Why You Should Judge A #Book By Its Cover

Hi there, thanks so much for dropping in!

I've spent a lot of time lately looking over my covers from my back list. Some are still selling a few copies a day, but that's nothing to brag about, right? I wondered if changing some of those 'dated' covers would boost sales, spark interest in some great stories that have sort of been relegated to the dustbin.

Searching around the Internet, I found some profound advice...and lots of encouragement that made me take the leap. Today, I posted new covers for two of the first books I wrote:

Moon of the Sleeping Bear, Book 1 and Dark Night of the Moon, Book 2, a duet in the Historical/Paranormal genre.

Here's what some of the top-selling authors had to say on the subject:

1) “Covers are stop signs. They should quickly reveal as much info about your book to the reader as possible."

2) "Don’t wait 9 months to change covers or descriptions on books that aren’t preforming.”

3) "People on the cover usually sell books. Even if a little cliche or overused, stock photo models seem to increase sales."

4) "It’s important to visually let readers know what’s between the pages in as high concept, simple-a-manner possible. And that doing so can make the difference between slack and robust sales.

5) "Capture the essence of the story. Advertise what the book is actually about."

6) "A book’s cover is the first thing a potential reader sees and it can make a lasting impression."

7) "One romance writer went from selling five or six copies a day of her novel,  to over 1,000 a day simply by updating her cover image."

8) "If you have a solid story and it isn’t selling, go back to the trifecta of awesomeness: COVER, TITLE, BLURB."

9) "A strong, simple image will usually ‘pop’ better and be remembered by readers.”

10) The good news from Huff Post? It's getting nearly impossible to tell the difference between a traditionally published book and self-published book. 





So, without further adieu, here are the old covers: 

 Book 1

Book 2

And Ta-Da! Here's the New Covers

I wanted them to not only convey more of what was between the pages (note the bear and the wolf on the covers) but I wanted them to 'belong' to each other. Since both stories are mainly about two women - "identical' twins separated at birth and how their lives took entirely different directions - I decided to ditch the men on the covers. 

Book 1

~1841~

Identical twins, Lauren and Sage McCain are born into the upper echelons of Southern society but, through the evil act of a lonely midwife, they are separated at birth.

As adults, they have both found love, although they live in completely different worlds. Lauren lives on an affluent ranch and is loved by two brothers–one the father of her child, the other, her husband. One went off to war, leaving his brother to pick up the broken pieces of their lives.

Sage has found her soulmate among the Winnebago tribe and cherishes the abiding love from both her husband and children. But the Dakota Uprising in Minnesota has affected her life as much the Civil War has affected Lauren's.

Lauren and Sage don’t know the other one exists…until Fate steps in twenty years later. Amid the flames of danger and destiny, their lives will be forever changed.

 +Readers compare these novels to Sara Donati’s WILDERNESS Series

+ Contains adult language and sexual scenes and is

appropriate for adult audiences
+ This duet contains unforgettable love stories, suspense,

surprise conclusions, and happy endings.

KINDLE 

 Book 2

A paranormal wolf-shifter, Dark Night of the Moon, is the sequel to Moon of the Sleeping Bear.

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on eradicating the haunting memories of his brother's wife, Lauren. Brand Gatlin, presumed dead, resurfaces after a long absence and with his reemergence, the destinies of those he loves are altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage must travel to the village of her husband's People, the Winnebago. There, she is reunited with Crooked Back, the ancient healer. On the long trek back to Full Circle, devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every corner for Sage, Lauren and Peter Pa. Dark Night of the Moon will take you on an unforgettable journey of war, violence, overwhelming grief, and finally, love.

KINDLE 

  

I hope, like me, you think the new covers are an improvement. I uploaded them to all the venues today, along with new blurbs and edited versions of the manuscript.

I'm crossing my fingers! (I'll keep you posted)!

Thanks for stopping by!