Update: I’ve got quotes picked out for all of the books, but I haven’t managed to get a hold of all of the reviewers in question, so if you want to try and bump one of the quotes with something you provide you’re welcome do so 🙂
Books that I know I absolutely won’t be changing:
Bound, Driven, Lost, Hunted. Everything else could potentially see some changes before everything is said and done.
Here’s the latest mockup for the new Torn print cover:
Arriving at a cover concept for a now series is always a very difficult process for Katie and me.
The cover for any given series needs to look good as a thumbnail, feature my name prominently, and convey the genre so that readers get what they were expecting when they open the book up.
That would be tough enough all by itself, but Katie and I are both also long-time readers and sometimes a concept that looks fine when evaluated in a vacumm will get vetoed because it reminds of something else that we read back when we were teenagers.
We knew when we decided to re-brand the Reflections series earlier this year that it was going to be a lot of work, but we didn’t expect it to take this long to arrive at a wrap around cover we both liked.
Two days ago Katie put the finishing touches on this piece of art and I thought we were there until we realized that quote at the top (Intense, Violent and Intriguing) is actually for Bound rather than for Torn. Dang it.
If you blow up the cover you can see that the middle contains a couple of other reviews about The Reflections Series (it should read Reflections Universe). That’s a trick that publishers use when they have a really good quote about one book in a series that they want to use to sell another book in the series. In our original version of the cover, all three of the reviews (called pull-quotes in publishing speak) were down in the middle of the cover, which worked because we’d attributed them to the Reflections Universe.
We can’t do that if we pull a quote up to the top though–it needs to be about the book the cover belongs to. So the back half of this cover works for Bound, but not for Torn.
I really like the layout Katie has put together here, and I’d like to use it for the rest of the books in the Reflections Universe (the blurbs and pull quotes will obviously change some from book to book) so I’d like to ask for help from those of you who want to see each of the Reflections & Dark Reflections books reissued in print with new covers.
We need pull-quotes that will work for the top of the print books, separate pull-quotes for each of the books other than Bound. The perfect pull-quote will be 2-5 words so that it will fit at the top of the cover at a similar size to what you see in the Torn mockup. If you think you have the perfect review though and it needs to be bigger, don’t let that stop you. Katie could always do 3 words on one line really big and then a follow-on sentence in much smaller text to round out the quote. Just remember, the best pull quotes are really punchy/short.
If you’re willing to help out and don’t mind having your name on the back of one of my books for at least the next several years, please leave your reviews here in the comments to this post, one review per comment, being clear which book you’re reviewing.
If I use your quote, then once I’ve got the final proof from the printer, I’ll sign it and send it to you (anywhere in the lower 48 United States–sorry international shipping is brutal).
Bonus points if once you’ve written your review you copy it over to Amazon 🙂
A big thanks in advance to everyone who’s going to help out!
-Dean
The Quite Hero – Riveting and Powerful!
Hi Amber,
I like it–I’ll probably just use ‘Riveting and Powerful’!
Which book is this for?
Thanks,
Dean
“Exiting and addictive ”
I’ve read every single book and when I finish reading the last one can’t wait for he next one . Trully addicted to your books!! You are great.
Hi, Lissette!
Thank you for being willing to help out! Which book were you referencing with “Exciting and Addictive”? I’m glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the series so much.
Dean
Hi Dean,
I was referencing Torn. Sorry for the delayed response. I couldn’t remember where I posted the comment. I guess I am still recovering from New Year’s Eve!!!
I truly enjoyed Shattered and could not put down Marked. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Sanctuary Pack and friends!!!
Fondly,
Amber
Hi Amber,
That’s a great quote for Torn! Katie and I will go ahead and use that one to put together a new cover for Torn. Three down, a dozen or so more to go (we have a pull quotes for Broken Torn and Bound so far).
Thanks again for all your help,
Dean
Hi Dean
Love all your books in the series. My favourite is Riven, and I always look forward to reading about Alec and Adri.
If I could use a pull quote, I would say (for Riven, or any really)
Dramatic, intriguing, couldn’t stop reading!
Hi, Hannah.
Are you okay with:
“Dramatic and Intriguing, I couldn’t stop reading!”
If so I’ll add you to the back of Riven. I already have a quote for the very top that I really like, but I would love to put your quote in the second or third spot.
Thanks,
Dean
Forsaken
Powerful, endearing and enlightening look into the dynamic series and how it come together!
Personal note, all 3 interacting series have me completely hooked! I pre-purchase every book now and have trouble putting them down until I’ve finished them! Love all 4 series that are on the online purchase now. Anxiously awaiting the new Awakenings series. The hardest part is waiting for the next book! Thank you for sharing your imagination with us!
Hi, Juanita.
Thanks for stopping buy with a pull quote! I had a quote picked out on Amazon that I was going to use for Forsaken, but I hadn’t reached out to the reviewer yet, so it makes things a lot more straightforward to use your excellent quote–I appreciate your help.
I’m glad that you’re as hooked on the Reflections Universe as I am! I still have a couple of spots open on the Reborn launch team if you want to sign up and get an advance copy of Reborn in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thank you for all of your help and support along the way–I’m excited to share a bunch of new stories with everyone in 2015.
Dean
Dean,
I would love to be on the review for your book, Reborn! What an honor! Please let me know if you have any questions. I believe you had my contact information, but if you need it, please email me. I am so excited.
Juanita Garhart
Hi, Juanita.
I’ve added you to the list and just sent you the files 🙂
Thanks for being willing to help out,
Dean
Dean,
I checked both emails addresses and cannot locate the files. The best email is [Redacted] was it sent by you or another person?
Thank you,
Juanita
Hi, Juanita.
It was sent by me to the email you specified just now in your comment. I sent it from my dean at deanwrites email.
I just resent the email–you probably need to check your spam folder. I suspect it got held up there.
Thanks,
Dean
HI Dean,
how many pull quotes do you still need?
(Which book still needs one but doesn’t have one yet?)
Tiffany
Hi, Tiffany.
I could use a longer quote still for the following books (maybe 10-20 words):
Splintered
Forsaken
Riven
Marked
Ambushed
Shattered
Torn
I could still use a top quote (2-5 words) for the following books:
Riven
Finally, a series so exciting to read, I find myself holding my breath! Dean Murray is definitely a must read! Able to ensnare his readers on a whim, and keep you enthralled to the very end. Don’t say you weren’t warned…
Hi, Amanda.
That’s a great review, thank you for those kind words. Have you posted that to one of the retailers?
This post is old enough that I’ve actually got the pull quotes for all of the Reflections/Dark Reflections books finalized. If you’d like to try for one of the Awakening books I’d love put you on the back of one of them if you provide a good, usable pull quote.
All the best,
Dean