My Covers Don't Sell
Updated: Mar 2, 2020
It's sad, but true. Initially, there were multiple reasons why I decided to try doing my own covers: I enjoy being creative, I wanted to brush up on my photoshop skills, I had an idea of what I wanted them to look like, and I really didn't want to spend MORE money on this hobby of mine before I had brought in a single cent. I definitely read about how you should never attempt your own covers...but lots of people say you shouldn't attempt a lot of things. And I do those things anyway! But, this time, I maybe should have listened?
It was a wonderful learning experience regardless, but now I know that I need to change them if I want to bring in more readers. How do I know this? Click through rate. Based on ads I've run, there have been a LOT of eyes on my book, but that hasn't converted into clicks and purchases. That means that my cover isn't doing the job. It turns out, we really DO judge a book by it's cover. When I first realized this, I think I went through the stages of grief.
What!? People hate my beautiful work? But why would people care about the cover!? The story is so good! This is just exactly what's wrong with the world - never giving anything or anyone a chance if it doesn't look a certain way! *insert tears* I'm so sad that they hate it! Wait...I think it's actually just an amateur cover. Yep...now I think I hate it, too.
Now I'm simply excited to produce a better cover! I have a pro working on it and we are debating between two fantastic concepts. I will be announcing the new cover soon on my instagram and facebook pages @cindygwrites, so make sure you follow to see it the second it comes out!! Tier 3 will be released for one week only with the original cover for those who already own the other two books. Then I will be hosting a giveaway where you could win all three paperback books with the cover redesign!
Do you see this? I made a mistake. And nothing terrible happened. I still sold books, people still love the stories, and I learned a ton. Don't ever let the possibility of failure hold you back from trying something new or following a dream! Have a great week friends!