Misadventures in My High Heels
As she would say herself, “In my life, I did things out of order.” And it was not just learning to find fun in life in her 40s—and beyond.
Through a series of “misadventures,” author Lisa Ramelow found her way to raise two children while running an Italian restaurant. Listening to her customers and their experiences, she began to discover her own voice and inspire others.
Now a speaker, Lisa’s second book needed to capture this unique essence and spirit.
Creative Brief
“I want the reader to feel motivated to keep living their own life despite any challenges, and to be inspired to look for their own adventures and new possibilities in life.”
Lisa was referred to me by her web designer (and fellow author), Pauline Wiles, who had already established a soft pastel aesthetic with script font for Lisa’s brand. With a professional photoshoot in hand, right from the get-go, she knew she wanted to feature her photo on the cover.
But through our discussion, as I probed deeper into the book’s meaning, mood, and style, it became clear that this initial reaction was not the best fit for her cover.
Basic specs, however, were well-defined: 6 x 9, in both hardcover and softcover (plus ePub and, eventually, audio format). Coming in at over 110,000 words, it was imperative that I keep the interior flowing and help maintain the energy of Lisa’s writing.
“Paul: It was wonderful working with you on my fabulous cover!”
Cover Development
With website and personal branding in place, and a previous memoir as a reference, we had a starting reference to work from. The author was sure she wanted her picture on the cover, but based on our design discussion and her visual comps, I wasn’t convinced.
So, initially, we explored different directions: photo-based and more illustrated. Here are a few of the ideas I was exploring.
Getting the Color Right
As should be evident, pink is Lisa’s color. And although it took me a while to come to embrace it, I was all in once I did.
But getting the right color of pink was tricky. And I do love color mixing, adding a hint of yellow, a little less magenta, …
We didn’t want “Barbie,” favoring a more muted coral. But since this book would be printed and laminated POD (without the best color controls), it did take a little tweaking.
Lisa sent me photos of the versions, as referenced to an early printout from her home printer. I dutifully tried to explain why neither her printer nor her photos actually showed me the “actual” color. But in the end, we were able to get to something that worked.
Personality is Personal
Revealing an author’s personality, their quirky individuality, might seem to be obvious from the outside. But from the inside looking out, it can be terrifying! This is why so often memoirs end up “playing it safe,” going with a design and styling that is unlikely to upset anyone.
But with a bit of persuasion, Lisa came to realize that “safe” wasn’t her message. After several rounds of discussion, we turned the design in the final direction, hopefully making clear to her readers that this was going to be quite a ride!
