Designing a Boxed Set Cover

There is so much talent in this group of authors. Below, Cindy tells us how she came about designing our beautiful cover!!

Designing a Boxed Set Cover

Kisses, Kids and Bundles of Joy

by

Cindy Flores Martinez

When I began the design process for the Kisses, Kids and Bundles of Joy cover, I knew I needed to portray two things – winter and a couple-in-love with kids. The boxed set is a collection of Christian romances, and every story is set in winter and has at least one child (babies, kids, teens) as part of the storyline. I’m no design expert. I had only experimented with my dad’s Photoshop, so I was prepared to hand the project over to a professional. Before I did, I wanted to see what images were available on the stock photo websites. Out of curiosity, I began searching for a winter couple with kids.

I found a lovely winter family that I liked, but the photo appeared pale and dull when I experimented with it as a cover. That’s where a bow came along. I had seen other boxed sets use them, and I liked how they looked, so I found a blue one that made the scene brighter. But things took a dramatic turn when I came across a glittery aqua blue bow that captured my heart. The glitter reminded me of the glittery sheen on the surface of snow when the sun reflects on it. And, well, aqua blue is my favorite color. In an instant, I knew I had to have that bow instead. Unfortunately, it didn’t match the winter family, or any other winter family that I came across, or a winter couple without kids for that matter. Finding winter scenes that match aqua blue isn’t easy!

And then I found the perfect couple. The look in their eyes won me over. They reminded me of the couples in our stories who are hopelessly in love. But they didn’t match the aqua bow, either, and neither did any other winter background that I sampled behind them.

It seemed the only solution was to give up on the bow, but I couldn’t do that. I loved that bow. When you really love something and want it badly, you’ll fight for it, right? You’ll find a way to make it happen no matter what the odds are against you. I couldn’t stop. I had to make that bow work. I didn’t relent, and I eventually found a winter background that matched. The little girl on the cover was the icing on the cake with her aqua dress and the glittery snow in her hands.

After I placed the images together and created a 3D mock-up cover, we decided to use it. Total cost for the full cover? Less than 42 dollars. Maybe next time I’ll rest and let a professional take over. I hope you enjoy the stories in the collection!

Cindy Flores Martinez is an Amazon bestselling Spanish romance author. She writes sweet romantic comedy and inspirational romance. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started out as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. You can learn more about her at www.cindyfloresmartinez.com