For those following along with the rebirth of Enigma into its new form under my new publisher’s vision (City Owl Press) today is cover tease number 2!
When the publishing house acquired the manuscript they told me they’d be not only changing the overall LOOK of the book, but the TITLE would change as well. Which actually makes a whole lot of sense from a marketing perspective.
While I ADORED my original cover and title, it didn’t do its job of conveying what the story would be about. And ideally, that’s exactly what a cover should do at the first glance, even in a thumbnail. You should be able to see a cover/title and pick up the overall vibe of the story. Within that three seconds, the tone of the book should be there. It’s the very first stop a reader makes. From there, they’ll typically look at the description, then the reviews, then the sample. Each stop on the reader path is important, but if you miss the first light, you’re toast. That’s why covers matter so much.
The two covers are wildly different to be sure. But one makes a subtle statement and one makes a bold one. Go big or go home, right?
Here’s the sneak peek at the revised cover! (Full reveal on July 8.)
Obvious differences are, of course, the coloring. While Enigma is mostly white with an extinguished match (Sarah is a pyromaniac) with her looking out from that smoke, this new cover is notably darker, because at the end of the day, it’s a pretty dark story. The pyromania element is still evident, not only in the burning match, but we now will also have the word FIRE as part of the title.
City Owl Press isn’t shying away from the trauma Sarah goes through, but is rather leaning into the horrors she endures. Something I don’t think I had been ready to do when I first put the book out there. I think I was almost embarrassed by the things I put Sarah through. While I loved the story, I wasn’t really sure I wanted people to read it. I’m ready now.
All that’s left to do is be patient and let release day (Sept. 7, 2021) approach.
Danielle Bannister, author and impatient waiter of books to drop.
Danielle Bannister, Author 