Covers Are Everything

My last few days have been taken up by attempting to find an appropriate cover for my newest historical, due to release in March. While I know the best measure for a book's success is to write a really good one, let's face facts here. Most novels these days are sold through the internet. There are none of the tactile sensations that come from standing in a bookstore with the scent of Starbucks hanging in the air while you pick a book from the shelf and crack it open. Perhaps it was the author's name that first attracted you, but my guess is it was the cover art that caught your eye, even in a bookstore.  It's of utmost importance these days to be able to grab a reader's attention with a cover the size of a postage stamp.

While I love the cover for my upcoming contemporary, The Road To Comfort, finding just the right art for my next historical, Blinded By Grace, was a bit more difficult. What am I saying? It was a lot more difficult. Choices are more limited for historical covers, since most cover art is purchased through stock photo houses, and there just aren't that many historical reenactors out there. My publisher's first attempt failed because we discovered we had used the same model for one of my other books. The second attempt was a woman in a wedding gown alighting from a carriage. The carriage part of the picture was spot-on, but the dress was an obvious 21st century creation. I would have been laughed out of the Historical Hearts chapter of RWA if that one had gotten through.

So, the publisher and I both pored over images, searching for just the right one. Finally, three concepts were created, one of them a photo I had picked and thought was perfect. But, it takes a trained eye to understand that a stand-alone image looks different when you layer type over it. And type is needed on the cover for a few important things. Like your name. And the book's name. And the publisher's name, since they went through all this gnashing of teeth with you.

Ultimately, the best cover was the product of the art department, who knows what works. But it was a struggle. I hope, when I do get to reveal it to the general public, you'll approve.

In the meantime, I'm happy to share the cover of my contemporary, which is going to be released in March. The hero in the book is a man named Cyclone Kelley. This gentleman certainly stirs me up, so I think the cover is genius. Do you agree?