Have you ever thought about what the cover of your published book would look like? Of course you have. Just like you’ve thought very carefully about (and described) what your characters look like, what the setting reveals—all the things that take a bare plot and imbue it with life. Which is why it can be a crushing blow when your commercial publisher designs and implements a cover without your approval. Or, in some cases, your express disapproval.

Take the current controversy with the U.S. cover of Justine Larbalestier’s novel, Liar. On her blog Larbalestier described her protagonist, Micah, as “black with nappy hair which she wears natural and short.” However, the book cover features a Read the rest of this entry »

Nathan Brown has created a stunning and moody web design concept for my book with Angelica Harris, Excalibur Reclaims Her King.  We plan to launch the site before X-Mas as Angelica and I put the final touches on the manuscript. We actually intend to turn it over for formatting later on today!

Part 1: The Conversation and The Sketch.

Last week I had the pleasure to begin a conversation with author Heather Leah Smith on the cover design for her upcoming book, The Corporate Madonna (working title). This initial conversation is perhaps the most important one we’ll have pertaining to her cover design, because it is my first impression of her vision of the book, just as the cover will often serve as the first impression potential readers will have of her brand.

During this conversation I like to listen to the author talk about their project so I can get a solid sense of the ideas and emotions the author is capturing in their work. This bit of information is often times what carries me through to the initial concept. While the author talks, I simply listen and sketch. I sketch whatever comes to mind as we move through the conversation. Read the rest of this entry »