to men reading this powerful story. In addition to all the above factors, this is a cover a man could hold in an airport or have on his office desk or nightstand without appearing to be reading women’s romance.
