As I edited the last drafts of Dare to Decide and started to envision what the book cover would look like, I landed on one thing: a simple white background with a succulent.
I could have chosen from many images that represent concepts and metaphors in the book: A crossroads. A signpost. A compass. A map. Pages of a book. A gremlin. A blossom. A pros and cons list.
Oh – then there’s the classic mountain-top Titanic pose or leaping hand-in-the-air pose. 😉 Some suggested my picture should be on the front cover.
So why a succulent?
Over the last few years couple encounters with succulents stuck with me — but you’ll have to read the book to find out why. 😉
When many people talk about a dare, a decision or taking their next step in uncertainty, they think of
boldness
confidence
empowerment
adventure.
Often these are people who naturally or have developed the skill for decisive choices in life. Others love the thrill of change and adventure.
But for those who feel overwhelmed by uncertainty or choosing between two good but significant options, boldness feels intimidating at first.
Before cautious decision-makers make a significant change in their lives, there’s a process that comes before confidence.
This path traverses through
fear, overwhelm and paralysis
before it arrives at the mile markers of
faith, peace and clarity.
Along the way, we sort out what we actually want, what our options are and which path we’ll actually choose.
Confidence comes later.
After making the decision still scared and uncertain.
After fumbling our way into our new normal.
And while grieving what we’ve left behind.
In recent poll, when I asked what people wanted to feel when they made a decision, the most popular answer was
PEACE.
What I imagined most for my cover was the fresh feeling of
peace
simplicity
and space to discern
in our hectic lives.
We do judge a book by its cover.
I’ve learned enough from life to realize we all see things a little differently, so I was curious how others would view the book concepts my cover designer presented to me.
Here are where the cover designs landed in my cover design poll.
This one was the most popular vote and my initial favourite. It wasn’t at all what I imagined my cover would look like but it captivated me with its vibrancy and happiness.
Pros
- Several friends and family noted they like that my name stood out
- Colours and proportions appealed to many
- instantly liked my the majority of my voters
Cons
- several noted that it said confidence and bold to them – the end goal for sure, but not the path I was focusing on
- busyier than the feeling of peace and space I was going for
- no space for an award sticker, as one author friend pointed out
This was the third runner up. It’s actually closest to what I imagined the cover would look like. Yet it wasn’t quite “it” and I couldn’t put my finger on why.
Pros
- it had the white “breathing” space I was looking for
- the design was fresh and simple
- it had the pop of colour I had hoped for
- the succulent more closely represents how it appears in my book
Cons
- I wasn’t a fan of using those colours long term
- The typeface seemed too heavy
My favourite part of this cover was the pop of colour, and that it aligned more closely with the chapter I shared in my book.
Kursty Castro of Victoria, BC, described it beautifully!:
“This one speaks to the individual and their journey and their rising up to the peace, courage and clarity that they need. When we decide, big things happen, when we decide we flourish.”
Pros
- pop of colour with a fresh green
- single succulent with plenty of white space
Con
- typeface choice and layout didn’t fit well
- it didn’t stick with me as much as some others
I wanted this pot of succulents in my home! The cluster, pop of colour had me gazing at this one (and it’s twin cover with variations in font and placement) for several minutes. Alas, this one appealed to the least number of people who voted.
Pros
- I fell in love with the potted plant (lol)
Cons
- The subtitle didn’t seem right
- The busyness of the pot clashed with the simplicity I was aiming for
- Something seemed off that I couldn’t articulate
The final dare to decide…
My mom was right:
So after a weekend of feeling torn between the voted favourite and its runner up until I had fallen into the very trap this book helps readers escape…
overthinking and
analysis paralysis
Yup. Its embarrassingly true.
Yet, landing there was an answer to prayer. Because in that state, looking at this cover, I felt calm and peace. It felt like home.
And while my overthinking brain still would have changed a couple things, I new perfection wasn’t needed. I just needed to move on to actually releasing the book into the world.
Besides, these kindred spirits said it well:
The adventure has just begin!
Now what?
We are now accepting applicants to be part of the Dare to Decide VIP Launch Team in July!
If you
- enjoy reading (audio version won’t be released till the fall)
- know people who feel stuck, struggle with decision-making or are ready for a new direction in their lives
- give reviews to books, podcasts or products, services you use (or are willing to start!)
- love being on the cutting edge of new initiatives
- use social media, or have a blog, an email list or online presence
- are willing to invest at least 20 minutes weekly thru July
- are ethical, encouraging and take your commitments seriously
…you could be a good fit for the VIP Launch Team!
Book Status as of June 26
- We/re in the trenches of the indie publishing process, COVID-19 non-essential service delays and all
- Eagerly awaiting proof copies to activate final distribution process
- Pre-Sales begin early July
- Book releases late July — we’re just making sure copies for bookstores will make it across the border into Canada by then!
- The 4-week DARE TO DECIDE LAUNCH VIP EXPERIENCE begins on Sunday, July 5 (Happy Birthday to me!)
- Preparing for an exciting VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!
- Dates being released the week of June 29…stay tuned!