And no it's not just because the cover is beautiful. Which it is. It's not just because it could easily illustrate a scene from the book. It's also not just because it's very close to what I asked for when my editor asked me what I thought would be an ideal cover, but with some wonderful improvements. Though I love those things, I could happily have lived without them if the cover did one other thing really well.
Advertise the book.
More than anything else, a book's cover is a promotional poster for the book. It needs to attract the reader's eye. Most especially it should attract the eye of the sort of reader who would love the book the cover is fronting. Basically what you want is something that will express the contents of the book in a really eye catching way.
A cover needs to a tell a story that goes a little like this: This ___________ book is AWESOME with AWESOME sauce on the side! You want to read this! And that blank spot should be filled with whatever type of book it is. Big Machines SF, or Pulse Pounding Adventure, Or Noir Assassin Fantasy. Every other thing the cover can or should do is secondary.
The fact that this cover manages to do that while also being beautiful, accurate to the contents, and just exactly what I would have hoped for is why I love this one with a deep and abiding passion. And I owe everyone involved with it a big thank you.
So, to Cover artist: John Jude Palencar, Art Director & cover designer: Judith Lagerman, and of course, my editor: Anne Sowards.
THANK YOU
8 comments:
Gorgeous cover! Congratulations.
KDM + JJP = AWESOME SAUCE.
That is lovely! Definitely grabs my eye!
Great art work, and great lettering!
Really is a fantastic cover, and does exactly what it needs to do. :)
That is really a fabulous cover!
I am so getting this book, KMc!!!
When you come out to Powells here in Portland, you can autograph it for me. As long as you let me and Wayne take you and the Doctor out for great Thai food first.
Looks good, Kelly.
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