HELPING OTHERS

As a result of social networking on Facebook, I was blessed to meet someone having the same interests as mine: Photography and Writing. This person's name is Lisa M. Earnest and through our getting to know one another, I learned she had been writing on a book for four long years.

I volunteered my services in helping edit and format her manuscript for an ebook. I found it an exciting time, knowing I was helping another person fulfil a dream. Lisa's manuscript is a spiritual journey of healing.

I urge you to read her book, "Taking Time to Breathe." Your life will never be the same.

http://scatteredpiecesofmymind.blogspot.com/

IT'S OFFICIAL

THE CAREGIVER'S STORY HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY MY PUBLISHER AND I'VE ELECTED TO GO WITH THE COVER WITH DAUGHTER AND MOTHER SITTING ON THE BED AND THE CORRESPONDING TITLE.

WE ARE IN THE PRODUCTION STAGE AND PROOFS SHOULD BE COMING TO ME SOON. HOPEFULLY, THE BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED EARLY FALL. (SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER)

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. IT WAS A DIFFICULT BOOK TO WRITE AND I PRAY OTHERS WILL FIND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM READING IT.

BOOK DESIGNING

So you've written a book and don't want to use the free "cookie cutter" book covers offered by the publisher. What is the next step? There are several possibilities.

First, if you are a photographer, you might try taking your own shot, making sure you have the proper dpi and balance. Don't make the mistake of overcrowding and not leaving room for the book title, subtitle, and author name.
The second possibility is purchasing a royalty free image from a reputable stock photo site online. The problem with doing this is that other authors have the same chance to select the same cover as you. This could get confusing to the public seeing two books with the same cover but different titles and interior.

The third option is to use graphic design and text to create a pleasing-to-the-eye cover. It's all about style and balance.

Making sure the title and the image compliment each other can make or break the book. For example.

I've finished my manuscript about the struggles and survival of the years I spent as a caregiver for my mama. Presently, I have three titles for the book and about four or five covers. Three of the covers are my designs and two are using images.

Cover #1: the Caregiver's Story is an image that shows the whole concept of being a loving, caring daughter/caregiver. The image fits the title of the book.

Cover #2:The Refining Fire is my own creation. I believe God allowed me to go through a refining fire to be purified and fit for His work. When I felt the heat from the challenges, trials, and struggles, I knew God had His eye on me, and would not let me be destroyed.

Cover #3: Three Wishes has the image of a small girl smelling a red rose. Mama had three wishes which came true before her passing, and her favorite flower was red roses. She loved the color red.

Now comes my problem. I love all three covers and titles. Cover #2 is my own design so no copyright problem or expense here.

Cover #1 will cost quite a lot for the image you see, but I love the whole idea of this cover.

Cover #3 is cute and the image has been purchased for under $10.

Here is where you can help me out. Vote for which cover you feel is best for the book.

Thanks for you help and I hope you've learned a bit about book cover designing.

~Vada M. Wolter

BOOK COVER DESIGNING

How many of you take books for granite? You notice the title, the subtitle, and cover. An author is lucky to have the right combination that will capture a reader and hold their interest...enough to purchase their book.

The cover has to be attractive, eye catching, and balanced in harmony and color. I'm sure many readers have never thought about the type, size, style, or color of a font.

 

Prior to being published, I never paid attention to the copyright page. Was I ever so naive! Should a book have an introduction, preface, prologue, epilogue, or table of contents? What is right or wrong?

 

Sentence spacing for the interior of the book is another thing a designer has to consider. Will it be easy reading? Is the font size too small, light, or an uncomfortable style and spacing?

The author has eight seconds to grab the readers attention with what is on the back cover. Therefore the synopsis must be an attention grabber that will cause the reader to want to purchase the book.

Taking all of this into consideration, I have designed two possible book covers for our upcoming book. The book is titled Treasured Memories: A Collection of Short Stories.

The six interior categories are: Childhood, The Fifties, Love, Faith, Memorable Moments, and Special Men. For each category, a gemstone was selected that best suited each section. In order to pull the whole idea together of treasured memories and gemstones, I've designed the two covers.

The first cover is an actual photo album that was my mama's. I liked the delicate gold framing and felt a couple of old photographs, some antique jewelry, and an orchid like the one I ALWAYS gave Mama for Mother's Day would be perfect.

The second cover I've designed for the book has the idea of a treasure chest filled with treasured memories, i.e., photographs, postcards, greeting cards, and jewelry (gemstones).

For this cover I substituted the orchid for a silk corsage from my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary.

The next time you look at a book...take time to REALLY LOOK AT IT. So much goes into the writing and designing of a book for your reading enjoyment.

Thanks for reading,

Vada and Joseph

BOOK FAIR

Joseph A. Zapalac, far right, was among the twenty-seven authors featured in Bolingbrook's Fountaindale Library on Saturday, April, 16. It was a great day rubbing elbows with collegues.
Other book fairs and readings are planned in the near future.
~Vada and Joseph

Two Gems for Treasured Memories?

While rummaging around in a lot of Mama's many photo albums, I found a treasure that her baby sister had given her as a gift long ago.

I saw my grandparents wedding certificate. This amazed me because it was dated February 14, 1905. However what amazed me even more was the wedding certificate of my grandparents parents. Yes, it was a certificate of my great-grandparents.

As I continued to flip through the pages my heart was stirred with each handwritten note, photograph, and even some postcards from 1918. I know I have a treasure in this album.

My aunt has a way with words, and throughout the album, I saw her unique writings. Then...something caught my eye. It was eight pages of double-spaced typed 8.5x11 sheets of paper, stapled at the top left corner. The title was "My Story."

I began reading and soon realized it was my aunt's twin brother telling his story. I began reading and could not put it down. When I reached the bottom of the last page, there wasn't any clue as to had written it.

I called my aunt and she had no idea what I was talking about, so I believe she did not write this story. I read parts to her and she agreed that it should be included in our book Treasured Memories.

The last treasure I found in this album was a tribute, or eulogy, from this same Uncle's funeral. I've gained permission from the minister to use this in our work in progress.

Now, comes my question to you...our readers. Do you think it in poor taste to put those two articles in our book?

Excerpt from "My Story"

In the summertime, our mother canned a lot. Like cooking corn in wash pots outside with ashes they took from the wood stoves. After the corn cooked, we pumped water and packed it to the house until Mother got the husk and ashes all out of the corn…then we had good hominy.

Dad, at times, would be lucky enough to kill a wild hog, and Mother would fry it and put hog lard over it in stone jars. We didn’t have a freezer or refrigerator.

Excerpt from Eulogy:

Often it took a great deal of effort, and under abnormal circumstances. Yet day after day, weed after weed was pulled. Thorn after thorn was removed. Stone after stone was thrown out and what was once a wasteland of human life became a beautiful garden of sharing and caring, that enriched every other life it touched.

The time for planting has come and gone, the time for growth has taken place, and no wonder the time of harvest would leave us with an empty feeling inside.

~Vada and Joseph

Title Change

Originally we had planned to do a book titled Lost in the Fifties. However, plans are now to do a sequal to our last book. The work in progress now is Treasured Memories: A Collection of Short Stories.

Stories and memoirs are separated in the six following subjects: Childhood, The Fifties, Love, Faith, Memoral Moments, and Special Men.

Excerpt from Treasured Memories (Childhood)

Smoking Behind the Barn

Born in 1932, the third of six children in Wharton County, I went through difficult times while living on the farm. My parents worked hard on the farm, as did my brothers and sisters. My youngest brother and I worked and played together. As teenage farm boys, we had lots of fun. One day we tired of playing, so we decided to do something different.

“Geeze, I’m tired of racing the John Deer and Farmall tractors in the garden. We’ve played just about every game I know. What do you want to do now?” I asked my youngest brother.

“I don’t know…what do you want to do?”

I thought a bit, and then said. “I know something we can do, but you have to not let Daddy catch us.”

***

READ THE ENDING IN OUR BOOK...COMING IN THE FALL 2011

~Vada and Joseph