Snapshots of Jamaica & Book Covers

Friday, July 29, 2011

Today, our trip will be kinda pedestrian, in that we’re visiting buses and bus stops. And I do have something extra waaaay below on which I need your opinion. Fasten your seatbelts and let’s shove off!

The behemoth in the background is the split-level Transport Centre in Half-Way-Tree.

Inside the centre, passengers line up to get on the bus. At other bus stops I could mention, things are usually a tad less orderly.
Anyone wants to hazard a guess why there's nobody under this bus stop?
And for a change of pace, we do have bus stops where our citizens don't run the risk of having wild critters sneaking up on them while they wait for the bus.

I know it’s not my designated Self-Publishing Foray day however, I wanted to show you something. Remember the article I mentioned on Wednesday to do with creating your own covers?  Well, I took the plunge after I posted on Wednesday. I followed the instructions and look what I came up with. 'Course they're not perfect, so I'll be fiddling with them for some time to come.   

I haven't said before, but my first venture into self-pubbing will be a free story on Smashwords.  I also intend to put up an itty-bitty book of three short stories.  Rambling aside, I would appreciate you taking a moment to let me know which cover you prefer and any other advice/thoughts you may have. Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend and meet me back here on Monday for another adventure. 

26 comments:

  1. Hi J.L. that one bus stop is hilarious! No wonder nobody is waiting for the bus there.

    I like the lettering on the cover on the letter best, but I like the image on the right better. I've played around with covers too... with pretty disastrous results.

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  2. oops... that was supposed to be "left" not "letter". *sheepish grin*

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  3. Doralynn, yes, there are some strange sights on this island.

    Thanks for weighing in on the covers! Much appreciated.

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  4. That bus stop scares me. It's ripe for zombie invasion.

    Okay, for the covers...I like the colors of the left cover, but not the title/author bars. I like the title/author bars and letters on the right one more. Is there anyway to combine them?

    Hope this helped!

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  5. I prefer the entire cover on the right. I find the font works very well with the softer image. The addition of the ring and the softer picture calls to me more.

    Let us know which you end up going with!

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  6. I prefer the cover on the right

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  7. Never been to Jamaica but I'd like to go one day.

    The covers look very nice. They make me think of purple. I haven't seen many book covers that were purple.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  8. Hi Joy. Thanks for sharing pics of Jamaica. I prefer the book cover on the right, like the softer shades.

    Also, your link on RFWers goes to RFWers, not your site. I came here to find a link but I may be hazy but I can't see a link to your RFWers site.

    Denise

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  9. Marlene, yes that bus stop would scare anybody. The number of combinations that can be done is awesome.

    Thanks, Mary, the story is romantic/poignant, which I why I thought a softer image would work.

    Thanks for weighing in, Al.


    Hi, Lee,

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.

    I thought it was pretty well done too.

    Exhausting toward the end, but I enjoyed the story.

    Denise, thanks, I think the softer shades do work well based on the theme of the story. Thanks. I fixed the link.

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  10. If someone was waiting at that first bus stop, they'd be hidden in the grasses and the bus would keep on going.

    Both of these covers are really impressive. I love the vivid colors in the one on the left more. How exciting. Let us know which one you decide on.

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  11. I like color bar with the title and author name pushed more to the top and bottom better because it chops the picture up less. I like everything else better on the right. The "trappings" being faded out gives stronger emphasis to the ring, which--to me--symbolizes what's most important in a wedding, them marriage and the new life together. I didn't even notice the ring in the first pic.

    Nice job.

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  12. I can definitely understand why no one would want to wait at the bus stop. :P I like the cover on the right!

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  13. I like the second one a bit better! Though they're both lovely.

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  14. I love Jamaica. We've been there more than a dozen times, but it's been about seven years since our last visit. Would love to go back. My first novel, Hearts Across Forever, is set there.

    The cover on the right has a more mystical look which I especially like. Good luck.

    Monti
    NotesAlongTheWay

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  15. Lyn, Donna, AA, Heather and Monti, thanks for much weighing in on the covers. Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

    Monti, I must check out your book.

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  16. Beautiful pictures! I would choose the one on the right. Congratulations on the publishing project! I was glad to read about it.

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  17. I enjoyed this mini-trip to Jamaica. I would love to see more pictures.

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  18. Hey, Julia. Thanks for letting me know which cover you prefer. I definitely have more pictures up my sleeve for next Friday.

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  19. The one on the left caught my eye, but the one of the right caught and HELD my eye, so the right one wins. Either way, the purple shades give a very rich and elegant atmosphere that tells me something about the book.

    P.S. Regarding your comment on Bird's-eye View about the importance of setting goals? Well, it was one of your posts that helped inspire me to do the followers challenge. Thank you!

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  20. I think the one on the left - with minor modifications - wins, hands down.

    Glad to be of some inspiration. I so need some myself right now.

    Lots to do, but feeling a bit rundown. Good thing tomorrows a holiday.

    Still, I have lots to catch up on.

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  21. I enjoy my trips to Jamaica via you!

    I love both the covers!

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  22. Sorry, Michelle, I meant the cover on the right. More people seem to like that one and several people, including yourself have given a reason why. Think I'll be running with that one, with some fixes.

    Thanks, Nas!

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  23. That's an interesting bus stop. ;)

    I prefer darker colors, so I like the cover on the left.

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  24. My son is half Jamaican and so when my husband and I planned a cruise for our tenth anniversary, we chose Jamaica as one of our destinations. (We plan to take our kids on the cruise with us...)

    Love the covers!

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  25. Nice pics and associated comments:)

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  26. Medeia, yes we do things a little differently in Jamaica! Thanks for your thoughts on the cover.

    Clarissa, hope you enjoy the trip.

    Thanks, Mark.

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Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you think.