Hi ,

I'm sorry for not writing last week. I again realized it was Thursday, as work got crazy and things got away from me. I considered writing over the weekend and now it's Tuesday.

I can't pretend that I wasn't planning to get to Thursday this week and say, hey - it's a biweekly newsletter now!

Life is not as planned. I didn't plan on starting a new job without childcare, which puts into perspective how often or not I sent this newsletter. There are many newsletters that publish on a reliable schedule without fail (like Will Leitch or Ann Handley) and others that only publish when they have something to say (Nick Gray or Scott Stratten).

Both are admirable approaches. I hope to settle somewhere in between - I want the deadlines to get me writing, but also the flexibility to not churn out content just because I said I would. This is a free newsletter, after all.

But that said, I'm here right now to use this list for professional gain. The people who have signed up to receive these emails (still only one unsubscriber!) are a slice of people across my life: some family, mostly friends, some authors, others in publishing, and even some strangers. Hello and welcome! The fact that you opted in (and haven't yet opted out) makes you special to me. And I value your opinion.

When it comes to logos and branding, it's like book covers - everyone has an opinion. And if you're not a designer, you probably have a strong opinion. It's because we've all seen literally thousands of brand logos (and book covers and movie posters, etc.) by now in our lives. So you may not know why you feel a certain way about something you're seeing, but you feel that way all the same.

To that end, we've got a designer on the case for the upcoming Book Highlight rebrand. And that's super exciting and partly why I wanted to sign up - here's a chance to build something new that I was a part of and invested in from the beginning (of the rebrand, at least). We've seen a dozen or two different design directions and narrowed it down to four current options I'm sharing with this list right now.

Please don't forward this on, or post it anywhere, or be uncool about this - but I'm excited to test the waters a little bit. You don't have to work in publishing or even know who we are or what we do (but if you do, then please tell me in the comments so I give appropriate weight to your feedback), but if you'd be willing to look at these four designs below, then click the VOTE button, and let me know which resonated with you the most, I'd appreciate it.

VOTE

*Here's a link to copy and paste if that button isn't working for you:

https://forms.gle/RxWTZcanNktuQ3h99

I've included the image again in the form linked, so you won't have to switch back and forth.

If you could just take a minute and do this right now (you won't remember to come back later), I'd value your vote and additional feedback. To be clear - I did not design these and they ARE NOT FINAL by any stretch.

We'll be testing out many versions, varying colors/fonts, to find the right fit for us. I already have a favorite (and a least!) but I'm curious what stands out to you. I appreciate everyone that's here and a part of my inner circle keeping this that way. This is what I'd consider a bonus fun email and I hope it's received that way. Thanks for being here.

Socially Distant, Peter