Thursday, June 03, 2010

Thursday's Pre-Publication Post: Torn Between Two Covers

This week's major pre-publication development is this: Over the Memorial Day holiday, I e-mailed the wonderful cover designer who has been drafting designs for the Quiet Americans cover, and I told him that I'd chosen a design to go with.

In the end, I'd narrowed the options to two designs. I can't show them to you (truly, I can't--I don't have them in a format I can upload to the blog without some serious interventions). But I can tell you that they present two very different images. Opposite images, in fact. So I was, indeed, "torn between two covers."

It's a real relief to have put an end to the indecision. (The cover designer congratulated me on this victory!) Now we just have some tweaking to do (I've asked for some additional options for the byline font, for instance). Then, at least, the front cover will be done. Not all the info is yet available to complete the spine and back.

Speaking of covers...Last Light Studio, my book's publisher, has recently launched a blog. And about two weeks ago, that blog featured a post about the cover design process behind the company's first release: Armand Inezian's Bringing Ararat (which is now available!). Check it out!

4 comments:

Mike Hooker said...

Congrats! You sound relieved, as though you've jumped a high hurdle.

Felicity said...

I have often heard published authors say they had little to no input on their cover designs. In your case, do you think this is a benefit to working with a smaller press or just luck? Or do you feel that your influence was indeed small?

Erika D. said...

Thanks, Mike! Felicity, I don't feel equipped to answer your question, I'm sorry! I'm not familiar with the rap on cover design that you cite, but that may be because I haven't focused much on cover design issues before very recently! My guess is that luck, smaller press, other factors may all be involved.

Unknown said...

It's got to be really nice to be so involved with those last touches! I think it's great. Sometimes I read a book and think, "this cover has NOTHING to do with the book. Who on earth decided on that?!" So it's good to hear that your publisher has you involved, even if it does mean more work.