Thanks for weighing in - and you have a good point. The TITLE is visible and clear at thumbnail size - I made sure it was.

But my NAME is not big enough - and it is by my name that I will be known, if I am.

I could even offer a copy of the new paperback to anyone who sends me their old one - and buys the next volume with the new cover. Or something like that.

'First Editions' are a thing of the past with POD. 'Special Editions' - such as one might base a kickstarter on for real fans - are also more valuable.

More important: finish the second book. It is coming along daily - the only writer's blocks are my body working and my mind being capable of writing. First took 15 years, this one is in year 7 - I'm about twice as fast? Yay, me. Fortunately, I like how it's going.

It's a great way to keep costs down on the remaining books too, depending of course on the genre expectations.

That's exciting! Be sure to let them know this will be a series so they know to include elements that can be repeated. 🙂

The great joy of being an indie author is the ability to change something when we need to 🙂 In other words, tinker with your name until you're happy with it, then go back and update the other cover to match. Don't worry about those who already have the paperback. They are used to things changing over time. Rabid fans will often try to collect ALL the covers, like Pokemon cards *grin.

I think using a short story or novella is an excellent way to entice readers into a series. I've done that for all of my series and it pays off in all kinds of ways. A free first in series is an excellent marketing tool, but it only works if it does exactly that...entice them into the series. In other words, even though you won't earn money off it since it's free, it's a loss leader that will pay off in other ways and as such needs the best cover of the entire series. I would spend as much time and attention to that free loss leader as I would any other book in the series. It should look cohesive, and act the part, if it's going to do the job it's meant to do. My first in free novella for my Bellamy Sisters series looks just like the other books in the series: https://www.amazon.com/Seasoned-Love-Bellamy-Sisters-Romance-ebook/dp/B09474BD4B

Your covers look great 🙂

denise

Thanks, but you should really call me 'The Nitpicker.'

Now when to we get the post about Topography (which is a real thing)? I think I'll steal the idea - my brain is already creating something.

Yup, but that email copy comes from the post excerpt (which also shows up on social shares), so it had to be fixed. I appreciate the heads up. I missed it when I ran through the edits. You are a gem!