This creative exercise, taken from A Writer's Journal Workbook, is all about the power of creating a mock book cover.
Sometimes, you need a bit of magic to fire you on and keep believing in that novel or short story. Bestselling author Wayne Dyer always imagined his
Work-In-Progress as a real thing before he actually wrote it. He would print off the title with his name underneath and wrap this mock cover around
another book. This was his message to the universe, an intention to write this book.
When I road-tested this tip, I was astonished at how powerful it feels when you actually wrap your mock cover around another book. It feels very different from just printing it off. Have a go.
STEP ONE:
Find free book cover design software. Canva is the best one that I know. Don’t worry too much about your title – publishers often change that anyway. A good working title often just says what your story is about. No Boy is Worth Your Soul was the idea in my head when I wrote my Young Adult book The Hurting. And its original title was Hurts So Good.
STEP TWO:
Mess around with Canva. Design your own beautiful book cover. Get creative.
Canva is very simple to use and a lot of fun. Allow your mind to play. Experiment with colour, shape and images. What setting and atmosphere do you want? What styles do you like? Nordic Noir, lyrical, minimalist, traditional? Pour imagination into this dream book.
Add the book title and your name to the spine of your book.
Write endorsements from your favourite authors for the back of your book. This is something you do on an MA Publishing Model. I used Michelle Paver and Lee Child on the back of my novel.
STEP THREE:
Print off your cover and wrap it around one of your own ‘power books’. Choose an author you admire – and let their magic animate your book. My mock-up cover for this book was wrapped around John O’Donohue’s poetry. As silly as this sounds, this is a secret power game. It feels thrilling. You can believe your book is really going to happen. One well-known author takes herself off to a local bookshop and puts her finger on the shelf where her book would go. It inspires her to keep going. Where does your book belong in the world? Your book is no longer this abstract thing in your head. It is now a physical object on your desk calling you to do the work.
WORKSHOP YOURSELF:
How did this task help to focus your story? Did it inspire you to write?
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