This new year has brought about restlessness within me. There is something about January and February that makes me want to start all over again. So, I decided I would do just that.
I have two YA Dystopian/Sci-Fi books published by an independent publisher that are languishing on Amazon. I have quite a few excellent 4* and 5* reviews, but I’m still not getting the sales that reflect the enthusiasm of the reviewers. I stopped to think why.
Maybe the blurb isn’t right?
Maybe I’m not doing enough to promote, or get myself noticed?
Perhaps it is the covers?
Well, the answer is all of the above, I guess.
My gut reaction was to re-edit both books. I wasn’t happy with the ending of the first novel in the series, The Song of Forgetfulness. Echoes from the Lost Ones had too much of a cliff-hanger finish, which meant that book two, A Silence Heard, would need to be changed to accommodate the revisions. Then I remembered I had a prequel! On re-reading it, I realised that this series could be something special – with the right marketing.
Firstly, I turned my attention to the covers.
The cover for the first book in the series – The Song of Forgetfulness – is okay and does have relevance to the content, but the second one does not. In fact it is misleading. I’m not saying that the covers are hindering the sales of my books, but they aren’t helping, in my opinion.
Here are my new designs for the covers of Echoes from the Lost Ones, and A Silence Heard.
I am attempting to reflect the futuristic atmosphere and tension that is present in the narrative. Also, the images I have used are relevant to the story. They aren’t the finished product, just mock-ups, but I like them better than the old ones – so far.
It felt good to throw out the old, re-edit my books, and change the covers. Maybe I can attract the attention of readers by giving them a more rewarding reading experience. Plus, I am going to swot up on how to market and publicise for greater effect. I hope it works. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
What do you think? Feedback would be very useful. Especially any tips on marketing and promotion. Thank you:)
You can watch trailers for the books on Youtube:
If you would like to know more about me and my writing, please visit these websites: http://www.nicolamcdonagh.com/ http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com/
Nikki McDonagh - author and photographer 
Good ideas Nikki! KNowing your frustrations with existing arrangements I think a fresh start would be great. I like the cover designs – they are distinctive and will stand out, and they utilise your photographic skills. Good luck with all this, Will I
Thanks Will I.
I always liked the cover of your first book, but I think you’re right, a new edition needs a new cover, and I like the bird cover. The second cover complements the first and has a very mysterious feel to it. Like it.
Thanks Jane. It really is all change. I’ve decided to start the series with the unpublished prequel. All set in Cityplace, Adara’s hometown.
Reblogged this on Nikki McDonagh – author and photographer and commented:
I’ve done a brief revision of my earlier blog.