The Best Bit
The best bit of a new book coming out in my opinion is definitely seeing the front cover art for the first time. It can be a breath-holding moment if you’ve got a definite idea in your head about what it should look like. It could even be disappointing if the end product isn’t what you envisaged. I’ve been very lucky with all the books I’ve done so far in that they’ve all exceeded my expectations.
In my eyes, The Wild Rose Press has done another great job with my next book (to be released 23rd September). I had a really strong idea as to what I wanted to see on the cover of The Curse of Camelot – an erotic mediaeval novella – and it wasn’t exactly like the piccie above, which I think is a lot better than what was in my head.
With some publishers – The Wild Rose Press being one – you can submit notes as to what you’d like the cover to look like. Of course, unless you self publish, the publisher will always have the final say, although it’s important to remember that, in the vast majority of cases, the publisher does know best what sells!
For the Curse of Camelot I knew I wanted a close up of the main character, Guinevere, with a focus on her eyes. I imagined it would just be her, but the cover artist Diana Carlile added the knights in the background, which I think is a really nice touch.
Unless you’re with a publisher who photographs models for your book cover, your artist will normally work with stock imagery and will therefore be limited by the photos available. This means they can’t do things like show the characters from a different angle, or change their outfits.
When I see the email with the cover art attached pop into my email, it’s always with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation that I open it. Thankfully, I’ve always loved the result, and this one’s no exception. I was very happy when my son said about Guinevere, “She looks like you, Mum.” I was all smug for a minute till he quickly added, “Just a hell of a lot younger”.