Do you judge a book by its cover?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Right?  We have had such a difficult time selecting the cover for our book.  Way more frustrating than writing it.

Of course you ask for opinions … and you get them.  All favouring a different one.

Before all this started I actually went on a fishing expedition and had gone to Chapters to look at and check out the current covers for books.   Most have bright coloured jackets and words. No photos.

And I can tell you why.  It is near impossible to find a photo that accurately depicts

a) what your book is about or

b) who you want to pick it up and buy it.

I know because we tried.  We really tried.  Too young. Too old. Not diverse enough. Too diverse.  Looks depressing and this is a book about improving your life.

We had one with a gorgeous child on the cover but that bubble was quickly burst when both my daughters said that it looked like a parenting book and they wouldn’t buy it.

We tried all sorts - flowers, swans, the sea, just an arm reaching out, a girl at the subway - you name it. Then when we gave up on that, we started to explore designs, backgrounds but that raised the question – what colour? 

We had one that was pinkish – too girly was the conclusion.  We tried turquoise  but actually it is a popular colour for book covers these days and we wanted our book to stand out. So that was nixed.

Eventually we settled on a cover, but next… what are the tag lines.  Another round of deliberation.  Each word carried a certain weight, a certain nuance.

So here is the latest favourite.  What do you think?  And if you don’t like it… I don’t want to know.  This was way too painful a process to start over and repeat.  Besides, the book is weaving its way to be printed as we speak.

A walk in the dark

The darkness enveloped us.   Quietly we walked through the bushes, watching the ground below us as the path dipped and wove its way to our destination.

With candles and stars to guide us, we made our way slowly to the Labyrinth.  We were encouraged to focus on one thought – a mantra, question or concern.  

Single file, we walked through the labyrinth, all deep in our own thoughts.  No one spoke.

Curious as to what was the meaning behind a labyrinth, I did my homework. Apparently the seven circuits of the labyrinth correspond with the seven spheres of the sacred planets such as the seven days of the week.  Beginning to walk the circumference represents the involution and evolution of life and the quest for wholeness.  The winding pattern represents the circulation of vital energies within our bodies and walking the labyrinth has been described as a type of yoga.

You instinctively knew that you had to follow the same path in, and out.  No jumping over to get somewhere quicker.  It would have broken the spell and been disruptive to the walking meditation of others.

For several on our retreat it was a spiritual, meaningful experience, adding to a weekend which heightened everyone’s creativity and faith in themselves as writers.

We hadn’t planned to make this venture into the dark, but it strengthened the sense of trust we had in each other.  It sealed a bond between us, and without doubt was a highlight for many.

Music to my ears...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Juno award-winning musician Jesse Cook.  As we chatted it became clear to me that there are some real similarities between those of us who write and those who make music.

Jesse is currently on tour with his new album One World, and when I asked him if he was going to work on a new album soon, he said no, and that he needed to be in the right space and preferred a break between records.  

And that makes sense.  Your creativity can’t be turned on at a whim, much as we’d love it, whether you are a writer, musician or artist.   You have to be in the zone and when it’s not working, then far better to step away and go do something else.

I’ve often found too that when I am trying to do too much with a piece of writing – basically I haven’t thought through and prioritized my key messages – I need to walk away from the computer and gather my thoughts.

But when the words are flowing, I can’t get them down quick enough.  My mind is racing with what I want to say.  And I suspect it is exactly the same when composing music or painting a picture.

The key is to listen to that internal creative voice.  Also most of us want to improve and enhance our craft and that can take time, travel and reflection so we can broaden our viewpoint.

Jesse, for example, is a bit of a music maverick in that he likes to break music rules and bring different music genres together. And clearly it is working for him as he’s sold over one and half million records. 

Often he’s gone to countries, like Egypt, to draw on the style and music from musicians there.  As he says music is universal.  He chuckled when he told me about a visit to China and being invited to play with Tibetan musicians.  “There we were, we didn’t even know how to say hallo to each other, but we could play music together.”

And that’s part of his message in the title of his new album One World.  He questions why we tend to focus on our differences instead of the similarities and what we have in common, like music.  He’s also chosen a tree for the cover, choosing that symbolism to represent the strong roots of a tree and the different branches representing the various genres of music.

I liked his message and between the music, the cover and the title he is saying so much and as a society, we need to listen.

When an ending is really just the beginning...

I’d started to write my blog this week when I realized I was falling into a trap that I’ve often warned my blogging students to avoid –

1.  Trying to do too much with one blog

2.  Not working out ahead of time what my 

     key messages are

3.  Not offering a tangible lesson to my readers

Bad. My bad, as they say these days.  I think much of it is that my mind is swirling. 

I have spent much of my time of late focusing on the One Red Lipstick book, and last week it was lovingly sent on its way to be published.

While that is super exciting, and there is a sense of accomplishment, part of me doesn’t quite know what to do next.  So many hours have been devoted to the book, so it is hard to pick up the pieces and continue with the rest of my work.

Plus sending the book to be published is just a milestone.  I know that.  It’s the first of many as we move along and start to work on getting the book out there.  As any writer/editor will tell you – producing the book is the easy part, selling the book is a whole other issue.

So what’s my message here?  Good question. 

1.              Remember to pat yourself on the back when you’ve completed a project that involved time in the making. 

2.              Pause, and before you leap into the next task, take stock on what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished so far.

3.              Thank those who have helped you reach this stage, because rarely is it a solo effort, others have helped make it happen.  In our case, particularly the 24 women who have shared their inspiring stories.

Sometimes people act as a catalyst not fully knowing just what they are starting, and in this case, Spenser Chapple has spearheaded a whole new movement through which women get the opportunity to be real, authentic and vulnerable and are not judged for being so.  We all need role models and Spenser found them for us.

There.  Did I do it?  I hope so because there has been much to learn from this experience – both professionally and personally. 

I am not the same person who started out on this project eighteen months ago. Apart from anything else, I now wear red lipstick :)  

Seriously,  I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I love to do.   So I thank Spenser for this opportunity and for trusting me to deliver her baby – the One Red Lipstick book.  Watch for its delivery on International Women’s Day.  And stay tuned for the documentary which will be following in May.  

The business of books

Writing a book is a complex project.  You start with an idea and a few key messages and then spend months writing and rewriting what you want to say. 

Sometimes you do some research to make sure what’s being written is valid and is providing practical, helpful information. 

Sometimes you have to take a break as the words are just not flowing and you are not in the “zone.”

But then there comes the time to stop, look at what you’ve written and determine if you have indeed got a book, that you have accomplished what you set out to do.

This summer I have been working on two books – One Red Lipstick - which is about how as women, no matter what is going on in our lives, we put on our lipstick and get on with it.  The book shares stories of women entrepreneurs who have, in some cases, overcome the odds to succeed.  

The Good Enough? book on the other hand is looking at how women so often don’t feel good enough, and how can we change that pattern for ourselves.  Amy Hunter and I have been working on this book for some time now and have connected with over 350 women to hear their stories and concerns. 

So two books which focus on women but from different angles.  We are turning the corner on both of them and are on the last lap.  At this time of reflection I am realizing that the rules that apply in business, also apply in book writing too.

It’s all about the customer/reader

For example,  all along the stories/chapters have been compiled in a certain order – logical from my perspective, each building on the next – but not, in hindsight, perhaps the most appealing to the reader.   

Too frequently we get caught up in our perspective instead of thinking about the reader. We focus on what we want to say, rather than what the reader may need to learn or find interesting.

In business I am always talking about listening to your customer and offering what they want rather than what you want to offer.  Clearly I need to listen to my own advice when it comes to writing books.

I am convinced that when you put the reader first and foremost, you are more likely to capture their attention and bottom line… sell more books.   

Understand your target audience

Just as knowing your target audience is important in running a successful business, so too is understanding who you want to reach with your book and what they will find inspiring, reassuring or whatever the goal is for your book.

You can’t share everything you know

Often we write a book to use as platform to position ourselves as an expert, and that is all good and fine, but in preparing your material, it all gets back to the reader – if you include too much information or use jargon, you will lose them.  As Sam Horn shared in her presentation with us – our attention span is limited.

Far better to stick to the crucial information rather than drown your readers in a sea of words.  Plus then you’ve got enough material for a sequel.

Thank goodness for computers as we move things around and get more into the flow of the books.  I’ve got three books already under my belt, but each time it’s like giving birth and there are times when you just want to go into premature labour.  But it’s always best to stick with it for the long haul and deliver your new bundle when it’s ready to be shared with the world.