Book Covers . . .

Have you ever noticed that today, book covers in a certain genre all look alike? Kind of like the same person designs them, although I’m sure this is not the case, but it’s as if the book cover creators look at what’s already been done, and get their ideas from there.

When I thought about how I wanted my book covers to look, it was recommended that I pay someone to design a book cover for me so it would look professional. I considered it, but then it occurred to me that, if I went that direction, my book covers would simply look like everyone else’s. Almost as if someone had opened a can. They’re all the same; like canned tuna.

I wanted something different. I wanted my covers to look different. So, I made the decision to design them myself. Now, I know I’m not an artist; you don’t have to tell me. I don’t even try to pretend that I am; although, I did have fun drawing my book covers, and I think they kind of turned out looking like the Laura Ingalls Wilder collection of books, which I dearly love, and I also dearly love their covers.

I know my covers don’t look professional, but perhaps that’s a good thing. It may inhibit some people from considering the book, at first, but I think the proof is in the pudding, and that eventually, people will come to love my covers.

Author: Carolyn Kay Hanson

Carolyn was born and raised in Idaho. She has worked with animals for most of her life (prepare yourself, the list is long): cats, dogs, horses, cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, chickens, guineas, and geese. She was married to a cowboy for twenty-five years and during that time lived on seven different cattle ranches. She learned how to give shots to cattle, brand cattle, castrate bull calves and close the head catch in time to capture the beast that was flying through the working chute like a streak of lightning. She also learned to back the truck up to the trailer hitch and get it right the first time. When a teen, she attended horsemanship clinics and schools, and competed in horse shows that included dressage and jumping. She owned and trained seven of her own horses. After having two children, both of whom she homeschooled until they passed the SAT with flying colors (which is absolutely no credit to her as they both reside in the genius category and continually leave her wondering what the heck is going on) she dove into homesteading, learning how to make her own bread, make soup stock from scratch, butcher chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep, and cows, and one year had so much fun canning everything in sight that when she counted the full glass jars in the pantry, she was shocked to discover there were over a thousand. Her knowledge of settings used as the basis of her stories is diverse due to the fact that she has lived in many different states including Idaho, Montana, California, Texas, Missouri, Virginia, Indiana, New Jersey, Washington, and Arizona. She now resides near Seattle. Her hobbies include knitting, crocheting, soap making, and, of course, writing. Oh, and her favorite author? P. G. Wodehouse. View all posts by Carolyn Kay Hanson