Karen Kramer-Medema asked Lois McMaster Bujold:

I recently read Edward James' book on you (in the Modern Masters of Sciense Fiction series). In it, you are quoted, saying: "I've often wondered if, somewhere in my writerly apprenticeship and unknown or forgotten by myself, I'd made some sort of deal with the Infernal Powers that my books would stay in print forever, but the covers would always be dire". Do you feel Pen&Des have somehow lifted this curse?

Lois McMaster Bujold
Heh. Yes, recent covers are an improvement, both from Subterranean Press and from Ron Miller. Nevertheless, all the old ones are still following me around, in used bookstores if nowhere else.

(Quite a few of my old covers were actually good art, but very ill-served by some obscuring poor cover design, and/or the fact that they did not convey the actual content or tone of the story they encased.)

If I had my wish my book covers would all be plain blue rectangles with title, author's name, and any pertinent series information, and nothing else. But that seems not to be the fashion.

Word-of-mouth routes around cover treatment, and I value it greatly. Keep it up, folks...

Ta, L.

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