Book Jacket Front Cover Design and Associated Logo – Phase 1

I am an author, and have recently signed a contract with a publisher for a book on personal finance for young people (ages 20-24). The publisher has asked for my input on cover art for the jacket design. In addition, I want to have a website logo designed that his closely associated with the cover design. This is Phase 1 only. I am looking for two different kinds of images (explained below). In Phase 1, I am not looking for production quality - I only need something to submit to them as a .jpg, to serve as a basis for discussion. If the publisher accepts the idea, then this may or may not lead to a Phase 2 project, where the idea is polished into a publication quality image. I will offer this option to the publisher; they may like the idea and ask me to develop it to completion (in which case, they will provide me all the relevant specifications) - they may like the idea and choose to complete it themselves - or they may not like the idea at all and choose to develop something completely different on their own. All the details are in the additional information section below. PLEASE COMPLETELY ALL THESE DETAILS BEFORE BIDDING. ## Deliverables The book will be released in a few months. My publisher is giving me a chance to provide them with my input on the jacket design. The publisher is a large one, with many new books coming out each month, and has their own artists and designers. But they are busy, and I am a "first-timer" with them. So they will do whatever is easiest. If I submit something that they like, they may just use it as it is, or with some modifications. If I submit something they don't like - or if I submit nothing at all - they will just design something fast and easy. My fear is that without some high quality input from me, they will just quickly design something that doesn't match well with the book or the intended audience. What I want to do is provide them with something that I know will be effective, AND looks so good to them that they'd prefer to use it rather than come up with anything else on their own. This is Phase 1 only. I am looking for two different kinds of images (explained below). In Phase 1, I am not looking for production quality - I only need something to submit to them as a .jpg, to serve as a basis for discussion. If the publisher accepts the idea, then this may or may not lead to a Phase 2 project, where the idea is polished into a publication quality image. I will offer this option to the publisher; they may like the idea and ask me to develop it to completion (in which case, they will provide me all the relevant specifications) - they may like the idea and choose to complete it themselves - or they may not like the idea at all and choose to develop something completely different on their own. Here are the two images that I am looking for: A. A primary image to be used on the front cover of the book jacket. B. A secondary image that can be used as a logo - mainly on the book's website, which is my responsibility to design (completely separate from the publisher's website). I plan to accept two or three bids, so that I can take some different options to the publisher. When you bid, you do not need to submit any preliminary drawings or ideas; I will make my selection based on the samples of your previous work (please make sure that it is clear in your bid how I can find them). Obviously, I want a very strong connection between image A and image B. If A is a very simple, visually striking image, then B could just be a smaller version of A. Otherwise, B could be a subset, and/or a simpler or stylized version of A. I am wide open to any creative way making sure that anyone who is familiar with A will immediately recognize that B represents the same thing. More about the book: The title/subtitle is - *Securing Your Financial Future:* *Complete Personal Finance Fundamentals for the Beginner.* Nonfiction, for a 20-24 year old target audience. Comprehensive, authoritative treatment of the fundamentals of personal finance for the young person just starting out - but presented in an engaging, understandable and very practical way. Design considerations: 1. The target reader is 20-24, but the target BUYER is just as likely to be a parent or other relative. (Might be a college graduation present, for example.) So the design needs to catch the eye of a young adult OR someone much older, just as effectively. 2. The book is written for a U.S. audience; much of the content is based on the US tax laws. So, any symbols, cultural references, etc. need to be either universal or specifically understandable to a U.S. audience. 3. The publisher is somewhat traditional and conservative. Not only that the subject of the book is a serious one. Both these facts lead me away from anything wild, trendy, funny, alarming, cute, etc. On the other hand, many people are already a little bit intimidated by the subject, so we also want to avoid anything TOO serious or forbidding looking, like a math textbook or something. I'd say simple, elegant, inviting, accessible, reassuringly authoritative, but still eye-catching would be good guidelines, but I don't want to limit your creativity by providing too many guidelines. 4. The publisher is Rowman and Littlefield. You may want to go to their website to see several recently published books and their cover designs: <[login to view URL]> 5. The title is the publisher's idea, so I am stuck with it. Originally I wanted to call it "University of Personal Finance" but they were afraid that anyone who had recently graduated wouldn't want to have to feel like they were going "backwards," back into school. So we need to avoid college, university, graduation, or diploma types of images. 6. One idea is the double meaning of the title word "secure." As a verb, it implies that you definitely need to take specific, decisive ACTION in order to be rewarded with financial success. The noun security implies solidness, protection, safety, and peace of mind. I think that some of the typical ideas that might come to mind, like locks, safes, or vaults might be negative looking - but maybe there is a way to overcome that. Similarly, I am a little skeptical about big "$" signs, or piles of shiny gold coins, etc. Many books on this subject are "get rich quick" scams, and this is the kind of design that they like - my book is a serious, authentic approach, and I want to portray that. 7. A recurring analogy in the book is a "financial river." (When you borrow, you have to swim "against" the direction the river flows, when you save and invest, you swim "with" the flow.) So another idea might be to somehow incorporate this river image. 8. Another recurring theme/phrase in the book is "bright financial future." So something suggesting a brightness, maybe just over the horizon (but not TOO distant!) might be a good image. 9. The image can be a design or a photograph - but any photograph would need to be free from any copyright limitations. 10. The image can include the title, the image can be separate from the title, or the image can even BE the title. I am being asked only for my input on "cover art," which is loosely defined. If I submit an entire jacket design, I am sure they'd consider it. If I submit only an image to be included on the cover, they would design the rest. So you can approach this however you like; it isn't necessary to design the whole cover, but if you want to in order to integrate all the design elements, that is fine also. 11. Book trim size is 6" x 9". 12. Phase 3 will be to incorporate image B into a website that I will develop in another few months. The only reason that I am asking for your B ideas at this time is because I think that some types of designs are easier to transform into a logo than others, and I want to keep that future requirement in your thinking as you design A.