Different versions, same story
Last week, I was talking with some writers about the weirdness they experienced in hearing their books read aloud as audiobooks. I suppose we all hear the voice of our narratives in our heads. I notice that whenever I read portions of The Secret Year aloud, the rhythm and tone of my voice changes. I don't try to do the actual physical voice of a 17-year-old male by artificially deepening my own voice, but I do adopt this character's cadences and attitudes. It would be fascinating, if a bit disorienting, to hear an actor read it, and I'd love to have that chance someday.
I have gotten to see some artistic representations of my book, however; in the images used for my book in the Class of 2k10 trailer; in a trailer that one lovely fan of The Secret Year sent me; and on the jacket of the hardcover. I've been lucky that all of these renderings have pleased me; even when the images don't duplicate the exact world that I see in my head, they've always captured the spirit of that world perfectly. And now I have a paperback cover as well:
This one captures Julia, the main female character, whom we only saw in a profile snippet on the hardcover. That's Julia, all right; particularly her face and her expression. And once again, I'm bowled over by the talent of cover designers, how they capture the essence of the secret year through which my characters live. Before I saw my covers, I didn't think I would want photos on the cover, because I was afraid they would be too literal. Now I'm in love with photographic covers, and so glad Viking picked the right images with the right models both times.
The paperback is coming out December 23, although it's already up for preorder, if you like preordering. I have new bookmarks for this cover, so if you want any, just shoot me an email at jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com.
If you preferred the cover of the hardback:
it's still available, "while supplies last!" (Although the hardback won't become extinct in December, hardcovers do tend to get much scarcer when the paperback releases.)
I'm so glad I haven't had to design my own covers. Visual art is a special talent, and I'm happy to play with words and leave the images to the professionals. ;-)
I have gotten to see some artistic representations of my book, however; in the images used for my book in the Class of 2k10 trailer; in a trailer that one lovely fan of The Secret Year sent me; and on the jacket of the hardcover. I've been lucky that all of these renderings have pleased me; even when the images don't duplicate the exact world that I see in my head, they've always captured the spirit of that world perfectly. And now I have a paperback cover as well:
This one captures Julia, the main female character, whom we only saw in a profile snippet on the hardcover. That's Julia, all right; particularly her face and her expression. And once again, I'm bowled over by the talent of cover designers, how they capture the essence of the secret year through which my characters live. Before I saw my covers, I didn't think I would want photos on the cover, because I was afraid they would be too literal. Now I'm in love with photographic covers, and so glad Viking picked the right images with the right models both times.
The paperback is coming out December 23, although it's already up for preorder, if you like preordering. I have new bookmarks for this cover, so if you want any, just shoot me an email at jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com.
If you preferred the cover of the hardback:
it's still available, "while supplies last!" (Although the hardback won't become extinct in December, hardcovers do tend to get much scarcer when the paperback releases.)
I'm so glad I haven't had to design my own covers. Visual art is a special talent, and I'm happy to play with words and leave the images to the professionals. ;-)
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