I’m stealing this Friday spot from my 52-Week Blog Challenge #MFRWauthor spot to write about and introduce you to my new rebranded book covers.
Now, for today’s post:
Hey there. I’m dropping in to say in way too many words, that I have rebranded my Bull Rider Series book covers and Boxed Set. My wonderful cover designer did all the work, but I chose my hero and heroine, along with the additional cover images for books two and three.
Before I get into what I went though, please know, if you’re only switching out covers it’s simple. All you do is upload the covers. Click publish. You’re done. Unless you have a boxed set with images inserted within the book file itself. Then you need to switch covers out in your book file.
Some Reasons Why I Rebranded:
- It was time for something new. Howdy, Ma’am, my first indie book, needed an update.
- Howdy, Ma’am has been around since December 2012. It was the first book where I had control over the cover. Since then, I’ve learned a lot. I’m more in tune to what I want my covers to look like and what I can and can’t do. Since it was my first indie book, it has been revised more than once. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge since publishing Howdy, Ma’am, so hopefully, revisions reflect that.
Contrary to what some people think, stock photo images CAN be used over and over unless they are purchased exclusively, which I do now when I can.
What Did I Know in 2012? Nothing Much About Covers.
Nope, I knew nothing about creating a cover or what I wanted, so I found someone who did. However, I did choose the images and still choose my hero and heroine and some of the additional images for each and every cover.
About the Original Covers:
The original couple image for Howdy, Ma’am wasn’t a rare image and has been seen on many other books. My designer gave this series a grittier look to let it stand out both in the before and after look.
OLD original covers
The cover for Hey, Cowboy wasn’t a cover you’d see because I chose the images separately. One image on the cover was popular and made its rounds in the western romance genre.
The image of my couple on the third book was purchased as an exclusive image. However, the model selling the image told me the same image had been purchased once, so somewhere out there, is the same image, but I doubt it has the same background. Per license specifications, I can always use this exclusive image again for another book, and I will. None of that matters now.
You might recognize my new Caulder as the model for Jase in Heartbreak’s Reward. I knew one day I would have him… Oh, um, ah…oh my. I mean have him on a cover again. ❤ When it came time to rebrand, his stock photo company was where I headed.
The Thing About Rebranding with a Different Couple:
I have the image of couples in my head from the get-go. All of a sudden, after three books, I now had to visualize someone else as my Velia and Caulder. It takes a while, folks. Seriously, as I’ve been going around and deleting the old covers to prevent confusion, my heart twisted a little lot. For years and three books, these characters shared a part of my brain and muse. Regardless, I wanted a change, and the change was good. My new covers work for me! ❤
Book #1
I sent a picture of the new hero to a close friend and asked her if he could pass as Caulder because she loves Caulder. Not one of the pictures you see here. I purchased six stock photos.
Book #2
Ha-ha. I thought I might have to go over there to wipe the drool off her mouth after she replied, that yes, he was “definitely Caulder McCutchen.” Then I sent her a picture of them as a couple. She approved!
Book #3
I hope readers do, too. Everyone has their own opinions, and some of you might like the old better, but this is what I had to do.
This Could Happen to You:
Now for my dilemma. What about my boxed set? The old images were in the interior of the manuscript! Oh, no.
I emailed Draft2Digital (D2D),an aggregator I use to distribute my books to Nook, Apple, and Kobo with a round of back and forth questions and answers about inserting covers internally into a document.
Now the new problem had been solved. Deep breath. Exhale. Again.
However…
I couldn’t, and neither can you, add a 3D or Flat cover to the FIRST page of a .doc/.docx, because readers who download an .ePub or .mobi will then receive two covers when they open their eReaders. Really? (D2D will add the cover you have uploaded, so there is no need to place a cover on the first page of the manuscript.) But… From what I gathered, if you are creating an .ePub or .mobi, you can insert the cover on the first page, because they are fixed files. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Oh, the things I’ve learned…
What the heck is a 3D/Flat?
3D cover for most retailers.
“Apple” will only accept a Flat (2D) cover upload. (Below)
What I was told from D2D was to upload my 3D cover as normal, but the review team would reject it for Apple. Then I would be told to contact them and attach the Flat cover in an email. With this cover change, it took a phone call because the review team only saw the old flat cover from my previous upload to the boxed set, so they thought all was good. Be sure you contact them if you use D2D to get to Apple and have a 3D and Flat boxed set cover.
*Some authors create one boxed set cover as a 2D with images of the books or one common image on the cover instead of a 3D like my Bull Rider Series cover. See an example at the end of this post. Maybe this is what I’ll do the next time I make a boxed set.
While on the phone with D2D, they found my email and inserted the rebranded cover during the call.
Boxed Set Cover for Apple.
All in all, I’m happy with my decision to rebrand this series.
With another unexpected project out of the way, I’m ready to move forward to brand-new covers for brand-new books.
There is always something new to learn. Learning is the fun part.
Velia and Caulder thank you for viewing their new covers. Yeeha. Let’s ride.
Enjoy your day!
*Here’s an example of a flat or 2D cover with a book cover by one of my favorite western romance authors and my inspiration to finally put pen to paper. Her omnibus includes four books, but this type of cover can be added to all the retailers.
Writing is fun. When it stops being fun, I’ll quit writing. However, I don’t know if I’ll be able to set it aside if the day comes. Writing calls to me. It would hurt so much if I couldn’t write. I’ve already said in an earlier post, if I don’t see changes in the upcoming year, I will stop publishing, which doesn’t mean I’ll stop writing. Would I continue to nurture what is published? I don’t know.
simple lifestyle I choose to live on my own. Simple in the true sense of the word. Without the book income, well, it’s too scary to think about. Writing for profit is an addition to the fun part.
For this post, I’d love to plan a fantasy vacation around Tuscany, Italy. I can think of many reasons to visit this part of Italy—beginning with the food and Chianti—a fantasy in itself. I’d tour the country, visit wineries, and take cooking classes in a chef’s kitchen or an Italian grandmother’s home like in the movie Letters to Juliet.
r as Italy, I wouldn’t limit it to Tuscany. I’d love to see Milan, too. Oh, the shopping I’d do there on my fantasy vacation, beginning with purchasing red Valentino boots. Hey, it’s my fantasy! The woman who proofed the Italian in my Bull Rider Series lived in Milan on and off in her life and talked about it so lovingly.
