When it comes to book cover art, I have been so very fortunate, especially in my years of writing for the Christian book market. This doesn’t mean that every cover has arrived in my email box already perfect. Sometimes it takes several go-rounds before a cover is what readers will find on the shelves. But here’s one, Ribbon of Years, that didn’t need anything changed after I saw it. It gives the feel of the book, including the time setting (1950’s) when Miriam was the age of the woman on the cover. I love the colors and my name in the black banner. It’s simply stunning IMHO.
Most of my publishers ask for an author to complete a detailed marketing form very early in a book’s publishing process. Usually it is required before I have finished writing the book. When that’s turned in, the editor pulls the pertinent information from that marketing form to give to the art director or designer.
For my May 2014 release, The Heart’s Pursuit, I was sent a stock photo which immediately spoke to me. But since the photo had a contemporary look, a shoot was needed to get exactly what we wanted. A model was selected and I was shown a couple of different clothing options for the model to wear. Then the shoot was on.
I was allowed to select which of the poses I preferred from the three shown above, and below is the final result.
Anyway, after looking at those, I thought it would be fun to show the progression of a few more of my covers.
Two Options for Return to Me
(Both were good; I chose the one on the right)
Comps for The Perfect Life
(None of these comps were right for the book; back to the drawing board)
Final Cover
Comps for A Bride for All Seasons
(the first was too male western look; the middle two were
too prairie looking; the last was the best of the four)
Final Cover
Comps for A Promise Kept
(all are pretty, but the cover on the right was close to perfect;
it only needed minor tweaks to get it to its final state)
Final Cover
I hope you enjoyed this peek into the development of a cover. I have to tell you, I’ve seen a very early comp for my November release and I can hardly wait to be able to share the final result with my readers. I love it! Stay tuned.
~robin
