I’ve always loved reading. Back in the day, one of my favorite times in elementary school was when our Book of the Month orders arrived. I remember savoring the sharp acrid smell of ink and paper when I first opened my new book (often a Hardy Boys mystery or adventure) and anticipated being carried off into the story.

This week those same smells and feel of my new book’s arrival carried me off day dreaming about the inspiration and practical applications Growing @ the Speed of Change would open up for its readers. I also imagined the coming adventures with the speaking, workshop, or retreat Clients I’ll be working with in applying the book’s fresh new models and how-to steps.

This is my seventh book. And it’s the seventh time I’ve wrestled with the cover issue. Some of my books have had my face on the front, some have been purely business, others have used metaphorical images, and Moose on the Table took a whimsical approach with a cartoon drawing. Publishing industry research (such as Amazon) and testing we did back in the eighties with my very first book (The VIP Strategy) shows that author or subject photos are the most compelling covers. Our test showed the author photo cover outsold a business cover by 4:1.

But it’s always felt egotistical to put my mug on the front. We’ve had the same debate with web site, newsletter, and even my e-mail header. As you can see, Growing @ the Speed of Change, does have me front and center. Just as with our web site and other material, we’re going for a personal connection. Publishing industry research shows this is a major factor in how readers do, in fact, judge a book by its cover. Back in July the book cover designer and photographer spent hours shooting hundreds of digital photos looking for the shot that they felt combines a warm and inviting stance with action (inspir-action.) I am a little too biased to judge the photo that was chosen. I’m very keen to now see reader’s personal connection with this book!