The votes are in! Decision time! After reviewing folks' comments, working with my designer, and weighing the options, I have selected the final front cover for my new book, Diving for Pearls: A Thinking Journey with Hannah Arendt.
We followed carefully several design points, as well as looking at MANY covers of other books, as suggested, and here is the final design:
The back cover will wrap the “watery effects” around and also have space for “blurbs” as well as a small photo and author bio along with the necessary ISBN and scanning codes needed on all books.
I know several of you liked the younger Arendt, but this "older" Arendt is more iconic...including her smoking, which was signature for her. The "writing" that you see on the right part of the cover is actually a small excerpt of her notes from the Eichmann trial in her own hand.
I have completed all edits and sent the MS to my editor for one final review!
And I have completed the formatting of the book for a small paperback trim size of 5.25 x 8.00, which is a fairly standard size for books in my genre.
Here is a sample of what the first pages looks like:
Finally, after some back and forth with several folks, who responded to the blog and privately, I have named my new imprint:
Thinking Women Books
Having purchased the url for ThinkingWomenBooks.com I am now in the process of working with my web designer on getting that up and ready for launching the new press. The site is simply a placeholder for now, but stay tuned. There will be a call for book proposals to be reviewed and vetted, once I get the editorial board fully in place.
Mean time, I was delighted to hear from fellow writer, Mary Duncan, that she has launched a press of her own, Paris Writers Press, and has recently published the second edition of her Henry Miller is Under My Bed: People and Places on the Way to Paris.
Thanks to all of your for your suggestions and support and I look forward to your staying in touch as my adventure continues.