I'm writing a book about the descendants of Alexander Stewart in Scotland, Robert, James and his children: Robert Wright II or William Henry or John or James Milton. The book is due to be published in 2009.
I would like some assistance in this project. I'm in the editing stage right now so my attention is focused on the silly, nitty-gritty of correcting my many mistakes, etc.
Therefore I would like some help in designing a cover for this book. I made a quickie using a template in Pages, it's cute but I think it needs artistic input. The photo is of Robert Wright Stewart and Susan Ann Ross' wedding in 1842. You may use it or I have one of James and Sarah Stewart from the same year. A photo is not necessary, whatever you may dream - the field is open. Let's see some of that Stewart artistic talent!
The title is not set in stone either. That is open for suggestions also.
A free book and a mention in the book if your design is chosen.
Bruce Stewart
I think your cover looks good – very antique looking. After thinking a little more about your title “Stewart, One of Many” I thought that you could use an old family picture on the front with many Stewarts in it but then highlight one of them and fade the others. Use that on three quarters of the page printing the title on top and then your name on the bottom over part of the faded picture.
ReplyDeleteAnother suggestion is to put various Stewart pictures vertically on one the side of the front (I am visualizing near the binding) and again highlighting just one and fading the others. Then put the title and other verbiage on the rest of the page. This would make for a simpler cover.
Five years in the making! Wow, what discipline and persistence you have! I see where Chris gets it from.
Bruce,
ReplyDeleteSorry to be so late to comment upon the book cover. My first response was and still is that It looks like an old photo pasted upon a book cover.
Suggestion 1:
If there could be haze-like transition or if the two figures could be a part of the cover as though the whole cover were the photo itself. I suppose in those days ornate surroundings were not as gaudy as we might consider them today...what were roses then are weeds and a trifle annoyance to our modern ways! Perhaps the printing (all or some) could be done by a calligraphy expert. Part of the cover could be an ornate 'picture frame' of sorts...a way of honoring or even glorifying our ancesters as perhaps we might even appreciate for ourselves if we lived in times when gaudy and ornate were really cool.
Suggestion 2:
Fade the photo border and create somehow more of a continuity in color and tone between the inside of the photo to the surrounding cover. Then show almost ghostly images that seem to be coming forward from the background of the cover itself. These images could be people, scenes such as a homestead but most of all suggesting some sort of activity. These images should of course be 'fading in' and not create too much of a business that would detract from the photo.
Otherwise this is a magnificent achievement! I'm proud of you Bruce!
Michael
Me again...
ReplyDeleteIn order to make suggestion #2 work the photo may have to be minimized a little but still must be the strongest element other than the title etc.
Love
Michael