Write Thinking

FINAL POST ON WRITE THINKING

As detailed in an earlier post, I have relocated my four blogs (Write Thinking, Fact and Fiction, What's New in Christian Fiction, and Thanksgiving Journal) all into one blog on my web site. I'm doing this to make for a better reading experience. My web site is undergoing a makeover, but when it launches, I think readers will be really pleased with what they find.

So if you are a follower of Write Thinking on Feedblitz (via email) or on Typepad, please take a moment to visit robinleehatcher.com and subscribe (via email or RSS reader) or follow (via WordPress) to the new blog location. It only takes a moment. Wouldn't want you to miss any contests or book releases or special events.

In the meantime, here are the covers of two upcoming releases.

~robin

 

Typepad Does Make Exceptions

Yea! After my post and tweet about the policy stated in their Help section, Typepad contacted me and said they do make exceptions to that rule. I'm happy to say that I received my refund and that my old blog archives have been downgraded to a free Microblog. That means I don't have much choice about how the blog looks, but I'm fine with that. I just want it for historical purposes and have no plans to post here in the future. (Although never say never, right?)

~robin

 

Typepad Keeps the Money?

So, I am doing a redesign of my web site and moving to a WordPress platform. One week before I made that decision, Typepad charged my credit card for a year's service in advance. Foolishly, I made an assumption that I would be refunded for the months not used. But now I read in the Help files that they don't refund. Period.

What? What kind of customer service is that? I pay in advance and am penalized for it!

I will never recommend Typepad to another blogger. Never.

~robin

Movin' on Up

My web site is getting a total refresh. It'll be a month or two before it goes live, but I've already moved my blog (including all the archives from the past decade) to its new location. When the web site is finished, the blog will be more fully integrated into it for a better reading experience.

If you enjoy Write Thinking and reading my miscellaneous musings, I hope you'll join me at robinleehatcher.com. I'll be closing down this blog in a few weeks as it has a paid host, so I don't want to linger long. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds.

~robin

 

A Book by Its Cover: Go Ahead and Judge

There is no doubt about it: Book covers matter. The right book cover can make someone in a bookstore or grocery store aisle pick up a book, check out the blurb and perhaps purchase it. The wrong cover can make someone reject it out of hand, whether seen in the store or online.

Want an example of a book cover gone wrong?

At left is a repackaging of Anne of Green Gables (three books in one). For anyone who has enjoyed Anne of Green Gables (1908), looking at this come-hither 21st Century teenage model has to make you a little crazy. At least it does me.

Did the person in charge of the book packaging have any idea what the stories were about or the age in which they were written? Either the answer is no or they simply did not care.

At right is the 1985 movie version. It is much more representative of Anne. Don't you agree?

Most novelists with books released from traditional publishing houses have input into their covers but not final say. Sometimes a publisher reworks and reworks a cover to get it right and to the author's liking. Sometimes that doesn't happen and an author just has to grit their teeth and bear it as best they can.

My WWII novel, The Victory Club (just $2.99 for Kindle, Nook and other eReaders; on sale for limited time for $2.99 as well on audio), has had several different covers since it was first released in 2005.

2005 Trade Paper | 2006 Audio | 2011 eBook | 2013 eBook Repackaging

I'm delighted that the publisher of the eBook decided to redesign their cover as it never seemed right to me. I love the new cover that just launched.

Below is one of my RITA Award winners, The Shepherd's Voice. I never liked the first cover as it just seemed blah. It certainly didn't let the reader know that the story was a romance. The cover for the eBook (Kindle, Nook and others) and Audio editions released in 2011 is one of my all time favorite covers. It definitely says romance, and it makes my heart go sigh.

2000 Trade Paper | 2011 Ebook and Audio

I've been blessed with many wonderful covers, and I'm very grateful for the creative folks who work so hard on them. I'm especially delighted with the covers of my current series, Where The Heart Lives. They don't get much better than these three.

Belonging (2011) | Betrayal (2012) | Beloved (2013)

Do you have any favorite book covers? Any covers you remember apart from if you liked the novel itself?

~robin

 

 

On What Planet Does This Make Sense?

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Downton Abbey Season 3 DVDs which I ordered last fall. I was notified that they shipped on Saturday, so I checked this morning on the status. And I had to shake my head at what I found. The DVDs were shipped out of Seattle. But instead of coming directly to Boise (505 miles from Seattle), they went first to Louisville, KY (2,439 miles from Seattle) and then will travel back to Boise (1,875 miles from Louisville) for delivery tomorrow.

Instead of 505 total miles to get here, the DVDs will have traveled 4,314 to get here. On what planet does that make sense?

THIS?

 

Complete trip: Seattle to Boise, 505 miles

 

OR THIS?

 

Leg #1: Seattle to Louisville, 2439 miles

Leg #2: Louisville to Boise, 1875 miles

 

Just sayin'.

~robin