Welcome, Friends!
This is the First Official Author Newsletter offered by J.A. Helling, who writes Science Fiction, Fantasy & Sapphic Pride. You previously downloaded Glimmer of Hope, a collection of my science fiction short stories, and gave your consent to receive this newsletter. (I do not send many emails.)

I have been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, West Africa, a domestic violence prosecutor, a podcaster and an associate professor of Law and Diversity--and now I get to apply everything I have learned over my life to write entertaining and engaging stories for YOU.

I am a published author and I am working hard to build up a collection of epic stories to show you worlds and possibilities at a time when, unfortunately, many people are struggling. I welcome feedback on my stories and hope you enjoy them!

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I am learning a lot about the business of writing and publishing fiction. In this email I offer a look at how I began to think about book covers for my stories in progress. Please let me know if these sorts of topics interest you.

My first fantasy novel, Book One of The Divinity Trilogy, is in progress and slated to be completed in 2026. The book, Divinity Unmasked, focuses on two young African women in the far future, one of whom dresses as a man to escape the confining role for women in the society. Technology is scare, and the odds are stacked against our heroes, but never underestimate the strength and resilience of determined young women.

Book covers are critical because most readers make their decision based on what they see. I turned first to Fiverr, the online market of services including audio production, drawing and marketing materials made by people all around the globe.

It was named Fiverr because originally the sellers offered each service for $5. That time has come and gone, and depending on what you want, it can now go up to $100 or more at times. I recognize that it might be problematic to hire service providers in other countries at lower prices--am I helping out folks with not a lot of money in other places, or am I mistreating U.S. artists by not paying what a living wage requires here (assuming I even have enough money to pay U.S. prices)? Like many things in life, I find this to be a complex topic. I LOVED the Fiverr cover I got, but all the U.S.-based professional authors I consulted said the cover needed to conform more to U.S. genre expectations.
Here is the Fiverr cover:

So I got a package deal with 100covers.com, who are professional cover designers based in the U.S. They work with important cover decisions every day and know the market and book categories/genres well. You won’t work with the artist directly, someone from the company helps facilitate your writing of a creative brief. It feels more corporate somehow, but I am still pretty pleased with the current draft:

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Which cover do YOU like best and why--the Fiverr cover or the 100cover.com cover?

Shoot me an email with your answer!

My email is: author@jahelling.com​

and I always appreciate feedback and questions from readers.

Keep reading the Good Stuff,

(and by "Good Stuff," I mean Science Fiction, Fantasy & Sapphic Pride),
J.A.