Cover Reveal

I've not done one yet, but I always like the idea of showcasing your other designs first.

Did you do some other drafts first before your final choice? If so, you could so a countdown, revealing your other choices one at a time, telling the story behind them, and finish it up on the final day with the chosen cover

Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)

Where would you be debuting it? On your blog/website, I presume? I suppose you could take a few tips from the world of music videos and release a snippet of the cover every day for a week until the whole thing is revealed on the big day? I don't know if such pomp and circumstance is really required though.

I feel like such an amateur - I just posted the cover to my blog.

JoyceH said:

I feel like such an amateur - I just posted the cover to my blog.

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If it makes you feel better so did I!

sarahdalton said:

I've only got the one draft because I got a professional to do it. But I like the idea of snippets.

I was thinking of putting it on Facebook, my blog and Twitter at the same time. I guess I could create a Facebook event but I'm a bit worried no one would respond and it would be an embarrassing damp squib!

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To be quite honest with you I think creating an entire Facebook event for it (and then having people RSVP) is a bit pretentious. Now creating an event for the release of your book? That's another thing entirely. That is a great idea. But I just don't see the fuss over a book cover. In fact, I can't ever remember being excited about a book cover (except my own).

If you only have one book design, how about this:

Still do things in snippets, but tell a story about individual elelemnt of the book

*snippet 1 = focus on the font used, why, interview designer etc
*snippet 2 = what image have you used and why
*snippet 3 = the colours you've used, why you chose these and why they fit in with the story
*snippet 4 = the big launch

It adds a bit of a story behind the experience and gets people immersed in your story - hopefully excited - and you will have a story and reason why you chose what you did. You might just have to think why you did it

Just an idea, but it might help you spread it out

Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)

If you're self publishing, don't bother showing off your cover until the book is available. People who like it, will want to buy it, and if it's not available they'll forget all about it by the time it's ready. If you're with a commercial press, I'd also consider not sharing it until its at least available for pre-order. Same reasons. But with a commercial press they'll be doing most of the marketing, so it might not make much difference if you show it off early.

Good luck

Hmm. It's just a cover. I honestly would not get too carried away unless you got it drawn by Damien Hirst. It might feel more like amateur squee than a step towards a stunning and world-changing book.

sarahdalton said:

Hmm, maybe it's just in young adult books aimed at girls where the cover seems to be so important. The vibe I get looking at books in my genre is that the cover is just as important as the book and that readers get excited about the cover.

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Hi Sarah -

I've seen several authors do cover reveals. If you already have a fan-base, I think it is a great way to start getting some buzz going.

Even if it is your debut book, it is an opportunity to start talking about the book and generating some interest.

I didn't do a formal reveal, but I did post the cover to my Facebook and webpage and I showed it off to all my writing groups. If you have a striking cover, it can definitely get people interested.

If you do a reveal - post back here and let us know how it worked out for you!

I think it's the sort of thing that works if you've already got a fanbase based on previously published books, but otherwise it's a cute thing for friends and does eff-all promotionally.