Week 3: Works in Progress (Covers)

[Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto]

After you create your cover, upload the image to Google Drive and get a shareable link. Post the link here.

[Deborah Kellermann]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NxEp05oDTQ7ZVp5RXAdUlwFXclt2bpI3

Hello Dorothy and Classmates,

Here is the link to my cover. I welcome your comments!

Debbie

[Denise Epp]

That is very impressive, Debbie. I was just wondering how it would look with “How to Improve” together at the top and then the rest at the bottom.

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hey Denise and Aleksa, Thank you and I made it using Canva. I will have to go back into that Canva account and make the change and
repost both covers : )

Debbie

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

Great cover!

I agree with Denise about the position of How to. Perhaps move it to the center, at the top

Did you take the photo? Love it!

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

You know… I wonder if you need “How to” at all!

 

What if you had, on top

Improve Your Writing

and then underneath

Through Journaling

How does that look?

[Alex Semakin]

When I looked at it, the cover was great but somehow I wanted a capital ‘T’ in ‘through’. Technically, prepositions don’t need to be capitalised in titles, do they, but I can see Dorothy is suggesting the same. Maybe because it’s a long one?

[Rebecca Valdovinos]

Hi Deborah,
I love your color choice of blue for the cover.

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

Here are the covers for both books (already revised based on Dorothy’s comments).

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

The Keepers

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_VhrKu5mh4ITJ5WmubFu5SNYrnmu-Ur6/view?usp=sharing

The Teacher’s Guide

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DQll2iGxNBWrplAq8KxQniiY_4BXn-pa/view?usp=sharing

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I don’t know if I am thrilled with the font for “Teacher’s Guide.” Maybe try a sans serif? See also if you can find one that will do a curved apostrophe.

Thinking about the main work… if you were going to have a subtitle, what would it be?

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

I haven’t really thought about it.

Let me have a think

 

 

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Here are mine. I have five options so far. Ha. I have the chalkboard because it’s sort of a companion to my first book of essays, which is this one:

So, I think I already know which of the 5 options I like. But everyone here gets to vote too. 🙂 I’m labeling them from left to right, so here are A and B:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W884EsnRe8Ej6Q_pCNcEe9X0udBdsiKC/view?usp=sharing

and then C, D, and E:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eiykl9Io_usRHnlS-Q8JEbSByGA40dr4/view?usp=sharing

 

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hi Dorothy, I liked Cover A!

Debbie Kellermann

[Wilma Luth]

Hi Dorothy – I like B (but maybe with the dark chalkboard as the background?) and C.

🙂

[Alex Semakin]

Hi Dorothy, I like B – it’s the most dynamic one. The book pages seem to be in motion and the stack of books on the left is asymmetrical – there’s more life to everything.

[Alex Semakin]

By the way (I know we haven’t been asked about this), I think I can see a slight problem with the original book cover. When I first read the subtitle, it seems to be a list of two: Essays on teaching; English as a second language. Of course after a second I realise what it should be but initially my mind pauses the wrong way, because the second line begins with a capital and because the gerund and its object are separated. I would have put ‘English’ in line 1: ‘Essays on teaching English / as a foreign language’.

[Alex Semakin]

‘second’ not ‘foreign’

[Shi Min (Eunice)]

Hi Dorothy! I like B (with a darker background perhaps?) and C. 🙂

[Annette]

I like A!

[Denise Epp]

I like A too. It looks neat and tidy.

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hi Denise. I like your second cover the best. I also think that your name should be in a larger sized font!

Debbie

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Nobody liked C! Which was my favorite. We shall see, we shall see…

By the way, Alex S., the reason the first book had “English as a second language” was because that’s what the column in Essential Teacher was about–teaching in the US.

Our 50 Ways books say “ESL/EFL” in the title. Clumsy, but that’s what the profession has… Sometimes you want to specify just ESL (generally, English to non-native speakers currently in an English-speaking country) or just EFL (English to non-native speakers in a non-English speaking country), and then sometimes you want to target both populations

[Deborah Kellermann]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zIyCOfsapsSB8mOEuealvG5XUPc-SO7-

Hello Dorothy and Classmates.

Here is a folder with the three book covers. One is the same from before, the 2nd is with the “How to” larger and centered and the#rd is with no “How to” but the Dorothy suggested title of ” Improving ELL Writing …..Through Journaling”.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wMgoCkhzIEnjRzYv2UnpD_SpP8FHtS5n7xsaby-CZ6E

Here is the link to my ebook (How to Improve Writing Skills through Journaling) that I am sending again because Barb said my other link was still not working. I am looking forward to everyone’s comments : )

Debbie

[Deborah Kellermann]

OOPs! The info line should say”Here is a folder with the three book covers. One is the same from before, the 2nd is with the “How to” larger and centered and the 3rd is with no “How to” but the Dorothy suggested title of ” Improving ELL Writing …..Through Journaling”.

Debbie

[Wilma Luth]

Hi Debbie – I think the new version of the title (Improving … ) is more effective because it’s simpler. In that version, is the title in two different fonts? It looks like the font below the picture is different than that above it. And that your name is in the same font as above the picture. I’d suggest the book title be all in the same font & your name in a different font.

🙂

[Shi Min (Eunice)]

Hi Debbie, I like the third cover! 🙂 Maybe you can make the “HOW TO” bigger until it stretches through to have the same length of the picture?

[Alex Semakin]

Hi Deborah, The third version seems to be the most balanced one. And I think beginning with the word ‘Improving’ has a good effect.

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hello Classmates. Yes, I think that the cover page that has “Improving ELLs Writing Through Journaling” will be my title and cover page : ) I just can’t get it to upload to Draft2Digital!

Debbie Kellermann

[Sam Berry]

Hello all! Here’s a quick first stab at mine. Canva is very very user-friendly. I like it a lot. Coming up with a good title is really tough, though!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11fO2YLH3P06x9Cc_ZLjm3FThFCxabcaI/view?usp=sharing

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

That cover works well, Sam, I think! And I know what you mean about titles… I think you need a word besides “articles” in your main title, since you have it in your subtitle.

Some ideas:

Media Studies for Teens an Adults

Modern Media for Teens and Adults

Media Topics for Teens and Adults

Topics in the Media for Teens and Adults (as long as the content is topics IN the media and not topics ABOUT the media, in which case this doesn’t really fit)

Or even something quirky, and then leave a serious subtitle:

What’s on the Telly? Articles about the Media for EFL Learners (or, to Get EFL Learners Talking)

Doesn’t have to be What’s on the telly, but something like that, that gets at the tone of some of your articles. Film at Eleven; Showtime! On the Air, Cross-Talk; Going Viral; Surf’s Up; Media Darlings; Hot off the Presses; Hold the Press; Word of Mouth … you get the idea.

That’s what I did for my most recent essay collection, because I could not come up with anything as good as Answers May Vary. So I took the quirky title of one column (She Was in a Lift with a Priest Who Sneezed), and then added a subtitle about how it’s a collection of essays.

 

 

 

[Alex Semakin]

Nice cover, Sam! I like Dorothy’s ‘What’s on the Telly?’ idea. It would be eye-catching, and then the subtitle would explain what it stands for.

[Annette]

Hi Sam – Your cover is great. The style suits teen material. – Annette

[Denise Epp]

I think it looks great. Well-balanced and the fonts match with the design nicely.

[Alex Semakin]

Hi everyone,

Here is what I have managed to design in the limited time that I have this week, as we are preparing for our trip to the Promised Land.

The cover is for the whole book, from which I previously posted a unit. The book title is Grammar Digs, and the sections within each unit exploit the digging theme. I was looking for images that were more about archaeology than gardening but couldn’t find any good ones. I liked this one somehow. It seems to be in the spirit of the book. It feels English, and the story characters in my book live in an English town. And it has to do with digging, which is in line with the discovery method I use in the book. And there’s this idea of giving you the tools that you need to understand language. Ideally, there would be a few tags scattered around the grass with names like ‘present perfect’, ‘second conditional’, ‘causative’, ‘used to/would’ on them, which are the subjects of different units. But it would require some high-level artwork for them to look natural. I don’t know how to do that. I will appreciate any suggestions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15QXhvk6wfXTwY-p_UFNmsE0yC7x8XFtf/view?usp=sharing

By the way, the template didn’t show ‘free’, so I was ready to pay (I think someone said in the chat during the Sunday session that it would be cheap), but somehow I downloaded it for free.

[Alex Semakin]

Just realised there was a problem with my cover: it didn’t mention what teachers it was for.

Here is the corrected version:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aXLQ4qr0D6Eek0SndHFl7JrCuZoAVA5I/view?usp=sharing

By the way, I have doubts whether to use English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language. Americans seem to prefer ‘second’, but I think in the UK there’s the distinction between teaching it in other countries (Foreign Language) and teaching it to immigrants in English-Speaking countries (Second Language). The general term would be ‘teachers of English to speakers of other languages’ but I don’t think it would look good on the book cover. Any advice?

[Denise Epp]

That is great with the “digs” theme. It brought a smile to my face when I saw it.

[Alex Semakin]

Denise, I’m glad it made you smile. That’s what I want the students to do a lot as they work with the book.

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

Do you need the distinction at all?

A resource  for students (or learners) and teachers of English?

[Alex Semakin]

Alex, thanks for your suggestion. Maybe you are right. It would sound better. On the other hand – technically, it could be a grammar book for someone studying the grammar of their first language (English). I wonder what Dorothy will say. She put ‘English as a Second Language’ on the cover of ‘Answers May Vary’.

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Unfortunately, there’s no elegant way to describe what we do! I try to go for “ESL/EFL students” when I can. You could also try “students and teachers of English as a second/foreign language” or “second or foreign language”… or you can just pick one. They’re not the same, of course, which is what bothers us! But if I had to choose just one, I’d probably choose “foreign.”

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I would actually consider using a cartoon / illustration instead of a photo. I sent you a folder of suggestions; see what you think. You do, after all, mean a metaphorical dig.

[Shi Min (Eunice)]

Hello everyone. Here are two versions of my cover. Do let me know which one you like better. Suggestions to improve are welcomed too! 🙂

Cover 1:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EmsQZEUhoo0Af_BHYYZJAyxeoSM6PZu5/view?usp=sharing

Cover 2:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OacgqWmX1VKtsW3_i9dVUSq211iN07Xz/view?usp=sharing

[Annette]

I like Cover 1

[Alex Semakin]

Cover 1 – a lighter mood about it. 🙂

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hi Shi Min,

I really like Cover # 2. It is more visually appealing!

Debbie Kellermann

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

I’d go with Cover 1

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I like cover 1 best, but neither cover is the correct size… much too short. Check the link in last week’s .pdf that gives dimensions for ebook covers, or use the template on Canva.

Also, you have a lot of fonts… I’d use a maximum of two–one for the title and other information, one for your name.

Very cheerful, and I love the musical staff! Good title too.

[Annette]

Hi everyone,

Here are two links to covers for Flashcard Activities for the EFL Classroom. The first one is more serious and the second one more whimsical. Comments welcome!

Cover 1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VKkXr2_SPzwkAo2QYHky-Ag4pWWhUhSf/view?usp=sharing

Cover 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Xunx6hNsPQapOUmh7BKwiTE-PS9pErx/view?usp=sharing

 

[Alex Semakin]

I like both! Each of them is good in its own way. I really wouldn’t know which one to choose. The whimsical cover may appeal to children more and the serious one to teachers.

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I like the first one a lot better. Looks more professional (to appeal to the teacher) but still bright and colorful. My only hesitation with that photo is that it might imply your book is only for young learners, which it isn’t.

I had a look around pixabay and depositphotos, and I didn’t see anything good. If you have access to students, or just plain old teens or young adults, you could stage your own photo… preferably doing one of the activities you have in your book. But I do like the photo on Cover 1 as well. Nice and bright.

[Denise Epp]

Hello, all. Here is my link. I hope you can see it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JDsqF9q5WKLAeaXGfUNGjgjR0gyopzxm/view?usp=sharing

I put 3 covers into the pdf, so if you scroll down, I think you can see them.

Since it is supplemental to the textbook for the students, I was trying to keep it simple, but kind of interesting. And it wound up just being Supplemental…

Should I try to come up with a name for it other than that?

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

Hi Denise.

I’d use the full title of the textbook instead of just the word textbook.

Something like: (Supplemental) Reading Notes for English for Student Pharmacists 2 

[Denise Epp]

Great idea! Thank you!

 

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Oh, those are all nice. I like #2 best, with just the plain color, unless #1 matches the textbook itself.

I agree with Alex P. though that you don’t need the word [textbook] in there. Her version works better, I think.

[Denise Epp]

I actually made #2 first, thinking that I just wanted something simple. And then played around with some other ideas, but I think since it is supplementary, plain is fine. 🙂

Thanks!

[Rebecca Valdovinos]

Hi Denise,
I agree with the suggestion to drop the word, textbook. I also like the third cover the best because as soon as I saw the pill bottle I knew it was about pharmacy/medicine.

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I just love all the products along the bottom, too. 🙂

[Rebecca Valdovinos]

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your comments on my Intro and Chapter 1. I’m a little behind because of my travel to Los Angels, jury duty and a half day in the dentist chair!!! Not a good week! But here is my attempt at a book cover. Dorothy, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be. Do I need to resize it?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ya3lmIebmz2uTXwt8o-zGdo2hRSewkz6

[Aleksandra Popovski Golubovikj]

Hi Rebecca.

Maybe changing the font color of  One woman’s professional…

The white color doesn’t read well for me.

The cover is really dynamic and I think changing the font color would make it even more dynamic.

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Try it with a plain orange background instead of the stripes–that will make your photo pop more. Can you enlarge the photo to go out to the edges? Not sure how that would look, but worth a try.

I agree with Alex P. that your subtitle is hard to read. I’d put it below the image, in black. Reduce the size of your name just enough so that it all fits on one line, and that will give you some more room.

I am a little confused by the photo, actually–does she really have three arms?? I also wondered if someone was standing behind her, but I only see two feet…

[Denise Epp]

Looks good!

I would move the white lettering off the photo and put it under the photo in black, but a different font from the title and author’s name.

 

[Rebecca Valdovinos]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been working on my revisions for the Intro and Chapter 1, along with creating a chart Dorothy suggested I make from scratch. In addition, I’ve taken your suggestions and re-worked my book cover here it is:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j0U_i9OIw0MR2Fh0sfilAiE2Eh0OGT3l/view?usp=sharing

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

Oooh, I like that! Much better. And now I can see that she has two arms and a jacket, and not three ams. 🙂

[Annette]

I like the reworked cover a lot. It’s cleaner and looks more professional. The photo really works now.

 

[Denise Epp]

Oh! Just saw the new version! Yes, looks better!

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

One more thought… I’m not crazy about “culture” sitting there by itself. Try:

One Woman’s

Professional Journey in the

Majority Culture  (or perhaps “in the Majority Culture”)

[Wilma Luth]

Hi everyone, here are three versions of my cover. I went with a very simple look. Maybe it’s too simple?  I’m also not sure about the subtitle. Any suggestions there would be much appreciated!

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e9b-PbDGt7y-8DT8UUs7A-kimJvMVo-q/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aYH9iA7XybgbdrhDiYLEzZL_XTEY1CH5/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_bQAYe9brYSxbN4DmyMYUfrFoNVrlWK2/view?usp=sharing

[DOROTHY ZEMACH]

I like the image of the second one better, and those fonts, but also with the subtitle of the 3rd one.

[Deborah Kellermann]

Hello Classmates, I wanted to share what a wonderful help Draft2Digital folks were for me today. I had several issues with my e-book. I called and left a message with my phone number and my problems. They returned my phone call in 20 minutes and were very helpful at resolving my problems.

Debbie Kellermann

Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm CST

For help with an issue or to report a problem, we recommend contacting our Author Support using the email address below. This will generate a support ticket in our system so you can receive help faster. I pasted the info below!

E-mail:
support@draft2digital.com
Phone:

Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm CST

US: (866) 336-5099

AU: +61 (1800) 861488
Fax:

(866) 358-6413

[Wilma Luth]

Debbie, that’s good to know! Thanks for posting about it.

🙂

[Michael Free]

I’ve been swamped with other things, as has the gentleman who’s providing the materials for me to format. Here’s a version of the cover he / I have in mind. He likes the simple look, and as it’s ‘just’ for his students he’s not too worried about it being super-elegant. Comments welcome!

[Not sure if the link is working or not.]

[Michael Free]

I’ve been swamped with other things, as has the gentleman who’s providing the materials for me to format. Here’s a version of the cover he / I have in mind. He likes the simple look, and as it’s ‘just’ for his students he’s not too worried about it being super-elegant. Comments welcome!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ya4lEjJU6Ot7F1YL8syQKmWr0YoEzgAW

[Rebecca Valdovinos]

Hello Michael,

What age group do you intend to use the book? I like the cover, it’s a clever picture!

Rebecca

[Michael Free]

Hello Rebecca,

This would be for university students in Korea. I’m glad you like the picture. 🙂

Thanks for the feedback!

MF

[Author]

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