Create Your Debut Picture Book Cover
YA has been done. Fantasy is yesterday’s news. It’s time to do something for the kids. Above is my debut picture book cover.
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What will yours look like?
CREATE YOUR DEBUT PICTURE BOOK COVER
1 – Go to “The Name Generator†or click http://www.thenamegenerator.com/
Click GENERATE NEW NAME. The name that appears is your author name.
2 – Go to “Picture Book Title Generator†or click http://www.generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=243
Click CREATE TITLE! This is the title of your picture book.
3 – Go to “FlickrCC†or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php
Type the last word from your title into the search box followed by the word “drawing”. Click FIND. The first suitable image is your cover.
4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Gettin’ creative is encouraged.
5 – Post it to your site along with this text.
If you create a cover, let me know – I’m going to post a reader gallery soon.
Covers Week continues tomorrow with an interview of cover-designing wiz Chad W. Beckerman. Click here for a full schedule of events.
Filed under: Articles
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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riddleburger says
I tried, Scopester, but what I created was such an abomination, I just couldn’t go through with it.
Is it fair to start over again? Perhaps “Cody Dahood’s” second work will be less offensive to all that is decent…
Scope Notes says
A do-over is certainly allowed! However, abominations are also welcome.
Melissa (Book Nut) says
I played along… my cover is here.
MotherReader says
Thanks for the diversion. Here’s mine:
http://www.motherreader.com/2009/11/randall-warm-frog.html
riddleburger says
I had gone to flickr earlier, not the flickrcc site. So now I have something that’s not an abomination at all:
http://riddleburger.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/what-im-reading-now-swine-flu-edition/
Jennie says
These cover challenges are such fun.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinningjennie/4089891463/
scrumptious says
I am loving these cover games! I’m really looking forward to all of Cover Week, here. I had a much harder time with this one than the YA and Fantasy covers, but here it is, in all its trippy glory.
I don’t know if you are still updating the YA gallery (and is there a fantasy gallery? I didn’t see one) but I would love to have my YA cover added amongst all the amazing work there!
scrumptious says
Yikes! That didn’t seem to work. Here’s the link to the post with my picture book: http://ya4oa.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/coming-soon-to-an-imaginary-bookseller-near-you/
Jim Randolph says
Fun one!
http://www.teacherninjas.com/2009/11/corey-short-pirate.html
tanita says
Oh, the horror.
Mine is here. Thank you so much for coming up with distracting silliness — just what I needed for a freezing cold, blah, gray day.
allegore says
This was hilarious! I can’t wait to see them all. Here is mine:
http://allegore.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/my-debut-picture-book-cover/
Erin Broderick says
Very fun!
http://msbrodericksbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/arno-ugliest-bicycle.html
Miriam Tuohy says
Man, those are funny. But what I would really, really love to see is a draft (at least) of the book content! because some of those sound awesome 🙂 That would be a real challenge.
Scope Notes says
I agree. Adding a plot synopsis should be the unwritten 6th step.
Patti says
Here is mine! http://oopswrongcookie.blogspot.com/2009/11/create-your-own-picure-book-cover.html Fun fun fun!
Boni Ashburn says
Thanks for the fun, Scope 🙂 Love these!
Mine’s here: http://boniashburn.com/blog/
BookMoot says
So many possibilities. Great fun. Here is one of them.
http://www.bookmoot.com/2009/11/my-debut-picture-book-cover.html
C.K. says
I’m happy to see another one of these! So much fun! Here’s mine:
http://ckkellymartin.blogspot.com/2009/11/create-your-debut-picture-book-cover.html
whaleweigh says
This was so much fun! Here’s mine: http://sassyshelver.blogspot.com/2009/11/quincy-wooden-octopus.html