Personal Development for Smart People Book Cover

[Lupe]

It needs to be bright color. It's gloomy a little.

[llong]

Who cares about the cover? Any chance you'll show us the Table of Contents?

[Antarananda]

I think Deepak Chopra's books are a perfect example of how much thought and creativity goes into the fine nuances of packaging and presenting a bestseller book. Likely his target audience has a huge overlap with Steve's as well.

Granted, Chopra's name is now almost a household name (well at least in the "spiritual / new-age" circles), so people would buy the book just seeing his name on the cover, but the designs are strikingly eye-catching and convey the energy of the books really well.

[Spartan]

I like the original front cover, but I think the red people look better in the second version.

[Andreas]

Steve, what's the outlook on the book cover?

I'm curious whether or not any of us were able to help you through this thread. If you decided not to accept any of our advice, that's fine too, but I would like to know how things are going.

Thanks, Steve!

[ctutt]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Here's the front cover design for my upcoming book that Hay House's designer created. Personally I like it, especially how the words "Smart People" stand out, but as a colorblind person it won't look the same to me as it will to others.

We have the back cover copy worked out, but the actual back cover design will be done later.

What do you think?

I like its simplicity. I would buy it. I just wonder why you would pay a designer for something that you could do so simply for yourself. After all you already did the hard part--writing the book. That cover design is a piece of cake!

[SelfAwareWorld]

I didn't think the version that Tuumble came up with would look as good as the original look, but after looking at the book on the rack, I have to admit that it's and eye-catcher. It reminds me of my wife when we look at bass lures at the fishing supply store. You would think that she is picking out earrings. She always goes for the ones with bright white or yellow with bright color overlays. Fish on!

[coLLege kid07]

Kind of bright red color...but then again it stands out. Whichever you feel like choosing will probably be good.

[Steve Pavlina]

I didn't have to pay for a designer since the publisher takes care of that. Hay House's designer did the book cover. I was just sharing her work here, not asking for someone to redesign it. While feedback is appreciated, in this case it wasn't really actionable since the work was already long done.

[konmai]

if i wasn't a fan of steve's blog, i probably would not pick up the book based on the cover alone. among other personal development books, i would probably walk by it. i'm not a big fan of red and blue. the combo just reminds me of a finance book or a entrance examination study guide.

i actually really enjoy what the visitors have come up with as suggestions for the cover.

[coLLege kid07]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I didn't have to pay for a designer since the publisher takes care of that. Hay House's designer did the book cover. I was just sharing her work here, not asking for someone to redesign it. While feedback is appreciated, in this case it wasn't really actionable since the work was already long done.

When's the expected release date? sorry if you posted it before/earlier.

[Erin Pavlina]

Release date is October 15 and you can preorder it now on Amazon (which includes an extra 5% discount I think).

One thing we may all want to note is this... a lot of people have said, "I will read the book but if I didn't know anything about it then this cover would not entice me to read it." Maybe that's a sign we need to start picking up books whose covers don't call to us. Could be a real gem in some of them eh?

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Release date is October 15 and you can preorder it now on Amazon (which includes an extra 5% discount I think).

One thing we may all want to note is this... a lot of people have said, "I will read the book but if I didn't know anything about it then this cover would not entice me to read it." Maybe that's a sign we need to start picking up books whose covers don't call to us. Could be a real gem in some of them eh?

Honestly, as I think about it, I haven't purchased 1 book in the past 4 years on an impulse or whim without prior research or recommendation. Every personal development book I've purchased was decided based on either Amazon recommendations or general reputation (e.g. Think and Grow Rich, GTD, etc.)

With fiction books I may have been partial to pretty covers. There's something enticing about a sci-fi book with a really cool cover. But even then, 90% of my fiction purchases were based on recommendation and reputation.

If I were designing Steve's book's cover, first I'd make it unassuming. I wouldn't have it appeal to a certain audience by making it look business-ey (e.g. some guy in a suit with a slick haircut and a cheesey & ironically untrustworthy "you can do it!" smile) or by making it look new-agey (e.g. whispy, saturated colors and maybe some clouds or something).

The current book cover isn't genius, but it is unassuming, and I think that will take it a long way, allowing recommendation and reputation push sales.

[Steve Pavlina]

The book can be found on Amazon here:
Amazon.com: Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth: Steve Pavlina: Books

It's also available at Barnes*&*Noble.com - Books: Personal Development for Smart People, by Steve Pavlina, Hardcover. Amazon has a lower price though.

I just learned that the proofs are arriving tomorrow.

The book will be in hardcover first, and a year later they'll release the paperback version.

[Angela]

Dagnabit. I am so impatient to read that stinkin' book, now that I've got a taste of it. I hate delaying my gratification!

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

The book will be in hardcover first, and a year later they'll release the paperback version.

Ugh, that's a shame. Hardbacks are a more expensive, more awkward format.

Now I have to figure out if it's worth tolerating the format to get the content, or if I should wait until it's released in a format that's comfortable to read on the bus, in the car etc.

P.S. Is it coming out as an e-book, too? That might tip me over the line to getting an e-book reader.

[carenkh]

I don't know what it means that on Amazon, on the list of "customers who bought items like this [Steve's book] also bought" Porn for Women. Self-actualization, maybe? I do find it funny that the picture on the cover of *that* book is a man, vacuuming.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by carenkh

I don't know what it means that on Amazon, on the list of "customers who bought items like this [Steve's book] also bought" Porn for Women. Self-actualization, maybe? I do find it funny that the picture on the cover of *that* book is a man, vacuuming.

Yeh, it's apparently a joke book - 'porn for women' is hunky men actually doing the housework.

Amazon.com: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful: Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter: Books looks like a good match though - the title fits perfectly into Steve's "How to get from a seven to a ten" article.

[carenkh]

I pre-ordered the book today, and as of this morning, it's ranked 12,773 on Amazon.

That is pretty freakin' cool, seeing the publication is still 3 months away.

[bigadam]

Will there be an audio version? I really hope so. All my reading is listening

I download most books through Audible and would love to see PDFSP there! But will be happy to buy the book on CD...

[Erin Pavlina]

Hay House will decide if they're going to put the book out on CD. But it could be awhile.

[Adelina]

The cover in post #26 looks the best,

but with replacing the cursive script with a straight font.

The white, with blue and red, and black, is very strong and substantive.


===

On the current cover that is chosen,

'SMART PEOPLE' and 'STEVE PAVLINA' is empty.

Symbolically and metaphorically, this cover doesn't work so well.

Those are the two key phrases that should have the most meaning and substance,
and weight.

Thus, a white background, with proper impact of SMART PEOPLE and STEVE PAVLINA, is best.

--

The grid in the blue section is distracting, and meaningless. The eye should flow cleanly into the title of the book,
not be caught in dead energy above it.

--

Also further, having people's silhouettes on the cover, is not an elegant design. These have no meaning, and are 'dead weight' in the design.

Symbolically, an independent learner would not want to associate with 'joining the crowd' that is already on the cover. Especially for a first book, the look and feel should be fresh, the new discovery, and with the people focus on the reader and author only, not some empty people in between.


==

Streamlining the design helps to target the energy, just like prana and energy flow,

into the substance of the book.

The design is best optimized, for clear meaning and strong impact.



======
======

It would be cool to do the cover in #26, with a raised 'SMART PEOPLE' and 'STEVE PAVLINA' on the cover, perhaps for the paperback version.