A Preponderance of Pickles

Hello and thanks for visiting. Once again, I've landed myself in a pickle. For the past couple weeks, I've been wrapping up the layout for The Rescuer's Tale (the second installment of the Mary Morgan's Journal series), and while it sits simmering on the back burner awaiting its final edit (12/1), I've been working on the title page. I have two versions. Here's the first:

Please remember this is NOT the book's cover. (That's a pickle for another time.) This is the interior title page. It's the first page a reader will see directly after the copyright page. It shows the title of the book as well as a poem that generally sets the theme for what's to follow. The other items are clues and "evidence" that Mary gathers during her adventure.

 I like this image, but my concern is that it's too similar to the title page in The Cautioner's Tale.

Here's a quick side-by-side:
 
Obviously, the "nameplate" and the upper quote are in the same places, and even though all else on the pages is different, I wonder if they're too similar. So, on my second crack at it, I came up with this:


 I like that the nameplate is lower, but I'm not sure I like dividing the poem. Also, the colors and the clues are much different than those of the first image. It's not quite as bright, but that could be a good thing. Mary's world is very gray and grim, which is why she collects the colors seen on every page of The Cautioner's Tale. 

 If anyone has input for my little dilemma here, I'd be happy to hear it. The road ahead is long and wide, so there's plenty of room for adventure. In the meantime, I'll set aside the title page to simmer alongside the rest of the book and move on to another fine pickle:  the cover. 

 Over on the left is the image I'm currently using for the cover of The Rescuer's Tale, and is also a link to pre-order the book on Amazon. The finished cover will be a little different than what you see here (or, possibly, a lot different) when the book comes out on January 20, 2018. I'll post here as soon as I come up with some other choices and we'll figure it out from there. 

 So, here's a quick last look at the two title pages for comparison purposes. Please feel free to comment here or reach out via Facebook or Twitter.  


Thanks again for stopping by, and also for any help you'd like to offer. Coming next: covers!

P.S. I almost forgot:  if you're interested in what others are saying about The Cautioner's Tale, please have a look at my page on Readers' Favorites:  LINK!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Extreme and Absolute Time-Sucker

Image
Hello, and thanks for joining me. I hope you've come to help because I'm in the absolute thick of it!  I've recently been working on the final edits for The Cautioner's Tale , the first book in my Mary Morgan's Journal trilogy. I was fortunate enough to have several wonderfully helpful beta readers give it a test read a few months ago, and I've since incorporated their suggestions along with the notes I made on both the story and the drawings. I think I've mentioned in a previous post that this is the first book I've created that's fully illustrated, sort of graphic-novelly, but...not. I don't use the "panels" you see in graphic novels and comic books. Instead, I use various methods and media to help get my ideas across. Weird, I know, but it's fun and interesting. But it's also an extreme and absolute time-sucker! That's where you come in... Below, I've posted the first four pages of The Cautioner'
Read more

Calling All Cover Lovers!

Image
Hello, and thanks for visiting. Today, I'm asking for a little more help on The Cautioner's Tale . With launch day just over a month away and advance review copies being downloaded as we speak ( http://eepurl.com/c4dJ8H ), I'm very close to wrapping up work here. But, there's one last thing...well, two, actually...that I would appreciate some opinions on. Both have to do with my back cover: 1. What do you think of the blurb? 2. What's your opinion of the artwork? I'm open to any and all suggestions on both, and greatly appreciate your help.   Also, I've been floating the front cover around for several weeks now, but if you haven't had an opportunity for a closer look (as well as to voice your opinions & suggestions), then this is it: Please don't forget there's still time to receive your Advance Review Copy of The Cautioner's Tale . If you'd like to sign up for a free download, here's the link again:  http://eepurl.
Read more

The Cautioner's Tale - second installment

Image
 As promised, here is the next installment of The Cautioner's Tale, Mary Morgan's Journal Book 1. The ebook and paperback editions are available on Amazon.com, as is the Mary Morgan's Journal Boxed Set . More information can be found on my website:  https://www.iamrmwilburn.com .  Thanks for visiting. I'll post more in a day or two.
Read more