Creating the cover for each issue is one of the most important parts of my job. In many cases, it’s connected to a feature story or reflects the general theme for the issue — in this case, Summer Fun. The more compelling the cover, the more likely you’ll pick it up and read it. At least that’s the idea.
The cover generally starts with a sharp, high-res photo, and sometimes we go through quite a few before we find one that fits the bill. It must work vertically with room for the masthead. It generally needs to have a clear focal point. Once the image grabs your attention, we hope to convince you through catchy teasers to open its pages.
Most often, I come up with the initial concept. Our remarkable designer, Lisa Turley, works her magic, and we tweak it until we’re ready to share it with others. Then, I turn to our team for feedback, most often starting with our digital sales and marketing coordinator, Savannah Atkins, whose aesthetic sense is spot on. I often run my ideas by our publisher, Kyle DeWitt, who frequently offers a perspective I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. It’s a team effort.
Whenever I can, I pull several elements together for that single page. The best, most recent example is our March 2022 cover featuring local celebrity KBTX-TV newscaster Rusty Surette holding an adorable kitty from Six Kittens Rescue. We had a blast with Renee L. Crockett from Floating Lights Photography who turned our offices into her studio for a morning. When distributors refilled our racks around town with April’s issue, they only brought back a handful of March issues. A huge success!
Sometimes, however, like this month, finding just the right cover-worthy image isn’t so easy. One photo I hoped would be perfect didn’t have the impact once it was mocked up; another didn’t make the cut because it wasn’t a large enough file for print. One I considered got a “hard NO!” from Savannah and a head shake from Lisa, yet that same image made our sales and marketing consultant Elease Hill and office manager, Wendy, squeal with glee! That 50/50 response from the team meant we cancelled each other out.
Sigh. What’s an editor to do?
I kept searching. I really wanted to give a local business some love. What fit all the criteria? What had all the eye-catching elements? I grabbed my iPhone and headed to HERPS Exotic Reptile and Pet Shop, whose story, written by editorial assistant Nicole Shair, lent itself to a lot of intriguing subjects. I favored one shot, in particular. I also fell in love with a photo from Powersports that seemed to embody our Summer Fun theme.
In the end, we chose not one or the other, but both! We thought it would be fun to print two covers for one issue. It’s a first for Insite, which we could do as a part of our larger print company, Integ, right here in Bryan. So which cover did you get? What do you think? Inquiring minds — at least mine — want to know.
Speaking of firsts, if you are reading this issue at the beginning of May, you still have time to vote in our first-ever A-List. It’s our honor to recognize local businesses and the value they bring to our lives here in the Brazos Valley. Voting ends on May 13 — and stay tuned! We’ll announce the winners in our July issue!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our Summer Fun issue — from cover to cover.
Best,
Ellen
Ellen Ritscher Sackett, editor-in-chief
Got a story idea? Pitch it to me! Or just write me a note and say hello. You can email me anytime at editor@insitebrazosvalley.com.
