Together Apart: Change is Never Easy (22 page)

By contrast, the cover I wanted — and which I proceeded to fight for through a long series of emails one Saturday between me, my designer, and a writer friend who knows a lot about selling books — would be less sensational: a man and woman embracing, wistful or sad. I wanted it to be sexy but not overtly so. I saw something defeated, not spiteful. I wanted the reader to see the cover and feel like there was an ending … not necessarily a breakup.

From a sales perspective, my idea was less compelling. The others thought it didn't leap off the shelves at all. They said the cover I wanted wouldn't sell as many copies because it wasn't catchy or overtly emotional. I argued:
 

A “destroyed” cover doesn’t fit the book’s tone; Sam and Zach's tale wasn't one of fighting and bickering. It’s two people once in love, growing apart. The others said it didn't matter. The marketing hook mattered more. “You should sell the sizzle, not the steak,” they agreed.

I resisted, they volleyed back. Alternative ideas followed: burned roses, a couple fighting, photos with faces removed or speared with darts. I hated them all. But what was worse, I began to feel emotionally crushed. I took well-reasoned arguments personally. It didn't feel like they were disagreeing with my marketing. Instead, it felt like they were insulting me on a personal level, ripping apart and burning one of my own memories.

Even at the time, I was shocked by how much this stupid cover debate bothered me, and how much it started to matter that I got my way. I've never fought for a cover. In principle, it seems petty and self-centered. I’m gifted with words. Others get visuals. I tell them what I like and they suggest what they think will work, but if those two perspectives clash, I always back down. I know my stuff, and hire them to know theirs.

But I couldn't let go for
Together Apart
, and soon realized why: I wasn't fighting for my cover. I was fighting for Sam and Zach, like they fought for each other.

Together Apart
was, without question, the most emotionally wracking story I’ve written to date. I cried while writing. And again while revising. I had to stop twice for solace because I couldn't take the intensity. Once finished, I had to rest as if I'd run a race. And then, for weeks afterward, I kept returning to this story in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about Zach and Sam. I’ve spent many hours sharing their lives (not precisely
creating
their lives; when you write good characters, they wake up and start acting without the writer's conscious will, and often in defiance of it). They are like my friends.

I felt so bad for my friends. Not only do I know some of their most intimate secrets, I was their architect. What happened to them was all my fault. I gave them life, thrust them into unwinnable conflict, watched them fight for their love, then threw more obstacles in their way the second they started to climb from the muck. By my hand they suffered. I couldn't let some cover designer who didn't even
know
my friends disrespect all they'd been through. It would be like letting a dispassionate organizer discard a childhood teddy bear because it clashed with the decor. Sure, tossing that bear might make the house tidier ... but sometimes love matters more.

I've never been divorced. But that doesn’t matter, because the book you're holding isn't
really
about a divorce. It's about love. And growing up. It's about realizing that sometimes, what used to make you deliriously happy no longer fits. Those things, I've felt as much as anyone.

I told my designer and my friend that I didn't care if
Together Apart
sold fewer copies with my inferior cover. I owed it to Sam and Zach to respect the love they'd tried so hard to salvage. I asked: when you grow up and your childhood teddy bear no longer feels right in the crook of your arm as you sleep, do you tear it in half and throw it away? Or do you protect it as you set it aside — reserving a special place on your shelf so you can forever cherish what it once meant?

I don't always order print copies of my own books, but will order this one. I'll set it on my shelf, in a special place, to be cherished for the time I spent writing it, and for the memory of a bittersweet love affair I’ll remember forever.

Together Apart
cover may not have the POP! of something more sensational, but I did my job. I took care of Sam and Zach … because even after they'd gone their separate ways, they would still take care of each other.

I Write My Stories For YOU …
 

This was the most difficult book I’ve written so far. Not the writing itself, there were times when the words poured out. It was hard because of the emotions. I held nothing back, and put a hundred percent of myself onto the page.
 

I hope that you enjoyed the story I told you. If so, I would really love it if you took the time to review
Together Apart
on Goodreads or Amazon.
 

Indie authors like me survive by the strength of our reviews.
 

Thank you so much ahead of time!
 

~ Lexi
Maxxwell
 

Do You Love Well Told Stories?
 

Lexi Maxxwell is one of the strong storytellers that make up the Sterling & Stone family of indie authors. Learn more about her, and the rest of the Sterling & Stone family (seriously, these are the best stories you’ve never read) by visiting her page at Sterling & Stone today.

Click or visit the link below to learn more about Lexi Maxxwell and her remarkable stories (and get over 100 FREE Lexi stories!)
 

http://sterlingandstone.net/lexi-maxxwell