This book, The Work Beneath the Work, has been a long time coming. It’s about how a difficult childhood becomes a creative career, told through a life, including the parts most business books leave out.
I’ve been posting drafts of chapters here for years, and many of you have already read those earlier versions.
Now, I have to choose a cover. And I keep changing my mind.
So, I need your help.
Here are six options, each pulling in a different direction. I’d love to know which one made you want to know what’s inside.
BIG YELLOW
The most commercial of the six — my version of a classic business book cover. The title couldn’t get any bigger. As an Amazon thumbnail this one is strongest: you can read it from across the room.
STARK PORTRAIT
A self-portrait. Since so much of this book is personal, it felt right to put a face on it — mine, drawn by my own hand. The simplicity of black on white appeals to me.
GREEN LEAF
Readable and quiet. I photographed this leaf in the backyard. There’s something in the idea of turning over a new leaf — which is exactly what happened when I started writing.
DESPAIR
The subtitle reads as clearly as the title on this one, which matters to me. The sketch is one of my favorites — I drew it for a piece I called “Ambiguity” last year. Simple black on white.
CRAFT PAPER PORTRAIT
Back to the self-portrait, this time on a scan of craft paper — a color and texture I’ve always loved. This version puts all the weight on BENEATH.
WRITING AFLOAT
One of my favorite drawings. It reminds me of years living aboard, when I rowed almost every morning. The solitude, the physical effort, the occasional seal — all of that is in this book somewhere.
Please tell me what you think — and soon. I’m printing an initial run of advance copies this month, and I’d rather go to press with your eyes on this than without.
One question is enough: which cover made you want to open the book?