Cover Art

[AndreaGS]

How much say does an author have in their cover art? Do they get to at least ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ it? Do they have any choice at all in the artist?

I will have my first novel completed by early 2006. I also work part time doing freelance illustration. How likely is it that I would be able to illustrate my cover as well (this is all assuming I can get it published)? Would I have a better chance at it if I presented them with my proposed cover, fully finished? At what point, and to who would I mention my desire to illustrate my own cover?


A lot of questions, I know. It’s always been my dream to write and illustrate my own novels. Any help you can offer would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[JerseyGirl1962]

I take a stab at it, Andrea, although I don't have any first hand knowledge (probably a bad thing, but work is driving me crazy at the moment).

My guess is that if you're published with a traditional publisher, they decide on who does the cover; for me, as a reader, it helps as to whether or not I'll decide to purchase a book. (That doesn't necessarily mean the story will be any good, naturally.)

I'll leave whether they allow you a "yea" or "nay" to those who've had their books published traditionally.

If you decide to go POD, I'm assuming (I know, a loaded word) you would have more control over the cover. But that's because you're paying the upfront fees for them to produce your book.

I have a publishing credit but it's not for a novel, so my guess might be way off. But that's my gut feeling about it.

BTW, if you're interested in illustrating, why don't you try to interest some of the sci fi/fantasy mags in your work? That way, you could get paid for your illustrations AND your book (thru a traditional publisher).

Just a thought. :)

~Nancy

[Christine N.]

It also depends on the size of the publisher. When my illustrator is finished with a drawing, the publisher sends it on to me. I've loved them all, so I haven't really had anything to say. The Art director is really who has the final say, but I guess if I really had an opinion I could voice it.

[Gravity]

I'll chime in here. My first novel was printed by the Publisher-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (oh nuts, I'll name 'em. It was PA, the year was 2001, and nobody had ever heard of them, my bad).

They used some ideas my son had come up with, and they weren't too awfully bad. My next novel was commericially published by a big CBA house. I had no input into the cover design, but it was dead-perfect. My editor there told me the marketing people got together with the designers, and that's how they came up with it. A cover, after all, is an advertisement, he said, and these guys did a great job.

The cover to the sequel, out on Oct 1, I've also seen. Thankfully it, too, is killer. So will I ever have an input into a cover idea? Possibly, but as long as they keep coming up with artwork like these, why should I squawk? *G*

John

[Susan Gable]

Not only does it depend on the publisher, at some publishers it depends on how "big" the author is, too. (or how good their agents are.) :) Some authors have managed to get cover art and cover blurb approval written into their contracts.

At Harlequin, we are asked to fill out Art Fact Sheets. We give 3 ideas for a cover scene. We describe the main characters, settings, etc. I often send in the pictures I use when I write (as a visual person, it helps me to have pictures - I often find my heroes and heroines on model websites or in catalogs.) just to give the art department a visual of how I saw my characters.

Sometimes they use our ideas, sometimes they don't. Overall, though, I've been thrilled with the job the Harlequin art department has done on my books. Skill in the art department of your publisher obviously matters. :)

Susan G.

[Sunny7L]

I also have my own coverart, but I don't want to be presumptuous. But, I was hoping it would demonstrate my enthusiasm. I already have a website/domain too (though not yet public/accessible).

[Tish Davidson]

If you publish with a mainstream publisher, you will have little control over the art and the title may be changed. These are decisions made by the marketing department based on what they believe will cause people to pick up the book and buy it.

[Cathy C]

At Harlequin, we are asked to fill out Art Fact Sheets. We give 3 ideas for a cover scene. We describe the main characters, settings, etc. I often send in the pictures I use when I write (as a visual person, it helps me to have pictures - I often find my heroes and heroines on model websites or in catalogs.) just to give the art department a visual of how I saw my characters.


At Tor, it's called a "Cover Concept Memo", and asks the same things. We do get to make a suggestion of which staff artist we'd prefer (we don't always get the artist, mind you -- for a variety of reasons, but we get to ask) I'm also visual, so I'll send a picture of who I worked from. The truly eerie thing that happened on our second book was that the person I picked from a random web photo ended up the MODEL for the cover. :eek: Too weird. Even the editor thought so. :ROFL:

[AndreaGS]

Thanks for all the replies! It really helped to give me some insight into what goes onto the cover and why. Unfortunately, doesn't seem like I have much chance at getting my own work on the cover :(

JerseyGirl - I've done some commercial fantasy illustration, but I find doing my own work is more fulfilling, and, in the end, it pays more.

Cathy C - that is too funny! :ROFL: Kind of eerie, also, in a way...

I know Janny Wurts writes and illustrates the covers of her novels. I'll probably drop her an email and ask how she did it. I'll figure out a way eventually, I'm sure. If someone else has done it, no reason why I can't!

[Christine N.]

Hey, Andrea, that's a great banner. The book I'm writing now has to do with Ancient Egypt, is why I noticed it right away. It's good!

[Susan Gable]

The truly eerie thing that happened on our second book was that the person I picked from a random web photo ended up the MODEL for the cover. :eek: Too weird. Even the editor thought so. :ROFL:

That's cool, Cathy! For my first book, I actually requested a model by name (I knew he'd done other H/S covers) and I was so happy that I actually got him! He just happened to be perfect for how I envisioned my hero.

Susan G.

[Jamesaritchie]

Generally speaking, a new writer with a mainstream publisher has zero say about cover art, though he or she may be asked about idea. But it's the pubisher's decision, and they have people they pay big bucks to do cover art that will sell a novel.

Cover art isn't about pretty, it's about marketing.

Writers usually know only what they like or don't, and nothing about marketing, nothng about why one type of cover sells and another doesn't.

It's usually best for the writer to do what the writer does best, which is write, and let the publisher and marketing department and art department do what they do best, which is screw up perfectly good covers for the sake of sales.

[AndreaGS]

Christine N. - Thanks! The painting it comes from is a couple years old, but I'm still quite fond of it since it got me into The New Masters of Fantasy collection for 2004. :heart:!

Jamesaritchie - I understand and agree completely with what you're saying. I guess what I'm asking is, for someone who has worked professionally as an artist, how would one go about it?

I know I can paint a cover that would be as good as what you find on the shelves. So, assuming you have the ability to paint a good cover, how do you go about getting your art on your book? Are there any other aspiring author/artists out there?

Meh. I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time I'm ready to start submitting, I'm just kind of thinking, should I start working on my cover now? Would it better my chances at all if I could show 'em "look, I CAN paint my own cover"?

Thanks again for all the feedback!

[Mistook]

I wouldn't worry too much about the cover. If the book is successful, it will probably have a few different covers, I'd think.

Best bet is to write such an amazingly awesome book that years from now, fans will be demanding your artwork on the dust jacket for the super-duper hard cover anniversary edition.

[Jamesaritchie]

Christine N. - Thanks! The painting it comes from is a couple years old, but I'm still quite fond of it since it got me into The New Masters of Fantasy collection for 2004. :heart:!

Jamesaritchie - I understand and agree completely with what you're saying. I guess what I'm asking is, for someone who has worked professionally as an artist, how would one go about it?

I know I can paint a cover that would be as good as what you find on the shelves. So, assuming you have the ability to paint a good cover, how do you go about getting your art on your book? Are there any other aspiring author/artists out there?

Meh. I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time I'm ready to start submitting, I'm just kind of thinking, should I start working on my cover now? Would it better my chances at all if I could show 'em "look, I CAN paint my own cover"?

Thanks again for all the feedback!

The easiest approach is to ask. Tell the editor you are a professional artist and would like to know if it's possible to do your own cover. Sometimes it's just this simple., if you have the credentials.

But remember that ability to paint and marketing are two different things. Even if you should get to do the cover, it might well still be the cover they want, not the cover you want.

It can also depend on the book. Many covers are painted from live models of the publisher's choice.

[Jamesaritchie]

One last thing. Cover art, along with many other things new writers think about, usually compare to the famous recipe for rabbit stew that Lawrence Block mentions in one of his books. The recipe begins, "First, catch a rabbit."

First you finish and sell the book, then you worry about cover art. Writers get distracted with everything from format to word count to cover art long way too early in the process, and many of these things can take the concentration away from where it belongs, which is catching the rabbit.

[AndreaGS]

Thanks for the advice, Mistook and Jamesaritchie!

I'll worry about it later. Right now I'll just work on catching that rabbit! :)

[Kiva Wolfe]

I guess it depends on the publisher and the contract offered, but you can always try to get full rights to the cover concept. If you don't feel comfortable with negotiating, consider hiring a lawyer to present the publisher with your terms. In the event the publisher has the final say on the cover, and they offer up something you are terribly unhappy with, tell them how you feel. There may be a middle ground you can reach.

[Jamesaritchie]

I guess it depends on the publisher and the contract offered, but you can always try to get full rights to the cover concept. If you don't feel comfortable with negotiating, consider hiring a lawyer to present the publisher with your terms. In the event the publisher has the final say on the cover, and they offer up something you are terribly unhappy with, tell them how you feel. There may be a middle ground you can reach.

A lawyer won't help, and will serve only to annoy the hell out of the publisher. Publishers need writers, but not that much.

[Kiva Wolfe]

Eh...but...not being one to jump out of a plane without checking my parachute, supposing one of those annoying types drafted the contract for the publisher, it might not hurt to have a less irritating one eyeball it for the writer and offer up some advice. If not needed, hammer out the details as best you can.

[Tish Davidson]

I guess it depends on the publisher and the contract offered, but you can always try to get full rights to the cover concept. If you don't feel comfortable with negotiating, consider hiring a lawyer to present the publisher with your terms. In the event the publisher has the final say on the cover, and they offer up something you are terribly unhappy with, tell them how you feel. There may be a middle ground you can reach.


Seems to me that there are a lot more important rights and issues to negotiate than cover art, especially if you're going to have to pay a lawyer to negotiate for you.

[victoriastrauss]

I've made this post before, because this question has been asked before, but here goes...

I have a cover consult written into my contract. This isn't because I'm so special, but because my agent does it as a matter of routine for her clients. This means the publisher must show me the cover art at various stages--preliminary sketches, completed art, art with titling. Does this mean they really show me all this stuff? Yes, it does (it's pretty cool to see the thing take shape). Does it mean I can make a big fat stink if I don't like the concept or the execution? Noooooooooo, it doesn't (unless I'm willing to seriously alienate everyone, including my agent). At most, it means I can make polite suggestions or requests, and hope they're heeded.

In practice, editors will often ask authors for suggestions on the cover concept, or for information on things like how a character should be dressed or visualized. I've been asked for input on the covers of most of my adult books. This kind of give and take is nice, but really I'm just as happy to leave it to the publisher--I wouldn't have a clue as to what should go on the cover, and my personal preferences are totally out of step with what's typical for my genre.

- Victoria

[Jamesaritchie]

Eh...but...not being one to jump out of a plane without checking my parachute, supposing one of those annoying types drafted the contract for the publisher, it might not hurt to have a less irritating one eyeball it for the writer and offer up some advice. If not needed, hammer out the details as best you can.



Assuming you're dealing with a legitimate publisher, an agent is more helpful than a lawyer. Many parts of a contract are standard and bolierplate. God Hmself isn't going to make a publisher change many things in a contract. Most lawyers don't know this and can make a writer look really bad when they start trying to get changes where changes just aren't going to happen.

Any good agent knows far more about publishing contracts than a lawyer, and knows where changes can be made, and where they can't.

If you have no agent, then once a contract is offered, get one. Unless you can find a lawyer who is highly experienced in publishing contracts, forget about a lawyer. Making a stink helps no one. An agent will get you the best contract possible, the best advance possible, and will be there when you write another novel.

All this is the job for an agent, not a lawyer.

[Hummingbird]

I asked this question a while back, and someone had an idea. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds pretty good to me, but a long shot. See if you can become an illustrator of a publishing house, if accepted see if they'll take your book. If they do, then you can mention that you are an artist in their house... Hopefully they'll think that's a good idea and let you take the reins of the art.
I hope to do that someday... :) Then I'd also have the bonus of being an artist for a publishing house.