Lazy Authors Can Have Great Covers, Too.

Amanda Stevens is one of my new favorite authors. I read The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen) in under a day and a half. I could not put it down. If you enjoy paranormal mysteries and southern settings— think Spanish moss, dilapidated cemeteries, and sultry nights—then run to the nearest Barnes & Nobles and buy it or grab your eBook and download it. I promise you won't be disappointed. Anyway, here is the cover of her novel. [image error]
It's a beautiful cover, and Amanda did a blog post Book Covers 101 about it. What struck me was all the thought she put into the cover even though she admits herself that she had little say in the final product. She even went so far as to provide a detailed mood board to her publisher. Go take a look at it on her blog. It's impressive. I was astounded by the amount of energy she put into compiling pictures, imagery words, and branding examples. After all that work, how could she not have a beautiful cover? The reason I'm writing this post is because I was intrigued by how different her process was to mine. Just for fun, I've outlined my process below.Cover artist: So what's your book about?Me: A Coast Guard Rescue swimmer and a woman who survived cancer.Cover artist: Okay, what did you have in mind for a cover?Me: Um… well… um… it's a romance.Cover artist: That's a good start. Me: Oh! I'd like for the cover to scream romance! That way, anyone who looks at the book knows instantly what they're getting.Cover artist: I can do that. Me: Oh! Oh! And there should be water on the cover because my hero can command the seas!Cover artist: …silence… clears throat… more silence… clears throat again… how about a man and woman embracing and the man is melting into water.Me: Sold!
Do I think Amanda Stevens cover would have turned out as beautiful without the mood board? Yes. But God Bless her for knowing what she wanted; I certainly didn't. Luckily, my cover still turned out stunning because I have a talented cover artist who reads minds. If you ever read my book, you'll know exactly how well the melting man fits into the context of the story. Bless my cover artist for being brilliant while letting me be lazy.