Jigsaw Puzzle covers

[Ted]

Reading the kindlegraph thread got me thinking about extending the versatility.

I've got an old version of CorelDraw which came with a jigsaw puzzle program. (Anyone who has CorelDraw could probably find someone in the CorelDraw forums who knows where you can get that jigsaw puzzle program nowadays.)

It's pretty simple, although my anti-virus program wants to know why the program is opening a temp folder to perform an execution.

The only problem is the program outputs an executable file (.exe) which some email programs don't like, and so I have to zip it with 7zip.

The program can make 4-200+ pieces depending upon the size of the image and other stuff.

Here is a small example of a jigsaw puzzle of a cover only, with 48 pieces.


And here is an example an autographed and personalized cover - similar to the kindlegraph.



And finally, here is an example of a cover only with 6 pieces.



Members should look at stuff like Kindlegraph and ask how they can improve upon it and use it to connect with existing and future readers of their works.

I don't know if offering a jigsaw puzzle to past and future readers will result in any more sales, but it is another way to connect with readers at little or no cost.

If you like the idea then go ahead and make your own jigsaw puzzles. Or maybe you'll come up with another idea you can share with our members.

[ahpellett]

Ted - I think a jigsaw puzzle that one could manipulate might make a fun ad-in for an author's web site. I saw an ad on facebook where for each "like" a piece of a jigsaw puzzle was revealed. Enough likes and the entire poster (it was for an SEC football team) was revealed. Are either of these what you are speaking of? Or something else?

[Ted]

My jigsaw puzzles are the simple move them about and fit them together genre, played on a Windows-based computing device. A player clicks an a piece, holds down the mouse, and moves it to where the player wants it to be. For example, fitting a piece into another piece or just moving a piece out of the way.

There are no 'like' abilities or anything fancy like that. I can send you a zip file with a sample puzzle if you want to look at it.

[ahpellett]

Ted - Thank you for your offer of a sample. I think I'll pass for now but will keep it in mind if I decide my author's site needs something creative and new.