A Cuppa – A Cover Design

Well hello.

I have to confess to having been a little under the weather the last week or so, and I have been somewhat removed from my immediate work at hand. Wednesdays post was brought to you by the joyous sick day. Certainly a welcome break but I really wasnt focused on marketing, which is where I should have been that day.

Marketing not just at work, but for a cuppa also. Wednesday was voting day for the cover design. If you havent popped by our Facebook page and liked us, then you really should. If not, ie you are signed up to enough pages, don’t have fb, or just cba, then this is the designs we had entered for our cover.

Skyler Luttrell

Sam Ransley

Naomi Shaw

Christine Cunningham

Carol Hoare

And the winner is, Skyler Luttrell.

We set up the voting system quite simple – just comment under the design you liked ‘my vote’. We actively encouraged those involved to tell their friends – we have no shame. It was a marketing ploy to get the project name out there just as much as to get a funky cover. Thanks Skyler. Over here at Cuppa HQ we really do think you are marvellous – you know Skyler has submitted not one but three stories. It is so great when others get as involved in your project as you do.

Tonight I have put together the add that will be included in the Equipe newsletter. I view this as the first piece of full on marketing for the actual sale of the book. This is quite daunting when the panel are still making decisions, and we are still open for submissions, until TOMORROW! That’s right, 5pm GMT Monday 24th is the cut off point. I’m not going to lie, we do still need short stories for the children’s book, and we are now thinking we may have to reconsider our plans. BUT, it will still go ahead, it just might not be completed in time for Christmas.

This week is rather mad busy for me. The biggest event to take place will be my graduation on Wednesday. If you hear hysterical laughing during the morning, you will know I have fallen over as I have accepted my certificate. It is highly unlikely this will NOT happen.

Right, I’m off to do some more reading. Speak to y’all soon.

 

***Whoopsie – I was supposed to post this last night!!

Quick…we need someone to design a front cover!

Help!

I switched myself off from the project ‘A Cuppa and An Armchair’ for maybe 24 hours and boom, I am scrabbling around trying to find time to fit in every task I need to complete.

There is one major one that needs sorting, and to do this, I need YOUR help.

Many of you will have realised to date we haven’t sorted out an official logo for the project. Like the cover of a book, I thought I would deal with it in time. I didn’t need it just yet…

That was where I made the first mistake. I should have had this organised long ago. Today, I received an email from Equipe. Next week they will be sending out their last communication to their supporters for 2011. What better way to start promoting the project as a book to buy – an ideal Christmas present?

No worries, I have some information to hand. I would need to check a few things and I can create some ‘blurb’…oh, the image…

Right this is my thoughts. The image I want should represent the title. It should be suitable to use in promotion and as the main image on the front of the book. In short, we are designing the bulk of the front cover.

This is where YOU come in.

We have less than a weeks deadline. Lets say Tuesday 18th October by 11.59pm GMT. Can you put together an image for free (remember this is all for charity) and have it ready by the time set?

It can be a sketch, a fully illustrated image, or even a photo. In my mind I am thinking the arm of a tatty chair with a porcelain cup and saucer. I am NOT a designer. my ideas never quite work out as I expect, so really, it is your choice. What do YOU think will work? What resources do you have to hand that could create something suitable in such a short time?

In return for your work, you will obviously be noted as the designer within the book itself, as well as receiving mentions via this blog, the Facebook page and twitter.

To make this fair, we are asking for all images to be displayed on the Facebook page for everyone involved and supporting to view. On Wednesday 19th, we will ask for those same people to vote on their favourite design. You can vote for your own, and ask your friends to join in. We don’t mind, the more people who know about the project the better.

To state the obvious, the design with the most votes will be the winner.

So, are you in?

If you have stumbled across this page and do not feel you can take part, but know someone who could, please tell them. We know we are asking a lot, but we really cannot do this without you!

Thank you!

This is our 'make do' image at the moment....yeah, we really are desperate!

The back cover! A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing

Just wanted to show you this:

Isn’t it fab? I have to say, I actually like this design for the back cover even more than the front design…I’m not weird, honest. It is just I was astounded when I saw the words and the layout put together like that.

By the way I also have the formatting completed so the ebooks shall finally be available to buy for your iPad and Kindle, and work properly in the next ten days or so. Yay!

In the mean time come and find me on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Simple-Guide-to-Self-Publishing/160149427377605