Hello ladies and gents! Today I’m doing something a little different than usual. I’m reviewing a cover designer. Victoria Lynn Designs, to be more specific.
At the same time, I’m going to be revealing the cover for Flowers, the short story sequel to The Lady of the Vineyard. (Also, I’ve set a release date for January 13th, 2018! There may be a blog tour … stay tuned!)
Now, without further ado, here is my review of Victoria Lynn Designs!
First of all … I’m a little prejudiced as I know Victoria fairly well (she’s also an author, and we are in the same groups and on Goodreads and such), so working with her was naturally very pleasant.
Therefore, I wasn’t really sure what to say when she asked me if I might possibly post a review on my blog other than, “I was very happy with her work, and nope, that’s it.”
So … I came up with some questions to ask myself about my thoughts. *isn’t complicated at all*
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Why did you choose Victoria Lynn designs?
I’d seen that several of my friends had used her to make lovely covers and, to be honest, covers were cheap and Kell liked them. (Also, her portfolio is gorgeous! I like Hidden in Plain Sight and Choices for Max … and A Place Called Lonesome! And my own. 😉 )
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What service did you use?
Just the basic “Kindle Front Book Cover.” However, I see that she has added a lot of options, and I might return and ask her to do a full cover or something else someday!
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On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate Victoria Lynn Designs?
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give her a solid 8 or even 9. I honestly don’t have a lot of negatives. Or … really any.
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What were your favorite things about working with the designer?
Well, it was definitely fun to talk to the designer –
Wait, no, that’s too personal. *takes a step back*
Victoria Lynn herself was friendly and open to making changes. She did come up with a reasonably complete product the first time through – but she was quick and easy to work with, and very communicative.
It was fun chatting with her via Google Hangouts, and it really made it much easier than had we simply emailed back and forth the whole time.
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What were your least favorite things about working with the designer?
It did take a while for us to get going, but I was 100% okay with that, and I knew Victoria was on a semi-hiatus, so I didn’t expect a fast turn-around time. Once she did begin working on the cover, we were done in two days!
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And … the finished product?
Gorgeous! Victoria found the exact picture I wanted somehow. It’s just perfect for the story, what with the wild, untamed flowers that are still pretty. It’s kind of a photo of an open meadow, which is just what I wanted.
I did ask her to change the filtering a little from the first draft – asking for something a little more sepia-tone – and she quickly did this, giving it the exact vintage feel I was looking for.
Also, the fonts are perfect! Not only do they go well together, but I feel they are just modern enough but not too modern for 1940s Britain.
To me, the cover also portrays the right mixture of drama and hope. Some people have told me that the cover looks like a field guide, but I’m perfectly content with it. (Thank goodness I’m self-published, eh? Nobody’s business but my own … 😉 )
The other thing I promised today was the cover reveal for Flowers, but I’m afraid you’ve already seen that. Still … I’ll post it here again along with the official synopsis.
When her husband leaves to fight in the war, Adele feels even most lost and confused. In a new, less-than-ideal home in a frightening, less-than-ideal time, she flees to the garden with her daughters, determined to make their new house a home, even if it is from the outside in.
Battered by her own inner turmoil and scoffed at by those close to her, Adele seeks to make something beautiful amidst chaos. But can even the most beautiful flowers cover the years of scars?
I’m setting the release date for the 13th of January. At that time, there will likely be a three-day blog tour or something of the likes, but I’m still figuring out the details.
Until Saturday,
~Kellyn Roth~
Social Media | Website | Book Blog
p.s.
Have you ever had a cover designed by you? Who did it and were you satisfied with their services? Do you like the new cover for Flowers? What do you think of this “review”?
13 Responses
I’ve gotten a cover before and loved it. Yours is gorgeous! 😄 The review was cool as well. Maybe I’ll try out working with Victoria Lynn someday…? 😉
Thank you! You should, if you ever need another cover. 🙂
YAY THE NEW COVER IS SO EXCITING! 😀 And I do love that picture!! It’s so pretty. I don’t think it looks like a field guide…but maybe it could be…
Have you ever had a cover designed by you? Who did it and were you satisfied with their services?: Yes, actually, I’ve had a cover designed by me…though I think you meant to ask “for” you, in which case…yes, I have, on the YWP. It was a long time ago, for my very first novel, but it was awesome–exactly what I wanted and I have no idea how they did it because I would not be able to make anything like that myself. (But unfortunately I don’t know if it’s copyrighted or not.)
Of course, if I end up self-publishing, I would love to be able to do my covers myself, but I’m not averse to hiring a good cover designer.
Do you like the new cover for Flowers?: I love the picture! Personally, I’d want the text to be less white and more the gray of the flowers, but otherwise I really like it! I agree about the fonts being pretty, and I love the contrast between the gray and the spots of red and yellow flowers.
Also, I really like the blurb you put up for it! I love all the wording choices. Except for one thing…you say she’s determined to make the house a home, but you call it a home earlier… 😛 But other than that, I really like it! (And I don’t even know if that’s a problem.)
What do you think of this “review”?: It was fun! You know me, I always like writing update posts the best, but I like trying new things too!
Yay, glad you like it!
Haha, yep, that was what I meant … *facepalm* Stupid typos … or rather Kell Who Skim-Reads When Editing Blog Posts. 😛
Ack, that is a problem! I had to ditch a couple great covers because of that ….
OH! Totally missed that. I might edit the blurb still … and think about removing that … because it isn’t a home until she makes it a home based on my philosophy …
Haha, yep, I actually intended to do an update, but … but … #otherstuffhappened I’m gonna try to do one directly after Christmas. (I’m doing a lot of Christmasy posts until then, hehe.)
I…basically never edit blog posts, so I just hope I don’t make any typos, hehe. 😛
Well, I’m not really planning on publishing Raven anyway, so it’s not that much of a problem.
Oooh, yay, that sounds fun! (Both the Christmasy posts and the update later.)
Well, I don’t usually notice any, so you’re doing well! 😛
Yes, I guess that’s true. Some stories need to just be for your heart, if that makes sense! 😀
Hehe, thanks!
Yep! (Or they’re too weird and ridiculous to publish, but…let’s just say it’s because of the heart reason, hehe. 😛 )
(Haha, yeah, I’m the same about some of my stories … “It’s because it’s just for my heart … and because I would die if anyone had to read them ….”)
I want to get a book published some day, so I’ll keep Victoria Lynn Designs in mind when I do!
Thanks for the post, Kellyn. I really like the snowy back-round of your blog!
Aw, thank you! I love it myself … 😉
Victoria did a brilliant job on your cover! I suppose she’s been running her site for a while so I can maybe consult her on how she works. Can you tell me more about her ethic?
I’m not 100% sure I understand the question. Do you mean her work ethic? I can tell you that she was very quick and pleasant to work with, and she seemed to get everything done in a timely manner. I was really satisfied with the end result, too. I’ve known several other folks who worked with her, and they all seemed satisfied, too. 🙂