Wednesday, January 18, 2012

If you're in the market for a book cover designer

Welcome back to another day at Storm Goddess Book Reviews and More! Today, I've got Carey, a new cover designer. She's here to talk about it, so authors, if you are looking for a good priced cover designer, then you might want to take note here.


Good day, Carey, and glad you could stop by. So, let's get to it, shall we?


 ME: Tell us a bit about your business.

CAREY: First off, most of you know me by my pen name Tabitha Blake. I just wanted to take the confusion out of who the heck Tabitha Blake is. LOL! I started E-Book Cover Designs By Carey. As a writer, I know how expensive a professional cover can cost and that got me to thinking. I wanted to help self-published authors in their dream to join the ranks of published. My covers are personalized to what each author wants and don’t carry the hefty price tag most do. This was started to be a helpful resource to writers. As a writer myself I know how overwhelming and expensive it all can be.

ME:  What can you offer those that choose to solicit your services?

CAREY: I offer personalized covers at a great price. Most covers will cost hundreds of dollar but not with E-Book Cover Designs By Carey. I work very closely with authors to achieve exactly what they envisioned for their cover. We all deserve a great cover without having to spend a fortune.

ME: What made you decide to do this?

 CAREY: A friend of mine was struggling with making her own cover or paying hundreds of dollars for a professional cover. So I started to play around with making covers and they turned out pretty good. After she’d seen a few that I had done she asked me to make a cover for her. Then I realized I could do it without it costing the writer hundreds of dollars and that’s when E-Book Cover Designs By Carey was born.

ME:  What is your website?

CAREY: My website address is: ebookcoverdesignsbycarey.com
Please stop by my website to see all the covers in my photo gallery. I will continue to add to this page as the business progresses. Also feel free to share this information with writing groups and friends.



ME: Let's talk about your pricing.    

CAREY:  My covers run 30.00 to 70.00. This all depends on the pictures and how intricate the author wants their cover to be. But you can get a nice cover for 30.00.

ME: What are some of the pros and cons you've come across so far?


CAREY: The pros are that I get to work with some really amazing authors. For me that’s just about as good as it gets. I love everything about book, writing them, reading them, and just talking to other writers. I also don’t think anyone understands a writer and their journey better than another writer. So I see things in a totally different light.

The cons…let me think. I guess it would just be the struggle of starting a new business. I’m still on the ground floor of trying to get the word out about my new business. It can really be disappointing at times but I have to remind myself that these things take time. But patience isn’t one of my strong points. Just ask my hubby. LOL! I’m the kind of person that wants things like yesterday. LOL! But with time I know this venture will pay off. I just have to push through the tough times to get to the good stuff. I’m a writer and one of the most stubborn people on the planet. Giving up isn’t in my vocabulary. Which is a great trait in a writer.

ME: What is something that surprised you on this venture?


CAREY:  Probably pushing past the fear of putting myself out there for people to judge my covers. It’s tough to open yourself to rejection and this is just another form of being vulnerable. I’m a control freak and doing something that takes that control away just really rattles me. But it was easier after I got my website up and running because it kind of just put it out there and not dwell on it anymore.

ME:  What else would you like customers to know?

CAREY:  I am a huge perfectionist and my work will never be sloppy. I want covers out there that not only the authors can be proud of but I can be as well. I’m very easy to work with and never question my clients ideas and visions. This is about you and your story. You deserve to have an amazing cover and I would love to do that for you.

ME:  Now that we've gone through the business....let's have some fun. How about some questions about YOU personally!

ME: Favorite color? 

CAREY:  I’m a pink kind of girl. I love all shades of pink. I think this started after I finally had my daughter after having three boys. LOL!

ME:  Other hobbies and activities you enjoy?

CAREY:  I love to read, crochet and write.

ME:  What is something (Other than loved ones, of course) that you just can't live without?


CAREY: My Kindle: I love reading. Last year alone, I read somewhere close to 300 books. I’m also addicted to my Blackberry. Without it I’m totally lost. LOL!

ME:  If you could keep a mythical creature for a pet, what would it be?


CAREY:  I think that would have to be a Pegasus. How cool would that be? For one I love horses and this would have to be the most beautiful animal to walk the face of the earth. Plus it would be really cool to fly!

ME:  Where is your favorite place to curl up and read a book, whether it be print or ebook?


CAREY:  My favorite place would be in my comfy bed curled up with my pillow and wrapped in my warm and soft comforter.

ME:  What do you hope to accomplish in 2012?


CAREY:  I hope to finish my ms Soul Extraction, get it edited, submit it and see what happens. I’ll give you a short blurb.

Soul Extraction:
Lyric VanBuren, is a hardened FBI agent with a chip on her shoulder. Driven by the need to hunt down sadistic killers since her parent’s brutal deaths. But she has never crossed paths with one so vile as the Red Rose Killer. She thought she knew the face of evil but now she’s not so sure.

Craigen Archer, was once one of God’s most esteemed angels but not any more. Now he is just a lousy drunk without a future, one mistake and he was banished from the heavenly realm. Labeled one of the fallen, stripped of his angel powers, until God summons him with a request. Hunt down the notorious soul-sucking demon, Nyx. Redemption is in his grasp; the only thing standing in his way is one very nasty demon.

Lyric and Craigen’s worlds collide when he is assigned as her partner to work the Red Rose Killer case. She works alone and makes that quite clear to him from the start. With time running out he has to open her eyes to a world she never knew existed and hope for the best. He has to find a way to make her believe or she may lose her soul to one of the worst demons to ever walk the earth. But will it be enough to save her soul and establish his rightful place in heaven?

ME:  Name five of your favorite authors.

CAREY: 
Gena Showalter
Larissa Ione
Laurann Dohner
Lauren Dane
Tina Folsom
Oh this answer could go on and on. I have so many but these are by far my favorites.

ME:  Name five books you're looking forward to this year.


CAREY:  Lords of Deliverance Series: Lethal Rider By Larissa Ione
Legacy Series: Quinn’s Quest By N.J. Walters
Lords of the Underworld: Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter
Immortal Guardians Series: Phantom Shadows By Dianne Duvall
The Bradford Series: Just for Fun and Just a Kiss By Erin Nicholas

These are just a few I’m looking forward to reading this year. As I said above I could go on and on.



Bio:
Tabitha Blake is a paranormal suspense and romance writer. Writing about the creatures of the night is her passion. She is fueled by the need to pen romances with dark twists. Her fascination with the paranormal keeps her mind reaching for the next great story idea. Writing brings her joy and with each story she writes her characters become a part of her. Tabby has a wild imagination that shines through in everything she writes.

She resides in the bustling city of Houston, Texas, with her husband and three crazy cats. She is the mother of four amazing kids that have taught her how to have fun and just enjoy life. Her passion for the written word started at a very young age and has molded her into the writer she is today. Most of the time you will find her with her nose in a book or at her computer writing. The need to read and write runs deep and is part of who she is.

Writer Website: tabithablakesnocturnalnights.com



Contact Email: tabithablake@ymail.com

E-Book Cover Design Website: ebookcoverdesingsbycarey.com

E-Book Cover Design Contact Email: careydoucet@yahoo.com Or you can contact me from my website.

Thank you so much for having me Nikki. I had a lot of fun.

Glad you could stop by, Carey! I wish you much success in your new venture and I hope 2012 brings you plenty of luck, love, and that your dreams come true. You have some very wonderful covers!

Thank you all for stopping by today, I hope you enjoyed this post, and please do check out Carey's site, especially if you want a cover for your book!

Until next time,

Storm Goddess


14 comments:

  1. Hello, Carey. Congratulations on your new venture. Your covers are wonderful.
    LOL, I'd love to own a Pegasus too. That would be so cool. I would also like to own a pokemon--Ponyta or Rapidash would be neat!

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  2. Thanks Brenda for stopping by. Having a pokemon would be very cool! LOL!

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  3. Great interview Nikki and Carey! I learn something new each time I talk with you :) Congrats on your awesome new business venture. Your covers are gorgeous and your prices can't be beat :) Much success to you, you deserve it!!!!

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  4. Great information Carey! I'll definitely keep you in mind!

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  5. Hi Tabitha,

    Best of luck on your new venture. I think an author who makes covers for other authors is a great idea. You know how personal the stories are to the writers.

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  6. Very nice interview, ladies!!! Carey is going to be a very busy lady this year for sure...

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  7. You are always so sweet Christine. Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Thanks Leslie! I'm available when your ready.

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  9. This is very true Daryl. I think authors understand each other better than anyone else would. Thanks for coming by!

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  10. Hey Tammy! Yes I plan to really be on the ball this year and accomplish some major goals. Im very determined! But hey have you ever known me not to be? LOL!

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  11. Great looking covers, Carey. Your book sounds exciting too.

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  12. Every time I see one of your book covers, I'm blown away by your professionalism. You have such a talent for creating a mood in your pictures. They tell a story all on their own!

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  13. Thanks Casea! I really enjoy making them and its really exciting to see them on sites like Amazon.

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  14. Thanks Sheri! That is awesome that my covers come across like that. My goal was to make each cover tell a story.

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