Cover News for Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt

On Thursday I shared my new cover for ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT. Guess what?
It changed – the next day!
Part 1 -Zoe’s Scavenger Hunt Fun – A Cover Story
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This was Thursday’s cover. I loved it! I still do. Blue’s my favorite color, and I thought it was perfect!

I met with Brooke Friday at noon. That night  she sent me an email. It said she was having some doubts about our cover, that she felt like this was Zoe’s story, and that she should be the focus of the cover.

After I read that, I looked at the new covers. My heart still wanted this one, but my head said no.
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Here’s a screenshot of the new options. They’re green, and that’s not one of my favorite colors.

I had a writing class later that day so I asked my teacher what she thought. She loved the original, but she said the main character is more important, especially if they’re the same age as your audience.

Zoe is. She’s going into 3rd grade, and her book is written for grades 2-4.  I tossed out my favorite cover and I picked one of these. When a book comes out, it’s not for me. It’s for the readers.

It was easy to get rid of  #1. The blue and green don’t match. I like #2 and 3, but I couldn’t pick. I went back and forth between the light and dark green.

I emailed Brooke and told her what I thought. Scroll down, and you’ll see Brooke’s final choice. I think it works for our book, and its readers.

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This is it! #3! Brooke went with the lighter green and it looks great! 

Part 2 – Peek Inside ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN
Here’s a screenshot of Chapter 2, pages 8-12.  It’s a tiny peek inside my new book.

Brooke and I met online about the interior. She told me that we are already 5 hours over budget on the designer. Uh-oh!

I had 3 pages of notes, and Brooke still went through them with me. We discussed what made sense to work on, and what to let go of.
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The map was something we decided to change. The one in the picture doesn’t match my  words. By the time we finished talking, we put it inside a tablet. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

The other thing we changed was that little icon. I asked if we could switch it out. Now there will be a compass rose instead.
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Another thing I was worried about was that pages with the icons on the left were too crowded. Brooke said she’d check the gutter lines to make sure there’s room.
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Brooke added our comments/changes right into the interior PDF. She’ll send it to the designer who’ll make the changes.

When I self-published NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM, I did all the work. I didn’t have anyone to consult, except my writing friends, and I made all the changes myself.
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THIS – is so much better! It’s fun being part of a team, and doing one part of the job. 

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