Ask ten authors how their covers get made and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Luckily I’m not one of those who reels with nausea when they open a package to find for the first time the completed cover art, usually looking like it should go on a totally different book, if not genre.
For a while now, my editor has always asked me for detailed cover briefs – probably because she thinks it saves months of authorial moaning, whinging and foot-stamping once the cover process has begun. And that’s just how I like it. I have a clear vision for my novels – so why shouldn’t I have one for the illustration?
My personal tastes run to a more designery style. I find the representational style of too many genre covers tired and dated.
The Burning Man is scheduled for February 2008 and you can get a first look at the cover here.
And if you don’t like it, you now know who should be blamed…
It’s a great cover. I’m glad you’ve moved away from the typical genre covers with the last two books. I wasn’t sure when I saw the Age of Misrule cover, but JoR and this one are spot on I think. You are right about alot of the covers looking dated and tired. I don’t expect they help draw any new readers, sharp ‘designery’ ones should at least get them picked up off the shelf.
But February…..I’m sure it will be worth the wait, but February…..oh well I guess it will soften the blow of getting a year older ;-)
Loving the new cover looks, very eye catching! Definitely what you were aiming for to catch new readers. Can’t wait for it.