The Evolution of a Cover

Posted on 4th May 2010
in Blog
by Erin Blakemore

So…I got my cover yesterday. *runs around in circles like a crazy woman* It is PERFECT. And it is all the more perfect because of its evolution.

Let’s go back to some time last year…my editor asked me if I had any ideas for covers and I faltered. I told her I LOVE the Penguin Classics series even though the silhouettes aren’t quite representative of the stories within. She agreed that they’re great and instructed the designer to do girly, with a hint of nostalgia. The first draft is to your left (click for larger version):

As you can see, the color and aging are TO DIE FOR. But after talking to my agent, I wondered if it wasn’t a bit too nostalgic. Part of the point of The Heroine’s Bookshelf is that these books are relevant today, and we worried that it might be skewing a bit to the über-reflective side without meaning to.

Luckily, my editor is a peach. She not only listened to our reservations, but actively solicited our feedback.

Cue more waiting. Much more waiting. I began to dread the worst (though no news apparently is good news…) And then, yesterday, this arrived in my inbox (lower right; click for swoonworthy detail):

Is it not just to die for? I love the fact that it’s girly without a trace of pink…that the linen texture evokes nostalgia while somehow seeming fresh in its contemporary silhouette frame. I love the colors and how they’ll pop off the shelf. I LOVE IT. My agent immediately wrote and asked if I liked it…I wrote back “I am sitting here clapping my hands and crying. So…yes.”

It’s so interesting to see the ways in which the second cover retained some of the feel of the original one, including the blue and nostalgic detail, while coming completely into the now.

I’ve imagined how my name would look on the cover of my first book since I was old enough to read…now thanks to my extremely able and efficient team at Harper and to the extremely talented Christine Van Bree, my wildest dreams have been satisfied and surpassed. After hearing so many horror stories of writers whose covers have felt like a violation or a messy afterthought, I feel doubly blessed…and I hope my readers will like it as much as I do.

Tags: art, book, christine van bree, cover, evolution, harpercollins, process, publishing, the heroine's bookshelf

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http://littlelightreading.blogspot.com lucy

i am so looking forward to reading this book. modern or nostalgic, i know i’m gonna love it!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Lucy (belatedly).

http://goodmorningidea@blogspot.com Ellie Bradish

LOVE it, Erin!!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, girlie. Safe travels on your mammoth road trip!

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http://theeagerreaders.blogspot.com/ Violet

Congratulations on the beautiful cover!! Honestly, I would have picked this book up with either cover design, but the new design looks much more contemporary and combines modern with nostalgic beautifully. I love that it more accurately reflects the content of the book, and the linen texture is gorgeous set against that lovely purple silhouette!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Violet. I am gaga over the linen texture, myself.

http://ramblingdesigns.blogspot.com spinndiva

I can’t wait to read it! Great cover!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Huzzah!

http://breathingcolorintoteal.com Debbie Mihal

Beautiful, Erin! It’s similar to what I envisioned for my book today, but also very, very different. So, of course I love it! Good luck, and am happy for your news.

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Debbie, and thanks for stopping by

http://www.wendymcclure.net Wendy McClure

Congratulations! It’s an excellent cover in so many ways. I dig how it crops to make a swell Twitter icon!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks! I’ve been digging the new Twitter icon meself.

http://katieleigh.wordpress.com Katie

LOVE IT!! It’s spectacular, and I can’t wait to read what’s inside!!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Aw, thanks Katie! I can’t believe it’s only a matter of months!

Pennie Magee

I love the second cover. I immediately saw myself reading under the tree. I would definitely pick up this book if I saw it on the shelf, and I can’t wait to actually do that when it comes out. Congratulations!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Pennie! Maybe you can read it under a friendly tree!

http://www.buriedinprint.com Buried In Print

Many, many congrats: it’s perfect, indeed!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, BIP! I appreciate it.

http://www.mischiefmaricookies.com/blog/ mari

Erin, It’s beautiful. And how interesting to see its evolution. I like both covers but the latest (and I guess it’s the final?) is more modern, and supports the idea that there are indeed life lessons to be learned today from great women authors from way back. By the way, who is the illustrator/designer who did this for your book? I’d love to see more of his/her work.

Congratulations! I’m looking forward to reading your book when it comes out. I’m currently reading The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte.

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Mari! The designer was Christine Van Bree.

http://www.claire-walter.com Claire Wallter

The first one was appealing in a very nostalgic, old-fashioned way, but the final one says, “Girls Read!” And I hope lots read this book.

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Belated thanks, Claire. I hope so, too.

http://gailstorey.com Gail Storey

Great cover, Erin, and I loved hearing how it came to be!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks for stopping by, Gail!

http://www.melaniemulhall@wordpress.com Melanie Mulhall

Erin,

Thanks for this post. It is instructive and it gives one hope. We often hear stories about the horrific cover the publisher has designed. How refreshing to hear a story about a publisher who listens to the author on this.

My take on the covers is that the first cover would not have grabbed the attention that the evolved cover will. It is definitely nostaligic, but it is not hip enough or eye catching enough to get the kind of attention the second cover will. And the second cover will look much better reduced in size and in black and white (as it will be shown in some reviews) than the first one would have.

Congratulations! I’m clapping for you.

Melanie Mulhall

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thank you, Melanie. I hadn’t even thought of the B/W aspect, but you’re right that the cover is eye-catching even in other colors or in a small version. I’m very happy with it, and glad to see you here on the blog!

http://www.suecampbellgraphicdesign.com Sue Campbell

Love those covers. I agree the first, while really lovely, is too old fashioned for a younger than dirt audience. I do really like the final cover! If it were silkscreened on actual blue cloth I’d go completely gaga over it. (Is it???) But I think it’s just right for the audience. And very attractive.

I’m a book designer. I commiserate with authors who feel they have little or no control over the process. Melanie’s right, that sometimes it turns out horrific. But most times it doesn’t, everyone has a different vision and the author is quite often much too close to it to objectively see the cover from a studied marketing perspective. In the end, it’s about selling books—and this final cover looks like it will!

Erin, may I link back to this story from my design blog? Also, may I interview you about the process as you experienced it?

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thank you, Sue! Did you ever end up linking to the story? I’d love to see it and would be happy to provide an interview whenever you like. Thanks for stopping by…I’m not sure what the actual production will be like, but silkscreening does sound swoonworthy, doesn’t it?

http://www.educationexperts.net Rosie Piller

What a transformation, and what a perfect cover! Congrats to you, the editor, and the designer. This will go a long way towards catching the right audience for your book (which sounds fascinating, by the way).

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Rosie! I hope it appeals to the audience I’m looking for

http://www.businesspundit.com/ Drea

The new cover looks beautiful! I think you were right to have it redesigned…it will definitely be enticing to readers. Congratulations!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thank you, Drea, that means a lot

http://www.thislivelyearth.com Priscilla

How many hours I spent reading under a tree when I was a girl! Your new cover is brilliant. Another reminder to follow the hunches to get what we really want. Congratulations on the cover, and the forthcoming book!

http://www.erinblakemore.com Erin Blakemore

Thanks, Priscilla!

http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com Caroline Starr Rose

Found you through Kirby’s blog. So glad I did! Hooray for strong females in literature!

The Evolution of a Cover

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