One of the things I especially like about working with Eric T. Reynolds of Hadley Rille Books is my involvement in the cover design.
If I were an author for a “big” press, I doubt I’d have any say whatsoever. And we’ve all seen the covers of books where there’s a group of people who are supposed to be characters from the novel, but everything from physique to hair color to skin color is wrong, weapons and gear and clothing are anachronistic or simply out of character, or the particular assortment of people displayed never actually are all together anywhere in the damn book.
I don’t know if Eric does this for all his authors (and I hope I’m not getting him or me in trouble when I say this), but when it comes to the covers for my books he asks me what I’d like. Seriously. I work with him and the artist to come up with something that satisfies all of us. And not just at the beginning stage. I see and provide feedback on everything from the preliminary sketches on up to a discussion of typeface and color choice for the titling.
That’s insane! And don’t think that I’m not incredibly grateful for it.
Part of it is having an editor/publisher that you can talk with, honestly, openly. Thanks, Eric. Part of it is working with the same incredible artist for years now, through three publishers. Thanks, Rachael. Okay, and maybe part of it is that while researching hypnosis as part of writing about the Amazing Conroy I discovered the secrets of diabolical mind control and… wait… nevermind… let’s not go there.
The reason for all this gratitudinous  waxing — hey, it’s a perfectly cromulent new word, and if you use it you need to send me a dollar — is that I’ve just sent in my druthers for what the cover of my second novel (and third book) from HRB will look like. I think you’re going to love  it.
Tags: Conroyverse
