The Wild Rose Press is one of a rare few who request input
from the author regarding the cover of their book. That said, however, although we strive to
meet and exceed your expectations, without good information from you, the
author, it’s a mighty difficult task. So
here are some things to consider when filling out your cover art specification
sheet.
But first and most importantly on the cover art
specification sheet as well as the manuscript information sheet, SAVE IT AS
DRAFT while working on it. If you lose
your internet connection for even a second, you’re going to lose all the
information you have put in before you submit it.
No on to the cover sheet:
- Be clear on the hero and
heroine’s description if you want to have them on the cover. Finding models that meet your
descriptions is very difficult, but with some tweaking we are able to
generally hit the mark. But please
be specific in hair color, style and length, ethnicity, and body size.
- Give us links to other
books, not necessarily Wild Rose Press books, that have the style you
want. Dark vs light, dreamy vs
stark contrasts, painted vs photographs.
- Mention elements that are
pertinent to the story. But don’t
expect all elements to be used. For
instance, an emerald necklace is a major point in the suspense story
you’ve written. That would be an
element that would work well on the cover.
But the heroine’s choice of shoes, while mentioned a time or two in
order to give more insight to the reader into her personal style, is not a
true element in the story, so it wouldn’t be a good candidate for the
cover.
- When describing what you
envision, be very clear, but also be aware that your ‘fabulous concept’
may not be appropriate to the market, or simply not doable. We have many authors give very specific
ideas on the layout of a cover down to the minute detail of the
scene. These types of super
detailed covers are usually composites of images, and may not look quite
as you had excepted. So understand
that your concept may not happen or may be altered to fit the market or
reasonability in design time and availability of images.
- Location is extremely
important if you wish for a specific scene on your cover. New York City skyline certainly doesn’t
resemble London. So be sure to give
us good information on where the story takes place if it is to be a part
of the cover.
- Timeframe of the story is
also extremely important if your story isn’t a contemporary. Medieval is vastly different from
Regency, as were the roaring 20’s to the 1940’s. So be certain you tell us when the story
takes place so contemporary imagery doesn’t appear on a non-contemporary
book.
- Be clear in things you
absolutely do not want on the cover, if you have any. Some authors hate people on the cover. Others hate people with their heads
cutoff, and some don’t care for certain colors. Tell us what you don’t like if you feel
strongly about it. This is usually
something we can avoid with good links to the kinds of covers you like.
- Do NOT send us a drawn up
version of your idea. We cannot
accept mockup covers since we don’t know where they originated. We don’t want to steal another
designer’s idea. While looking at
existing covers at Amazon and in our own store may seem like we’re doing
just that, we do not attempt to recreate the cover examples given. We only use them for tone and general
guidance on what you like.
And most importantly remember that the artist does not read
your book. They only take the
information you give them in our Wild Rose Press Cover Art Specification
Sheet. So give them as much information
as possible so that they may create the best cover for your book.
14 comments:
Thank for your the clarification on cover art sheets. This is the are that most intimidates me! But I've been very happy with the way Diana Carlile reads my mind. (smile)
Great information. Thank you.
Really helpful. Thanks so much.
Thanks for another informative blog.
I love all of my covers. Each artist has taken my ideas, hopes, and suggetions and created artwork beyond my expectations.
It's always helpful to be reminded of what to include for covers. Thanks.
It's so nice to be made of a part of this very important process. I love my cover and am grateful I was allowed the input! But kudos to Debbie Taylor who took my ideas and made them fantastic!
Great information. I always have a hard time with the sheets. But Angela does a great job with what I give her.
All good points to bear in mind, although your submission sheet for cover preferences is already specific. I write for another similar e-publisher and they, too, have excellent covers as you do, which goes to show...let the author have some input. Some of the older publishers have generic covers that could be anyone, anywhere, and bear no resemblance to the book contents.
Thank you for helping me understand that the artist needs information for the 'concept' to work.
Thanks for such an excellent overview of the process. I have been very pleased with my covers so far.
Great points of reference for cover art.
The cover for The Whims of Fate was done by Diana Carlile. She did a fantastic job. It is an actual scene in my book. The hero and heroine are at Good Harbor beach in Gloucester, Ma and are dressed just like in the scene. Absolutely perfect.
I have received more compliments on the cover.
Thank you Diana.
Jaclyn V. Di Bona
I was pleasantly surprised to find I could give so much information about ideas for my cover. I enjoyed the process and now love my cover, thanks!
I love filling out the cover sheets. I feel as if I'm contributing/helping the artist.
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