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You know it when you see it. Its the paper sandwich that looks so yummy you cant pass it up. It demands a second look. A well-designed book cover is no accident. Its the product of creative knowledge and great intuition. When youre meeting your sweeties folks for the first time, you wear something special but not too garish, something that speaks volumes about what a great guy/gal you are.

My grandmothers advice to young women interested in marriage was, Be pretty if you can, witty if you must, and pleasant if it kills you! So it is with a book cover. Like a suitable suitor, it should be easy to love. Second, it should promise to enhance your life. A book cover must be both attractive and interesting before readers (like suitors) are willing to make a commitment.

Wisdom recommends using good common sense to impress the folks. If youre a mystery, be cryptic, enticing. If youre a self-help guide, be up-front and upbeat. For the right book, a humorous cover works miracles. Many a goofy guy or gal who dressed unwisely to meet the sweeties parents, have been saved by being funny at dinner. The gist? Be different, but not so different it makes us squirm. Be funny, but not goofy. Above all, be professional. And if possible, make us stop in our tracks to check you out.

It takes courage and strength of heart to follow the path of creativity.

Matthew Fox

Ceci Miller

Ceci Miller is the author of Sacred Visitations: Gifts of Grace that Transform the Heart and Awaken the Soul. The book shares stories of a rich spiritual life in the midst of creative work, family obligations, and the everyday chaos of life (including a couple of close brushes with death). Sacred Visitations teaches the 5 Steps of Sacred Awareness?easy steps that readers of any spiritual orientation can use to explore and expand their awareness of the sacred in everyday life.

A student of meditation since 1976 and a graduate of The Iowa Writers? Workshop, Ceci?s heartfelt stories of spiritual experience and contemplation--shared in articles, books, and public talks--have inspired meditators and seekers throughout the world. Ceci is the author of two children's books on meditation, and has co-authored and edited many published books, including Writing from the Body: For Writers, Artists and Dreamers with John Lee. After editorially developing a number of successful books on meditation and personal growth, in 1999 Ceci launched CeciBooks.com to provide editorial and publishing guidance to authors of uplifting, inspiring books.

Ceci is a dynamic speaker as well as an accomplished writer. Her courses and workshops in the Art of Sacred Awareness, based on her newest book Sacred Visitations, take a lighthearted approach to contemplation, encouraging seekers to discover common ground by sharing their inner adventures.