From Mediocre to Masterpiece: How to Design a Book Cover That Stands Out

Creating a book cover that stands out is about more than just aesthetics—it's about intention. In this blog post, I share a transformative lesson I learned early in my career about how every design choice, from colors to fonts to empty space, should have a purpose. If you're an author or illustrator looking to elevate your book covers, I’ve outlined 5 critical questions to help you create designs that captivate and connect with your audience. Whether you're just starting out or refining your craft, this guide will help you turn your book covers from mediocre to masterpiece.

Kelley DonnerDecember 31, 2024Comment

Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 4 - The Celebrity Book Club

Barack Obama, LeBron James, Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon… It seems like every day you hear about another celebrity pushing their new children’s book. Is it just easier for celebrities to take a manuscript to the next level? The answer might surprise you.

A Little DonnerwetterKelley DonnerJuly 29, 2024celebrity books, storywalk, storybook walk, meghan markleComment

What is a Storywalk?

Storywalks®, Storybook Walks™, story strolls, and book walks are all names for an innovative form of storytelling where a children’s book is taken apart and displayed in a way that encourages children to move from page to page (we will use the name Storybook Walk here)… At StorybookWalk.com we have a team who believe it is possible to do a storybook walk just about anywhere and with minimal cost. This is why we have come up with many new creative ways to do storybook walks which work well both outdoors and indoors and provide tips on how to create these walks yourself. We believe that a storybook walk needs the following elements to be successful.

A Little DonnerwetterKelley DonnerJuly 5, 2024storybook walk, storywalkComment

Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 3 - The Great Book Award Scam

When I first started publishing, I longed for a book award. I remember seeing all those pretty stickers and seeing authors boast about how many awards that they had received. I would look at author websites and drool over the little seals at the bottom of the screen. I mean, who wouldn’t want a pretty gold sticker on their book, right? Isn’t that like a book publishing gold medal? What I didn’t know then was that most of these awards are scams.

Kelley DonnerFebruary 15, 2024 Comments

Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 2 - The High Cost of Book Reviews

I’ve been in the business of writing and illustrating books now for a few years and one of the areas which I find most frustrating is that of the editorial review. You would think that a good book just naturally gets good reviews, but that is not how the industry works. Traditional publishers send off their books to review boards months before they are ever published and usually pay nothing to have them reviewed. Self-publishers don’t have this possibility. They have to pay to have their books reviewed and this is not cheap.

A Little DonnerwetterKelley DonnerJanuary 26, 2024self-publishing, picture bookComment

Secrets of a Children's Book Publisher: Part 1 - Traditional Publishing doesn't pay

Many self-publishers begin with the dream of getting a traditional publishing contract. They write to dozens of agents and submit to publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Then after receiving countless rejections and waiting months for copy-paste replies, they begin to wonder if getting a traditional publishing deal is really worth all the hype.

Kelley DonnerJanuary 11, 2024self-publishing, children's booksComment

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kelley.donner@gmail.com• Cambridge, UK