When you finally do find a publisher, who designs the cover?
Do you need to know an illustrator or graphic designer?
~~Tammy
Do you need to know an illustrator or graphic designer?
~~Tammy
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You mean if I self-publish?
But do I get to help design the cover?
I have a few ideas on what I would like my cover to look like.
~~Tammy
But do I get to help design the cover?
I have a few ideas on what I would like my cover to look like.
~~Tammy
If you self publish, you are the publisher ( I think...)
You asked about finding a publisher, and then asked about self - publishing..
Which route are you going ?
You asked about finding a publisher, and then asked about self - publishing..
Which route are you going ?
But do I get to help design the cover?
Usually not.
The cover is a sales tool; it's controled by marketing and the art department, not editorial.
Usually not.
The cover is a sales tool; it's controled by marketing and the art department, not editorial.
If you self publisher, since you ARE the publisher, you can decide what covers go into your book. You can do it yourself or hire a graphics designer.
If you find some other publisher to publish the book, then they decide. If it's a small house, they may listen to you (if you have some really good ideas). But usually they have their art department/market/whatever to decide on covers.
I do graphics design, so I always mock up covers based on ideas I have. I plan to present them, whether they take my concepts or not. What do I have to lose, right?
If you find some other publisher to publish the book, then they decide. If it's a small house, they may listen to you (if you have some really good ideas). But usually they have their art department/market/whatever to decide on covers.
I do graphics design, so I always mock up covers based on ideas I have. I plan to present them, whether they take my concepts or not. What do I have to lose, right?
Hopefully I will be going with a traditional publisher.
Would I ever go with self-publishing? I don't know. I still have plenty of options still open so far.:money I was just curious about the cover. I guess that is something to worry about later - if the need arises.8o
Thanks.
eace
~~Tammy
Would I ever go with self-publishing? I don't know. I still have plenty of options still open so far.:money I was just curious about the cover. I guess that is something to worry about later - if the need arises.8o
Thanks.
eace ~~Tammy
Hey, I always wondered about that.
If you are traditionally published, and the marketing department designs the cover, does the author get any say in the final product at all? For example, what if you really hate the design, or you think it does nothing to capture the theme of the book, or whatever... does the author get a veto?
If you are traditionally published, and the marketing department designs the cover, does the author get any say in the final product at all? For example, what if you really hate the design, or you think it does nothing to capture the theme of the book, or whatever... does the author get a veto?
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>
If you are traditionally published, and the marketing department designs the cover, does the author get any say in the final product at all? For example, what if you really hate the design, or you think it does nothing to capture the theme of the book, or whatever... does the author get a veto?<hr></blockquote>
Stephen King may get a small hearing from his publisher if he has a complaint, but even most best-selling authors get no say at all. They leave it to the professionals whose job it is to design and package a book's cover.
Short answer: Covers are the realm of the publisher alone; the author has no control or involvement.
What to do? Put the entire question from your mind and concentrate on your writing. Honest. If you obsess about "what if I don't like my cover?" you are only causing undue anxiety about something of which you will never have control. Let it go. Really.
(My favorite story of a cover complaint? An author of fantasies I know kept complaining that the publisher put "chain-mail-bikini-clad babes" on all her covers. So she finally wrote a book that had a chain-mail-bikini-clad babe as the main character. What was put on the cover? A heavily bearded dude on a horse. Can't win, sometimes.)
If you are traditionally published, and the marketing department designs the cover, does the author get any say in the final product at all? For example, what if you really hate the design, or you think it does nothing to capture the theme of the book, or whatever... does the author get a veto?<hr></blockquote>
Stephen King may get a small hearing from his publisher if he has a complaint, but even most best-selling authors get no say at all. They leave it to the professionals whose job it is to design and package a book's cover.
Short answer: Covers are the realm of the publisher alone; the author has no control or involvement.
What to do? Put the entire question from your mind and concentrate on your writing. Honest. If you obsess about "what if I don't like my cover?" you are only causing undue anxiety about something of which you will never have control. Let it go. Really.
(My favorite story of a cover complaint? An author of fantasies I know kept complaining that the publisher put "chain-mail-bikini-clad babes" on all her covers. So she finally wrote a book that had a chain-mail-bikini-clad babe as the main character. What was put on the cover? A heavily bearded dude on a horse. Can't win, sometimes.)
cover
I had no control at all on cover or title of my first two published novels. I had some serious input on cover for the third novel, and full control of title. The title is the only place I now insist on control. I will not let a book of mine go out with a bad title.
I do want input on the cover just is case someone in marketing has a brain fart, but mainstream publishers pay experts lots of money to design a cover that sells, and what sells is usually not what the writer thinks will sell. They usually do a good job.
Better for the writer to do what he does best, which is writing, and let those in marketing do what they do best, which is marketing.
I had no control at all on cover or title of my first two published novels. I had some serious input on cover for the third novel, and full control of title. The title is the only place I now insist on control. I will not let a book of mine go out with a bad title.
I do want input on the cover just is case someone in marketing has a brain fart, but mainstream publishers pay experts lots of money to design a cover that sells, and what sells is usually not what the writer thinks will sell. They usually do a good job.
Better for the writer to do what he does best, which is writing, and let those in marketing do what they do best, which is marketing.
Re: cover
No, You have no control over your cover whatsoever. You should see mine! The 16th century novice nun looks as if she got her habit at Victoria's Secret; the Victorian slum girl is sporting a perfect French manicure and I didn't know till the Roman one came out that they'd invented the purple lycra thong. Great stuff!
aq
No, You have no control over your cover whatsoever. You should see mine! The 16th century novice nun looks as if she got her habit at Victoria's Secret; the Victorian slum girl is sporting a perfect French manicure and I didn't know till the Roman one came out that they'd invented the purple lycra thong. Great stuff!
aq
Re: cover
Let me just put stars around this:
For instance, a lot of people hate shiny covers, or covers with cutouts; but these are signals to the people who order books for bookstores that "this is an important book that the publisher thinks will do well." Etc.
Let me just put stars around this:
For instance, a lot of people hate shiny covers, or covers with cutouts; but these are signals to the people who order books for bookstores that "this is an important book that the publisher thinks will do well." Etc.
Re: cover
Arrow, you made me laugh! I usually snigger at the covers of romance novels, anyway, but I never thought of the poor author whose name is on the front along with those pictures! :lol
Arrow, you made me laugh! I usually snigger at the covers of romance novels, anyway, but I never thought of the poor author whose name is on the front along with those pictures! :lol
Because my partner and I didn't know beans about publishing, we included illustrations and cover art with our manuscript, which was picked up my a major house. The editor loved the artwork and the cover and it was ultimately used. Only later did we learn this just isn't done. Ooops!
Because of our "stupidity," we got exactly the cover we wanted, but it was pure dumb luck.
I am not, however, advocating stupidity on this grand scale! And I promise I'll never submit cover art again!
Linda
Because of our "stupidity," we got exactly the cover we wanted, but it was pure dumb luck.
I am not, however, advocating stupidity on this grand scale! And I promise I'll never submit cover art again!
Linda
Why do you think it's stupid? I'd say, if you have an idea, by all means present it. Chances are the publisher won't use it, but what do you have to lose?
I've heard of authors negotiating "cover consultation" into their contracts. I'm also told that the chances of a first-time author actually getting this are just about zero. It would be a good thing to discuss with an agent.
covers
No first time writer is going to have say-so with the cover. Period. Only a handful of pro writers have any say-so.
It's really one of those things that is pointless, anyway. Odds are a thousand to one the writer doesn't have a clue what makes a good cover, meaning one that sells a novel, and he can screw up his relationship with an editor/publisher bigtime by insisting on control of something he knows nothing about, and that isn't part of his job in the first place.
The writer's job is to write the book. The publisher's job is to publish the book. The marketing department's job is to do the things that let the book be marketed in the best possible way, which includes cover design.
Worry about the things you can control.
No first time writer is going to have say-so with the cover. Period. Only a handful of pro writers have any say-so.
It's really one of those things that is pointless, anyway. Odds are a thousand to one the writer doesn't have a clue what makes a good cover, meaning one that sells a novel, and he can screw up his relationship with an editor/publisher bigtime by insisting on control of something he knows nothing about, and that isn't part of his job in the first place.
The writer's job is to write the book. The publisher's job is to publish the book. The marketing department's job is to do the things that let the book be marketed in the best possible way, which includes cover design.
Worry about the things you can control.
Re: Covers and Titles
Amen to that!
I suck at titles, so it's best for me to let Marketing do their thing. (Out of 17 books, I suggested two titles they used.)
Nor would I have the slightest idea what covers would sell better. I do, however, have the distinction for having the most god-awful cover in the world, in Heaven Forbids. But even that is a selling point. People are curious enough about the cover to look at it and then read the blurb. But I think the artist must have been having a bad day when he did that one. There are green things growing out of the middle of it, not to mention the colors. And what's with those flowers?
<img border=0 src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0821758675.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" />
Amen to that!
I suck at titles, so it's best for me to let Marketing do their thing. (Out of 17 books, I suggested two titles they used.)
Nor would I have the slightest idea what covers would sell better. I do, however, have the distinction for having the most god-awful cover in the world, in Heaven Forbids. But even that is a selling point. People are curious enough about the cover to look at it and then read the blurb. But I think the artist must have been having a bad day when he did that one. There are green things growing out of the middle of it, not to mention the colors. And what's with those flowers?
<img border=0 src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0821758675.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" />
Re: Covers and Titles
Oh, Karen, that cover is, well...uh...let's say "busy." You must have been horrified the first time you saw it! And what ARE those green things growing out of it?
Linda
Oh, Karen, that cover is, well...uh...let's say "busy." You must have been horrified the first time you saw it! And what ARE those green things growing out of it?
Linda
Re: Covers and Titles
Hey, I kind of like that cover. It would make me buy the book. Especially since the guy on the cover looks just like me.
Well, we both have two arms, two eyes, a neck, etc.
Hey, I kind of like that cover. It would make me buy the book. Especially since the guy on the cover looks just like me.
Well, we both have two arms, two eyes, a neck, etc.
Re: Covers and Titles
Hmm... is that blue heart part of the cover, too? Interesting. Kind of makes me think twice about wanting to be published! :eek
Hmm... is that blue heart part of the cover, too? Interesting. Kind of makes me think twice about wanting to be published! :eek
Re: Covers and Titles
Karen, as an unpublished author, I can't really say much other than I hope the book sold well and continues to sell well for you ... and that the heroine doesn't have allergies. :grin
Karen, as an unpublished author, I can't really say much other than I hope the book sold well and continues to sell well for you ... and that the heroine doesn't have allergies. :grin
Re: Covers and Titles
>> I've heard of authors negotiating "cover consultation" into their contracts<<
I've had a cover consult written into my last two contracts (both two-book contracts). I get to see the cover in its various stages of completion, from sketch to finished product, and have to sign off on the final version. Does this mean I can make a fuss if I think the concept sucks, or if the characters look wrong, or the scene they decide to illustrate has nothing to do with the story? Sure, if I'm willing to deal with the ill-will it will produce. So far, I'm not--and also, the covers have been pretty good.
I have made a few small suggestions at the sketch stage, some of which have been considered, some not. For instance, my editor agreed that the female figure on my latest novel shouldn't be wearing a belly-dancer outfit, and got the artist to put her in something more closely resembling the kind of clothing that's described in the book. This was all accomplished very amicably, because I have a pretty good relationship with my editor. It's a fine line, though, and I didn't push it.
- Victoria
>> I've heard of authors negotiating "cover consultation" into their contracts<<
I've had a cover consult written into my last two contracts (both two-book contracts). I get to see the cover in its various stages of completion, from sketch to finished product, and have to sign off on the final version. Does this mean I can make a fuss if I think the concept sucks, or if the characters look wrong, or the scene they decide to illustrate has nothing to do with the story? Sure, if I'm willing to deal with the ill-will it will produce. So far, I'm not--and also, the covers have been pretty good.
I have made a few small suggestions at the sketch stage, some of which have been considered, some not. For instance, my editor agreed that the female figure on my latest novel shouldn't be wearing a belly-dancer outfit, and got the artist to put her in something more closely resembling the kind of clothing that's described in the book. This was all accomplished very amicably, because I have a pretty good relationship with my editor. It's a fine line, though, and I didn't push it.
- Victoria
Covers and Titles
In all fairness, Heaven Forbids was from my first publisher. Surprisingly, it did sell well, and it went on to be a finalist in the Rita. I still think it is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
I have a great editor, and publisher, who involve me in the process from beginning to end. I have to give the art department info about the book, suggestions about layout, colors I'd like, titles, etc. I've just finished a series, and the last book of the series had an absolutely beautiful cover. In fact, all of my HarperCollins/Avon books have been beautiful.
My forte, however, is in writing the book. I haven't the slightest idea what attracts a reader. So, as long as my sales keep going up, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. :grin
In all fairness, Heaven Forbids was from my first publisher. Surprisingly, it did sell well, and it went on to be a finalist in the Rita. I still think it is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
I have a great editor, and publisher, who involve me in the process from beginning to end. I have to give the art department info about the book, suggestions about layout, colors I'd like, titles, etc. I've just finished a series, and the last book of the series had an absolutely beautiful cover. In fact, all of my HarperCollins/Avon books have been beautiful.
My forte, however, is in writing the book. I haven't the slightest idea what attracts a reader. So, as long as my sales keep going up, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. :grin
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