Receive a copy of my book The Higher Self,
plus my monthly loveletter (newsletter) when you Subscribe!
Evolution of a Reiki Book Cover
 |
| Evolution of a book cover - Tuesday May Thomas |
©tuesdaymaythomas
As mentioned in this month's loveletter blog, it was four years ago that I released my first novel 'Confessions of a Spiritual Apprentice' (original book cover on the upper left). Since then the book has undergone a series of changes as you can see.
The first cover was controversial because no one could figure out the title of the book. I thought this added a mysterious quality to my work. I kinda felt like it created a spiritual gateway of sorts that noted 'only those who can make out the book's title are the ones to read it'! This is all very 'artsy', yet I realized when you want people to buy and read your book, it is nice when they do not have to work so hard to figure out the title! I considered creating a new book cover and a title that speaks more directly to the content in the book.
My book is an autobiography. I did not know it would be so thrilling and at the same time scary and debilitating to air my most sacred vulnerabilities for the world to view. Cut to three years later. I had fallen apart at the seems and underwent a massive depression only to rise again. As I rose, I created my mini book The Nowosphere.
In my uprising, I felt I had to take myself out of the book and give the leading character (me) a pseudonym. "I just don't identify with that version of myself any longer" I heard myself tell friends when talking about the impending changes to my book. I went so far as to change my name to 'Summer' in the book (my when I go to Starbucks name) and started to think about a new book cover.
During this time my dear best friend and cat of seventeen years passed away. Upon his passing, he planted a seed within me. He said (and those of you who have pets know they can telepathically talk to you and vice versa) "Mom, change the title of the book to 'The Reiki Apprentice' and make the cover look like this"... He showed me a hand with a cho ku rei symbol in the palm.
I decided to yes, listen to the cat and republish the book with a new title: 'The Reiki Apprentice', and I even reclaimed my past and decided to put myself back in the book as 'Tuesday'. Yet I ignored what the cat had told me in lieu of creating the new cover with the hand & cho ku rei.
I had begun following a big shot 'indie author' who encouraged a lot of flashy marketing. Despite the cat's guidance for the new book cover, I decided to republish the book with the fancy blue cover (the middle book cover, above). I thought, according to my new author guru that this is the way to go as far as grabbing a reader's attention and making them want to buy the book.
There was much excitement in republishing a book that sprawls my innermost vulnerabilities out for the world to see. I had hidden. I had grown. I had healed and was now ready to really get behind this book and promote it. Yet when I republished it with the new 'blue' cover, something was amiss. It just did not feel right. The book did not feel fully activated in its power and ready for take-off again. I knew right away the cat was right. I had chosen the incorrect cover to republish with. F#*! I had allowed the fancy marketing fluff of my new author mentor to skew the truth I knew in my heart all along.
I know, I can blame the fancy indie author I was following- but really there is no blame, there is only the course correction to a greater truth. In fact, I knew the truth the whole time. I knew the book's correct and true cover was supposed to be the hand and the cho ku rei. I just decided to go around learning that lesson the long way. With it, I have gained much insight about integrity and the value of living an authentic, creative life. I could not get behind my book as long as the 'untrue' book cover was circulating.
Now the whole package of my book is here (book cover on the right, above). Third times a charm :) and the funny thing is the story has been untouched over the years, besides the brief interval of exchanging my name for 'Summer', for a quick minute. The story inside my book has never changed, only the outside.
I am excited to announce the outside of my book finally matches the inside. Hooray! Now the book is in its full power and authority. Now we are ready to rock n roll, so to speak- and share the teachings within its pages with the world... I celebrate my book The Reiki Apprentice in all of its glory! I thank each and every one of you who has supported me and purchased this book through all of its incarnations.
Moral of the story; you always know the truth by the way it feels.
Check out my book here- The Reiki Apprentice.
Namaste with Love, Tuesday
