Ah, Powell's books. Haven of bookstore awesomeness. How we love thee.

I got a text from Powell's from my wandering peeps and once I got past my crippling envy, I started to think...... When my oldest daughter was four or five, she used to write these little picture books that she stapled between construction paper. Then she would take them with her when we went to stores or libraries and put them on the shelves with the other books. "So people could buy them," she would tell us. We thought it was adorable but, really, it was also genius marketing. Visibility is the first step, am I right?

So, perhaps I should have sent a copy of my book, Star-crossed:Secrets, with the surfers to place on the shelves. Then someone could find it and read it and create demand. Or, conversely, it could really confuse the check out people and they would throw it away. But still, it would have basked in the awesomeness of Powell's for a time, and isn't that what really matters?

Pardee out.

Oh Nooooooooo!

Ok, my friend came across this searching for my book, Star-crossed: Secrets. And, dang, it is mighty similar. I had no idea I was so unoriginal. I mean, ok, Star crossed is kind of a mainstream title, but the kissy silhouette? Come on.

On the other hand, this book will cost you $9.99 for Nook and mine is a mere 99 cents. So, you certainly should buy mine instead.

Well, and the author of this book is a breast cancer survivor, so you should buy hers too.

Revisiting the Cover

So, I listened in on a Q&A on self-publishing yesterday and one of the main points that I took away was that the cover is everything. Bad cover = no sales. This is the second time I have heard this and I am ready to take it seriously.

Now, my covers are lovely photos, but they are kind of boring and lackluster and make me want to sing hymns and drink the Kool Aid.

So, I have begun the search for a new cover through the awesome power of Google images. And, lo and behold, I found it. The perfect photo.

No... not this one. Although it would make a hell of a cover. Sadly, the photo I pine for was not taken by Uncle Bob on vacation, it was taken by a professional. A lovely British woman. So I have e-mailed her and we are in negotiations.

And I am stuck. This photo is awesome. I can't show it yet but trust me. But how much should I pay for it? I have made all of $2.00 on this book and may not make any more. So how much are the rights to a fantastic cover worth? On the other hand, if the cover really makes the book, I could be swimming in cash-ola. I guess this is what they call an investment gamble.

Anyone with advice?

Pardee Out.