As first I thought I?d selected this image because of the obvious connection between walking your pet and increasing your step count.

However, this cover did not birth easily.

First there was the background.  The original image had a beige backdrop.  It worked with the brown of the doggie, but it was not emotive.  

So I asked my designer to replace it with something more upbeat.

But that palette was now stuck in their mind so each mockup still didn?t feel right.  The colouring was off, the font was off. 

Finally we struck partial gold with the title - a happy, joyful font.

I decided to pause the cover at that point, to give us time to replenish our creative thinking.

Design can be like that.  You can?t force it.  Often my covers come together beautifully and quickly, but once in a while they need time to sit, like dough waiting for the yeast to activate.

A few days later I resumed work on the cover.  I started experimenting with different gradient backgrounds.  Nothing screamed win!

Then I stumbled on a pink gradient.

Pink? hmmm....

The pink was a win!

When a cover makes me smile with delight I know we are done. 

Today, as I sat down to write this piece I realized there was another layer to my design choice, a subconscious driver. 

A memory from my early childhood floated up.  My maternal Grandma had a porcelain pink dachshund doggie that lived at the foot of her bookcase.  My memories of that home, that time of my life are glorious.  Now each time I look at this cover I think of that special season of my life.  

I wonder what happened to that doggie?  I must ask my Mom. 

Louise Alma

Publisher