The Cover Story or Judging a Book

Once a novel is finished and has been edited and edited and re-edited, the next step for the self-published author is to select a suitable cover. The cover is extremely important as a sales and marketing tool, and is such a significant step that it generally requires a professional eye. I was fortunate enough to have a good writing friend who is also a gifted graphic artist.

All along, I had a very clear picture of what my heroine, Louise Gurnee, looked like. For months, I kept my eyes open, searching for just the right picture that would personify her. The day I saw the stock photo below of a lovely, 17^th century girl holding a rose, I knew I had found my heroine. Fortunately, for me, I was able to buy the rights to the picture to use on as many books as I could sell. The model’s face held the perfect beautiful, but sulky look that personified Louise at the time her father tells her she cannot marry the antagonist, Marc Garneau. The rose was a metaphor for the love the two shared.

As perfect as the model was, the background was not quite right. I wanted it also to portray the families’ sojourn in La Rochelle, where startling events take place before they leave France forever. My graphic friend, Jeff Fielder, knew exactly how to combine two pictures for the effect I required, as well as exactly what font we should use for the printing. Putting together everything created the exact mood I was looking for, and the exact image I wanted my cover to project. To look at more of his exciting works, his website is http://www.jallenfielder.com/

Of course, the old cliché states that you can judge a book by its cover, and in the case of my novel, I certainly hope that is true. My story is about a beautiful young girl, a little selfish, as young people are apt to be, who matures into a gorgeous, selfless woman over the period of the book. And perhaps the underlying message is that love and faith can triumph over adversity.

In case you would like to know a little more about the story and the plotline, I have just received this lovely review from author, Anita Davidson on the Historical Novel Review Website. Here is the link: