Publishing My Children’s Book in Six Months: Cover Reveal

(To  listen to the audio of this blog post, use the purple play button.)

Cover Reveal

Today’s the day to reveal the cover of K-9 Kudzu: Observations of a Working Dog Who Loves to Play.

We’re really pleased with the layout, including the title, illustrations of Kudzu and Deputy Tom Jennings, Kudzu’s introduction of the book, and the endorsements.

Once Gina Laiso, Integrita Productions, developed K-9 Kudzu’s branding image, we knew it would be displayed prominently on the cover. However, Deputy Tom Jennings was another story. We didn’t want Tom to overpower Kudzu, the narrator of the book, but we wanted Tom in uniform to reinforce the message that the children’s book was about law enforcement.

It’s brilliant having Tom wearing his duty belt, displayed without seeing his face, his image wrapped around the front to the back cover.

We found the limited space on the back cover too small to include the introduction of the book, three endorsements, two bios, and a barcode. That’s when Gina thought outside the box. She put K-9 Kudzu’s introduction on the front cover near Kudzu’s image, his eyes looking directly at the readers as though he was talking to them.

*

For those listeners on my podcast, here’s Kudzu’s introduction that we placed on the front cover, immediately below the title:

My name is Kudzu. I’m a German Shepherd Dog who works in law enforcement as part of a team. My partner’s name is Deputy Tom Jennings.

Since I’ve been working as a K-9 for the last fourteen years—that’s two years in people time—I’ve learned a lot about the way police officers do their jobs. Today I’m going to share with you some of the vocabulary words I’ve learned while helping police officers. I’ll introduce the words to you in alphabetical order.

Have fun learning! Kudzu

*

And here are the three “blurbs” or endorsements on the back cover:

“I like the story because it is being told from Kudzu’s perspective as a police dog, and I got to learn police words. Kudzu was cute and funny. I love animals, especially dogs! Good job Kudzu!”—Isaiah St. Pierre, 10-year-old, 4th grade student

“A great book for students, parents, or teachers. Learn more about the canine unit with Kudzu’s humorous narrative. Read for fun or just because you love dogs or police officers. Fun and informative. – Gwen Bartlett, former grade school librarian

“The author did an excellent job of explaining the A-B-Cs of police work. Each chapter’s discussion questions can lead to meaningful dialogue between children and parents, increasing critical communication.”—Randy Henderson, Retired Reno County (KS) Sheriff; Executive Director KS Association Chiefs of Police; FBI National Academy Associate #227

*

Finally, here are our bios:

Jim Potter has published an award-winning play, a police memoir, two novels, and over 200 blog posts and podcast episodes. K-9 Kudzu is his first children’s book. jimpotterauthor.com

Gina Laiso, Integrita Productions, is a graphic designer, videographer, and illustrator. She created all the dynamic color illustrations in K-9 Kudzu.

*

If you’re interested in purchasing K-9 Kudzu, we expect to have books in hand by mid-July and our website updated for online sales. If you’d like me to make a presentation about writing &/or publishing the book, contact me at jim@copintheclassroom.com.

*

Until next time, happy writing,

 

• To contact Gina Laiso, Integrita Productions, click on the following Facebook link. http://www.facebook.com/IntegritaProductions
• Never miss a weekly blog by Jim Potter at Sandhenge Publications. Sign up by clicking below to receive my weekly blog sent to your email address. https://jimpotterauthor.com/sign-up-for-jim-potters-blog-posts/
• Better than Amazon with free S/H and no sales tax to you. Purchase one (or more) of my books directly at my website by clicking https://jimpotterauthor.com
•