I’ve written more 30 books for kids from sci-fi graphic novels to cute picture books about animals. While I’m happy with each book, I didn’t have much say about one key aspect: the cover.
All that changed with Ganked: Geeked Out Mysteries #1, my new YA gamer geek mystery coming out in October 2013.
For Ganked, I’m the publisher. I have the final word on things like covers and other non-writerly stuff. That’s a lot of fun. It’s also scary. And it’s been a big learning experience.
Thankfully, I worked with a very patient designer, James at humblenations.com. He created the clean, modern cover design on the left.
He also taught me three things about creativity along the way.
Three Creativity Lessons from One Cover
1. You won’t get it right the first time, but you’ll be closer than you think.
The first cover designs for Ganked were not really what I had in mind. There were definite elements I liked, but it missed in some areas. This wasn’t James’ fault at all. He included everything I asked for. With those first designs, I thought we had a long way to go. The final design, however, is pretty close to the first ones. Turns out, James knew where we were going long before I did.
2. Some good ideas are just bad ideas in disguise.
After seeing the first covers, I was inspired by a totally new direction. I thought it would be amazing. James thought it would be a mess, but he graciously did a mock up for me. Guess what? He was totally right. What I thought was a great idea, when dragged out into the light of day was pretty awful.
3.When you leave the path to explore, remember to come back.
I’m a big believer that stepping off the path leads to amazing creative discoveries. It can also get you lost very quickly. Through the journey of designing a cover, I panicked a bit and ran off the path. This led to my “bad idea in disguise”.
Sometimes treasures are to be found in the tangled overgrowth, but often it’s just an old shopping cart or lost mitten. Knowing when to return to the path is as important as knowing when to leave it.
What’s Your Unexpected Creativity Lesson?
With the cover for Ganked finished, I am very pleased not only with the final design, but with what I learned along the way.
What about you? What creative endeavors taught you an unexpected lesson or two? Feel free to share your creative tips in the comments below.
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In addition to writing award-winning children’s books, I also teach elementary school and play with technology in my classroom. I share my writing news and tech ideas here on this blog, but I pass them along in Reading Change, my regular newsletter.
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Thanks!
Liam
