Does changing a book cover grow sales?

About a week or so ago, my publisher, Mike O’Mary of Dream of Things, suggested we change the cover of the ebook edition of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On. I suspect the main reason was that sales were falling off, and the book needed a little boost. However, in his explanation to me he said:

“I decided to recommend a cover using a photo of Paul. I picked the photo of him as a college freshman. It's a great photo of Paul, and I think a lot of potential readers will be hooked by the image of a handsome young man who looks happy and healthy. He looks like someone you'd want as your own son or brother or partner. They will identify with him before they even know what the book is about. 

I think all of that will be enough to get more people to read the description of the book -- and once they read the description, I believe they will want to read the book because they will be stunned that such a thing could happen to a person who could have been their own son or brother or partner.”

At first it was hard for me to let go of the original cover – especially since I’m so connected to the young woman who took the photograph. However, I liked Mike’s argument and gave him the go-ahead to make the change. He said it’s very easy to change an ebook cover, and true to his word, he put a new cover with Paul’s photo up on Amazon for the ebook within a few days. Here it is.

 As soon as it went up I shared it around my Facebook network and got some wonderful feedback:

“I like it. I think it adds a new dimension to the book putting Paul on the cover. The book is a tribute to him and the cover reinforces that.”

“IMO, this picture of Paul as a vibrant young man brings home the depth of your loss even more. it also pays tribute to him in a more direct way.”

“I love this. It is such a poignant photo of your son and really sets a mood for the book.”

“The other cover is generic. This one is very personal. It gets my vote!”

"Additionally, the B&W image poetically states the fine line that we walk when something like your story happens."

“This is a beautiful photo of Paul. I agree that this adds to the emotional impact. Bravo!”

“I like this cover. The text makes it very clear as to what the
 reader will find in content and may relate to. The beautiful photo 
touches the heart and makes this memoir very real at first glance 
at the cover. May the book continue to find its home with many.”

“I love your new cover, Madeline - love it. xoxoxo” (This says it all.)

Since it looks like book sales have climbed a bit in the few days the new cover has been out, the question now is, should we change the cover on the paperback edition as well? Please let Mike and me know what you think.

Kindle Nation newsletter applauds my publisher, Dream of Things

Kindle Nation Bargain Book Alert: Four Best-Selling Memoirs for 99 Cents Each – Plus Three Bonus Books!

August 15, 2013

By Kindle Nation

Publisher Mike O’Mary

Dream of Things is an indie publisher with a reputation for finding and publishing high-quality memoirs. Each of the memoirs offered today for 99 cents has 50+ reader reviews and ratings of 4+ stars.
“We focus on memoirs and creative nonfiction,” says publisher Mike O’Mary. “Our goal is to provide readers with distinctive voices, meaningful books.” So far, it looks like Dream of Things is succeeding. Check out this great line-up of memoirs – all at ONLY 99 CENTS August 15-17.

*  *  *

Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera (159 Reviews, 4.6 Stars): “How come people who have experienced such trauma write so well? So raw and funny that it almost makes me want to have horrible things happen to me so my writing will improve.” Joel Stein, Time Magazine columnist

Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Sharples (149 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): A mother’s story of living with her son’s bipolar disorder and surviving his suicide. “A moving read of tragedy, trying to prevent it, and coping with life after.” Midwest Book Review

Betty’s Child by Don Dempsey (115 Reviews, 4.7 Stars): In the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela’s Ashes, the true story of one boy’s ordeals with poverty, violence, religion, and physical and mental abuse as he attempts to come of age with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. “Heartrending and humorous.” Kirkus Reviews

Swimming with Maya by Eleanor Vincent (49 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): Demonstrates the remarkable process of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. “Vincent’s poignant decision to donate Maya’s organs will resonate with even hard-boiled readers.” Booklist

Bonus books: Dream of Things also publishes anthologies of creative nonfiction – collections of essays that are “short and deep” says O’Mary, with more depth than the typical Chicken Soup story, but shorter and more digestible than Best American Essays. Download these thoughtful and thought-provoking collections for only 99 cents!

Daughters of Absence  (25 Reviews, 4.4 Stars): A collection of twelve essays written by daughters of Holocaust survivors. “A powerful, life-affirming read and a strongly recommended addition to Holocaust studies reading lists and reference collections.” Midwest Book Review

Be There Now  (24 Reviews, 4.8 Stars): Travel stories from around the world. “More of an experience than reportage; I was truly THERE instead of HERE.” Marginalia

Saying Goodbye (29 Reviews, 4.7 Stars): True stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. “Tender perspectives helping readers with their own goodbyes.” Midwest Book Review

Want More? Free and Bargain Quality eBooks delivered straight to your email everyday – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

It takes a village to write a book

When Eleanor Vincent and I were at pages: a bookstore the other night discussing our memoirs and how writing helped us heal, we continually mentioned how it takes a village to write a book.

I’m now in the process of writing a novel, and I continue to believe in the importance of many helping hands in the process. I’ve just completed a novel revision workshop and got useful comments from my instructor and classmates. I also belong to a writing group, and I’ve used the resources of The Next Big Writers website to get reviews of my book as I review the work of others.

Here I discuss how I got my memoir written and published, not only once but twice. A member of my village helped me connect with my current Dream of Things publisher when my first publisher went out of business.

Even though writing is a lonely business, a village of resources helped and nurtured me from the time I started writing my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On. I started with journaling, at first sporadically and later, after reading and doing the exercises in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (Putnam’s Sons, 1992), I wrote my morning pages, not missing a day of keeping my fingers moving across the pages of my journal.

 After amassing about three years worth of journal entries I began to think about turning them into a book. But, I was not a creative writer. My writing experience consisted of writing, editing, and training engineers on reports and proposals in the aerospace industry. So I went back to school to learn.

I took fiction, essay, and memoir writing classes through UCLA Extension Writer’s Program. The people from my first fiction class formed a writing group, meeting monthly, sharing and gently critiquing each other’s writing. Unfortunately our group disbanded when my son who was bipolar took his life. But, one of the pieces from that first class ended up in my memoir.

A member of that group spoke lovingly about Jack Grapes of the Los Angeles Poet’s and Writer’s Collective, who taught classes in the living room of his family home. Three months after Paul died I enrolled in Jack’s level one method writing class, and for five years I worked my way up the level ladder, ending with a poetry editing class. Many of the poems I wrote in the Grapes class are also in my memoir.

The prompts in Mourning & Mitzvah—A Guided Journal for Walking the Mourner’s Path Through Grief to Healing (Jewish Lights Publishing, 1992) also kept me sane. However, I keep returning to Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California – my healing and writing place. Early on I discovered Ellen Bass’ “Writing About Our Lives” workshop and almost immediately poems started to flow from my pen. I still attend poetry workshops there with some of the same people I’ve written with at Esalen for years.

Once I amassed enough material, I had no idea how to put it together. Then my son Ben introduced me to a former literary agent who reviewed my work, gave me writing prompts, and suggested I structure my book based on the sequence of poems in my poetry manuscript. Though the book went through several changes later on, her suggestions formed my book’s organization. Because I based my book on my list of poems I was adamant that my poems appear in the book. My publisher agreed and even asked me to add more.

Once I had a draft manuscript – edited by a woman referred to me by one of my memoir-writing instructors – I started querying. Again through an introduction from Ben, Mark Shelmerdine, a CEO of a small press critiqued and advised me on my query letter and book proposal. I also used How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen (Writer’s Digest Books, 1997). And once I found my  publisher, I spent months revising my book. I relied on techniques I learned while working on proposals in the aerospace industry and a group of readers, editors, and reviewers who worked with me until my book was published.

My village generously helped me write my book. More later on how it also takes a village to market a book.

A successful bookstore reading and discussion

My friend, Eleanor Vincent came down this weekend to fulfill our commitment to do a reading and discussion at my local independent pages: a bookstore. She arrived on Saturday afternoon, and after much stalling we got to work planning the event Sunday morning after breakfast.

We quickly decided to alternate two or three readings with short chats related to them, and then open the discussion to the audience. We chose on our reading portions – I chose two and Eleanor chose three – and then we practiced and timed the whole piece, including our remarks. I also created an agenda so we could each have one at the ready as we sat in front of the attendees later in the afternoon. I had already purchased a few bottles of wine and sparkling water and some veggies and dip to serve. Mike O’Mary shipped us books to sell. Eleanor’s went directly to Pages. Mine came to my home.

With all that we declared ourselves ready – mainly because we are very knowledgeable about our books’ messages and the commonality of our stories. That enabled us to easily play our experiences off one another.

I did have the usual worry of: suppose you throw a party and no one comes. As usual, several people who said they would be there didn’t show, and several people I didn’t know would attend did. I think that has happened with every event I’ve participated in so far. The good thing is most of the chairs were filled – about twenty people were there.

Reading and Bantering

I think our banter and readings about writing as healing went very well. And we had many questions, comments, and tears from the audience. But the disappointing part was that we didn’t sell many books – I think we each sold four. Lisa DeLong from my writing group, who is also a bereaved parent, attended and sold a few of her book, Blood Brothers, too. Of course our Dream of Things publisher warned us that authors don’t usually sell a lot of books at bookstores. (I was definitely spoiled by the over sixty I sold at my book launch in 2011, so of course I expected to sell more.) As Eleanor said, people just don’t get it. When they come to a reading and book signing they need to be prepared to buy books.

Lisa, Madeline, and Eleanor

So, Eleanor and I are now ready to take our show on the road – to other venues pertinent to our subject matter where we can sell books in the back of the room: libraries, book festivals, conferences, speaking engagements. Anyone out there, who wants to book us, please let me know.

All told, I think we had a great event. Like I’ve always felt, it’s not really about selling books. It’s about erasing the stigma of mental illness and preventing suicide. If my events help do that, I’ll feel successful.

Eleanor’s book is Swimming with Maya, 

just out in paperback and eBook 

(Dream of Things, 2013)

My book is Leaving the Hall Light On 

(Dream of Things, 2012)

Thank you Mike O'Mary of Dream of Things for publishing both our books. 

My writing life in 2012

Writing became a way to live with my son Paul’s bipolar disorder and to survive his suicide as a result. However, I never dreamed it would become my way of life. I still cannot get through the day without writing something. However, in the last few years it has become more than a balm to ease the pain. It has become a joy and a way to meet and interact with some very wonderful writing friends. 

Like writing, I can never have enough Buddhas
(Richard Stock photo)

With that in mind, I thought I write down a few of the highlights of my writing life from 2012, starting with my first publisher’s decision to go out of business. At first I was indeed devastated and then so angry. She closed down with four days warning and cut off our websites even before that. But the devastation and anger were very short lived. I reached out to a few writing friends – especially Keith Alan Hamilton – and got some suggestions about where to query. However, my dear friend and mentor Mark Shelmerdine came through for me yet again. He suggested Mike O’Mary of Dream of Things and within two weeks after I contacted Mike, we had a publishing deal. And I couldn’t be happier with this connection. He produced paperback and eBook editions, began a huge marketing campaign, and scheduled a group of readings and a radio show in Chicago in September. That gave me the opportunity to meet Dina Kucera, another author on the Dream of Things list. Her book Everything I Never Wanted to Be is a sad and funny and heartwarming tour de force.

I also joined a few other Facebook writing groups besides the couple of poetry groups I have been in for the last few years. The National Association of Memoir Writers, Gutsy Indie Publishers, Write Your Life Story, Writing Wranglers, Rabble Writers, to name a few.  Also through Mike’s suggestion that I join Help a Reporter Out (HARO), I got a monthly “paying” writing gig on a site called Aging Bodies and connected with Meryl Hertstein who created Bounce Back Women and is planning an anthology of women who faced adversity and their bounce back stories. Other writing organizations I got involved in this year are Storylane, Story Circle, and She Writes. Too much for sure, but I’m never without some place to submit my words. Speaking of, I also participate in Robert Lee Brewer’s poem a day challenges in April and November and write to his weekly prompts.

Besides I continue to write for Naturally Savvy, PsychAlive, and Open to Hope, Red Room, and my own blog, plus my regular tweets and posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. I wonder what more is in store for me in 2013. The writing opportunities are indeed endless.

I’ve also increased my speaking and signing engagements this year – speaking about my book, writing to heal, and writing tips in general – on NAMW, Google+ hangouts, at a couple of Great Los Angeles Writers Society-sponsored writer’s conferences, and a wonderful evening at my synagogue on a panel about surviving tragedies – plus participating in the GLAWS booth actually selling and signing at the LA Times Festival of Books and the West Hollywood Book Fair.

And still there is always work to do. This writing life is way more than just sitting down to write. It is so easy to see my time gobbled up with marketing activities.

Probably why I keep putting my historical novel back on the shelf. That is not to say that I’ve made no progress. I’ve gotten to over 90,000 words this year. Actually I’m not looking to write many more words but to flesh out what I have – why I’ve signed on to take a workshop in revising my novel in February at UCLA extension – one of my first formal writing activities in the new year.

It’s so easy to be a lonely writer, so going to GLAWS meetings and interacting on hangouts and roundtables, and taking classes is always a way to learn and network. And through these kinds of activities I’ve made some wonderful writing friends this year who have generously hosted me and my book during my three-month blog tour and wrote guests posts on my blog Choices. I cannot thank them enough. Makes me feel I’m not so alone – that we all have the same questions, misgivings, and thoughts about our writing. Now I know whom my go-to people are for sharing and give and take. As with everything else it takes a village to be a successful writer. I look forward to more interactions in the new year.

Thank you again, my writing friends. I appreciate and love you so much.