Making a cover design fit the book AND the author... ~by Linda Boulanger

For this blog post, once again I went to my author group to see what they might be interested in. The majority of them know me as a cover designer as well, so I wasn’t surprised when Chris asked about that. She wanted to know how I come up with my cover designs for different authors and their books, and how I mesh the story line with the book and also the author’s personality or preferences.

The basics of cover design are pretty much the same each and every time.

The process consists of:

1. Gathering information about the story

2. Searching for images that might work (often the longest part of the process)

3. Designing the cover

One thing that I feel makes me different as a designer is that I am what I consider an inspired designer… meaning I have to be inspired to create the piece, just like I do with writing or any other form of artwork. Some designers have their formula and can sit down … 1, 2, 3 … and they have their cover. It’s still work and can be just as time-consuming. I just can’t do it that way, even if I wish sometimes I could.

My process starts by gathering information about the story. I have a questionnaire that I will send an author, though oftentimes I just ask the questions via email. I like having a more informal working relationship because, to me, it’s the best way I know to really dig down and find out what the author wants to see in his or her book cover. That lack of formality also lets me get to know the author and what he/she wants. It creates a friendly atmosphere so that he/she feels comfortable telling me they don’t like something or that they love something, and when they say they love it, I know they really do and we have a cover that is headed in the right direction.

I get a lot of my inspiration from searching through images. I don’t see an image as a whole, but as bits and pieces. It’s kind of like working a puzzle… my mind is constantly taking these bits and trying them this way and that to see how they fit into the creation of a whole new image. Only each piece also has to fit with the information I have gleaned about the story. I think this is what Chris was asking about. How do I gather the information that I use to pull those tiny pieces of the puzzle out to create something that fits together, fits the story, AND fits the author?

 

The answer goes back to that initial email I send back that is filled with … QUESTIONS. Lots and lots of questions. I ask about the book’s characters: hair color and length, eye color, build… anything you can think of about a character, I want to know. I ask about the genre, and also the overall tone of the book. I also want to know if there are any particular scenes that stand out in an author’s mind that would make a reader feel connected. I ask for the blurb, and on occasion (but not often because I am super busy and not a fast reader), I will actually read the book to get a better feel for what the cover needs to convey.

I don’t usually have to read the book. Talking it out (preferably via email so that I have a written copy to look back through for details) is usually all I need and I often start to get a basic cover idea from that very first email. I’ve even conceived a couple of covers in dreams that have ended up being spot on. I love that and say it’s magic. My favorite thing is when an author tells me it’s like I could see the picture they had in their mind.

So, I guess the answer to how I get my cover designs to fit the book AND the author is that every cover I create is inspired by the information I get from each author. Talking a lot with the author, getting a feel for his/her likes and dislikes, and even their personality, or at the least, the tone of the book so that I can grab those bits and pieces of images to put back together in just the right way, is how I make the covers unique for each and every author I work with.

Next month I will continue with the part of Chris’ question where she wanted to know if I had a favorite cover and why. That, along with who is my favorite author, has to be one of the toughest questions I ever have to answer, but you can find out May 5^th, right here on Originality by Design.

A Must Do Experience ~ by Darlene Kuncytes

     As an author, I have been so very lucky to have attended quite a few different events and signings in the past six years.
     For my blog post this month, I’m going to touch on what the experience is like, and why authors and readers alike really need to do their very best to attend at least one of these author events. 
     I don’t care if you have one book out, or fifty - there is absolutely nothing like the energy and camaraderie of a well-put together author signing.
     As attending authors, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to meet fellow authors, cover models, publishers, and photographers.  We hang out and mingle with these talented writers, and get their views and opinions on everything from what to do when you have writers block to where did you get those amazing drunken cupcakes that you are handing out to readers! lol 
     This is an amazing community of support and love, and there is nothing like it when you have fifty plus of them all together at once.
     For the reader, it’s the chance to meet and talk with the people who weave the stories they know and love, and they have the chance to meet authors who may be completely new to them.
It’s totally a win/win! (oops! Sorry, my Valley-girl came out there just a little bit!) But it truly is something authors and readers alike need to experience at LEAST once in their lifetime – but let me warn you now, they are so much fun, they very easily become addictive!
     I love meeting and interacting with readers. SO very much. It positively revitalizes me when I find myself feeling a bit sapped of creative energy. Getting to talk with new people, and seeing familiar faces is like catching up with old friends, and it does the soul of a writer so good! 
     For readers, it’s an almost magical experience that won’t soon be forgotten. It’s exciting, and crazy and SO much fun! Plus, you get to talk with authors and get to know what makes them tick. Not to mention collect lots of fun swag! 
     

Me? I’m just here for the fun and hugs!! Lolol
     For me, the true proof of a great event isn’t really the number of signed books that I’ve sold. I judge a good event on whether or not I’m hoarse at the end of the day!! Lol If I barely have a voice left, then I’ve had a fabulous day!
     So, in closing, for the authors out there who may be intimidated by the very thought of attending these events, start smaller…but START! This is something you really need to experience. Friendships are forged. Idea’s are thrown around and you get to spend time with some amazing people!
     For the readers: Ditto! Come out. Meet us! Talk with us! Get to know us! You really have no idea how much we love meeting all of you amazing readers!

     Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope I’ve shed some light on how much fun these signings are!