Crystal (and others) --- Turns out the best way to get on the list is to email me (anna@kitenet.net) with your name, address, email address, and way you'd get the word out (blogger, newspaper, whatever.) I'll look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for being interested in reviewing the book!

Hi there,

I would love to review your book as well. I'm a librarian and love to look at all kinds of books...and I'm a newby to urban homesteading!

Great! Can't wait!

Dave --- I'll add you to the list! I'm sure it'll be another month or four before we'll have a finished pdf or a finished book for you to review, so stay tuned!

I'd love to get a look at a copy to review it! Congrats on the early interest!

Juli --- I appreciate you being willing to take a chance on the book despite the cover! I know what you mean about preferring real covers, but I suspect you and I are in the minority. Most people seem to want to dream when they pick up a book.

I have to agree 100% that this cover is too citified and tidy. I would never buy a book with this cover just on sight. The covers I really love have old, untidy gardens with lovely plants. Or imperfect hands holding tools. This cover does look like a Reader's Digest farming or Better Homes and Gardens compilation. That being said, I love your blog and so would buy the book because I know that what is inside will NOT be prissy, but real information.

Mom --- I totally agree with you personally. On the other hand, professionally, I suspect they're right....

Sara --- I think you're spot on. After all, if I wanted to just preach to the choir, I wouldn't be publishing a print book, so I'd better reach out to as many people as I can with the cover.

Justus --- I know where you're coming from because that my was first knee-jerk reaction. But they didn't complain about all of my muddy, realistic pictures inside the book, so I'm going to figure the cover is an advertisement and not really part of my artistic piece. If yellow boots make people pick up the book, I get a chance to sway them over to being non-yellow-boot people.

Yea... thats a hard one. I really like all the "authentic" pictures, per se, in your blog. I feel like they have some sort of connection to you as the author. So to have have something that doesn't accurately portray your perspective is, ehh... I don't know, it just doesn't sit right. I as well understand the concept, trying to sell more books means trying to reach more people and the audience you will be reaching "the weekend homesteader" may not acquainted with the more "rugged" look, if you will, of homesteading, and still have envisioned this fairy tale picture of what they imagine it being. So I am torn. I like the idea of reaching more people to get involved with homesteading but if it was me I would struggle not having the pictures on the cover that I feel accurately represent the contents and the author. But never the less, I am really excited about the book coming out and have already set money aside so I can buy one when it is hot off the press.

I suspect the yellow boots are there to draw in the Martha Stewart gardening crowd to the book. I think the cover looks great! I can't wait to buy the book!