There are two things writing with a view to publication teaches you: humility and patience. Or at least it should! Not sure I'm qualified to gauge how much humility I have acquired, but I certainly don't seem to have learned patience!
My editor emailed the day before yesterday to say that she had seen the cover for my book, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, that it was fabulous (and my editor is not an overly effusive person, so I'm guessing it really IS fabulous) and she would send it to me in jpeg form as soon as she could.
And that was all.
I don't know anything more than that. Not the subject matter, the mood, the colour scheme. Nothing. Nada.
Can everyone hear my tortured scream?
When I sold, I thought the agony of waiting for contest results, requests and rejections would be over. OK, perhaps I wasn't that naive, but unconsciously I did expect more instant gratification. I'm here to tell you, folks, that once you get 'the call' there is even more waiting, the wait is longer in many instances and, because you have more riding on it, the wait is even more excruciating!!
And of course I have no say in what the cover will be and I don't intend to argue about it, no matter what it is. The marketing and art departments at Berkley know a lot more than I do about what sells. When we discussed the cover, I sent my editor a document with a heap of pictures that I had been collecting throughout the editing stage of my book--settings, actors who look like my characters and other authors' covers I love. I knew when I sent this that it would probably be disregarded but that didn't matter. I had done all I could to put my views across. It made ME feel better, and that counts for a lot when you're a neurotic, control-freak like me.
Now, it's out of my hands. Nothing I can do except--you guessed it--wait. ::whimper::
And don't worry, as soon as I get the go ahead, I'll be posting that cover everywhere I can think of! So, er, maybe I haven't quite learned that humility lesson either.
What about you? What covers do you love? Did a cover ever make you buy the book?
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6 comments:
Christine, fantastic news! I can't wait to see it. I bet you drool all over. I sure did over mine - although not over the coverflats that I'm giving away in my contest next month. Those are completely drool free. I promise. Hmm, this is turning into blatant self-promotion. Might slink back under my rock now.
Hahaha...I let out a tortured scream too. I can't wait to see it!!! Did you end up changing or keeping the title?
Hi Anna,
I'm still drooling over the cover flat you gave me of Claiming the Courtesan!
Kelly, it looks like I'm keeping the title, but you never know...it's not in print yet!
Oooh, the torture! I'm so excited for you, though. I have a good feeling!!! And yay for Alex. I am really impressed with veterinary science...
A great cover can make me stop and pick the book up. After that, well - it takes about 2 minutes max to decide, based on the back blurb and the first couple of pars. Sad, but true. And very depressing for all authors, but typical reader behaviour, I'm sure.
Fingers (and everything) crossed for a brilliant cover, Christine. May you be as lucky as Anna - and as I was. I know I'm boasting, but I still believe I was the luckiest writer in the world to get Mr Gorgeous for my first cover. In the unlikely event you haven't heard me yelling about it, he's here - http://www.deniserossetti.com/gift.html
And on the waiting - I FEEL YOUR PAIN! Mucho sympathies.
Denise
Can't wait to see the cover, Christine! I'd buy anything of yours, but usually I do judge a book by its cover (let me temper that by saying the blurb has to grab me too). I'm superficial. What can I say?
The last book I bought (because of its gorgeous cover) was Gail Carson Levine's 'Fairest'. One day I will get round to reading it.
Great news about your dog!
x V
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