I would like a book cover to be designed and created for the following book:

Title: Summit Leadership: 7 Steps to Leading from the Top
Author: John Beede

This is a book about leadership and relationship principles. It uses mountaineering and climbing as a metaphor for successful leadership, hence the title, 'Summit Leadership.'

The book will be 4-1/4" X 6-3-4" and 96 pages. I have included a cover layout for you to match the guidelines in your design. This is my second book, so you can know that if you have the winning design, you'll have a design on a printed book (Of course, I will retain copyright to all designed material and no royalties are paid after the contest)

I am looking for a very clean, uncluttered design. Think Apple, or even the 99Designs website. White space can be a very good thing. There are going to be three editions:

High School Edition
College Edition
Corporate Edition

So please keep the audience in mind when designing. Extra weight will be given to bids that appeal to the facebook/apple-savvy crowd.

Important: I require that the text of the main title is clearly visible and readable in thumbnail format. This is essential for online sales!

There should also be some clear connection with climbing, mountaineering, mountains, etc. I don't want the mountains to be super-imposing or dominating the cover... but it should definitely be an element. Again, while the book uses climbing as an analogy, it is not a book about climbing. It's about effective leadership... so please make the cover reflect that and not emphasize the mountains or climbing too heavily, simply make them an element.

With that said, I have attached several photographs of myself climbing mountains. I don't necessarily expect or require these images be used, but here they are in case they'll give you some inspiration or guidance:

Finally, there should be a circle or medallion, in gold, on the cover that says, "Free $97 Bonus Inside"

BACK:
Back top should say, "High-Altitude Leadership Techniques"
Below that, use dummy text for book description and 'endorsements' sections.
At the bottom, include a space for the isbn/upc placement and a place for the author photo on the back cover
If selected as the winning design, I will provide you with the back cover text, image, and ISBN number and I'll expect you to update the final design to be print-ready.

IMPORTANT: Once the winning design is selected, I expect the following:

1) Deliver in a Fully editable (unflattened) Adobe InDesign or Photoshop source file to be delivered, so we can add ISBN/UPC and edit the book description text and endorsements text.

2) Once the text & isbn are added, Final high res PDFs exported to PDF X-1A 2001 standard with full bleed must be delivered (one file with back/front cover and spine), and low res individual pages of front cover and back cover at final size, without bleed.
3) The successful designer will also deliver a 3D version of the front cover for use in print and on the web
4) This is a “work for hire” contest. All rights to the winning design will be transferred to John Beede

Finally, ALSO IMPORTANT and expected: I will give a 10% TIP to the winner when they make two other versions of the final design.

The designs I'd also like done are:

Title: Summit Leadership: 7 Steps to Leading from the Top College Edition

and

Summit Leadership: 7 Steps to Leading from the Top
Corporate Edition

For inspiration and understanding, here are a few examples of books that have the 'clean' image I am going for:

The 99Designs.com featured book cover, How To Get Focused:
http://howtogetfocused.com/wp-conte…_520px.png

Whale Done! by Kenneth Blanchard:

http://www.amazon.com/Whale-Done-Po…23538X/ref

Most book designs by Larry Winget
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref

Fish: https://anotherturnusedbooks.com/sh…428-01.jpg

My last book, Climb On!
http://www.climbonsuccess.com/image…ncover.jpg

And here are a few more covers that I just plain like:
http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-How-G…843377/ref

http://www.amazon.com/Can-Make-You-…765711/ref
(I could see the book title saying "Summit Leadership" in RED with my photo giving the thumbs up in the orange jacket to the right, where Paul McKenna's photo is. Then, in black text, there could be the subtitle to the left of my photo, under the subtitle. Just an idea...)

Ok, get to designing and looking forward to seeing your work!

John