The Talking Palm

The Talking Palm; subtitle: How the childhood storms of a young woman’s life remained hidden until a palm fruit started talking

I am a former primary school teacher and English adjunct lecturer in New York. I have an MFA in Creative Writing. My book of short stories, Trysts With Nature, is registered with the Library of Congress. I published short stories in college anthologies. I also edited and self-published two anthologies depicting the creative work of children who participated in an arts program I founded at Smith College in Massachusetts in 1998. I did both projects because I strongly believe in giving silenced people like children and youth and the abused a public space to voice their stories.
I want The Talking Palm to serve as a wonderful public catalyst for fearless conversations among female teenagers, and American and immigrant women about childhood experiences they have long silenced for whatever reason, experiences that now need to be told.
I am a mother of three and New York is my permanent home

My target audience are teenage girls, immigrant and American mothers/ women, and people who usually work with food especially in America.

Like the young female protagonist in my autobiographical novel, my target audience, particularly teenage girls who are often saddled by cultural and other limitations, may be surprised to discover or rediscover how one particular item in their lives have important personal stories to tell.

Make the cover design grab my target audience's attention, raise their curiosity and immediately cause them to ask questions like: What is a "Talking Palm?" How can a coconut talk about childhood storms?

I want readers to pick up the book while they are brimming with the crackling questions and dash to the checkout line.

The design cannot contain licensed products. The design will be my company's logo and must be exclusively mine.

The front cover picture/image should include at least a picture/illustration of a mature coconut. If you can show the coconut's eyes and still have a beautiful cover, that would be perfect.

In my novel, the protagonist saw a mature coconut, which triggered her memory of childhood experiences, many of which involved the coconut in one form or another. (see excerpt attachments)

In this autobiographical novel, the main female character grew up in the Caribbean.

I like smooth primary colors and a neat, minimalist cover design.

Design the cover for print and ebook.

Front: title, subtitle, picture/illustration, author’s name

Spine: title, subtitle, author's name, picture/image

Back: summary, biography, ISBN and bar codes
I will supply ISBN and bar codes once I approve final cover

file format: pdf
Resolution: 300 dpi
book size: 51/2 by 81/2
Color space: CMYK
Thank you