In the last few weeks, two of my fantastic clients with May 2014 publication dates have posted their cover reveals – Robin Stevens for the UK cover of MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE and Katy Cannonfor LOVE, LIES AND LEMON PIES.
Robin and Katy’s publishing journeys have taken place at very much the same time and with milestones falling at similar times, as shown by this lovely photo of them sharing a congratulatory cake at my client retreat.
So I thought it would be fun to interview them both about their thoughts on the covers of their novels.
First up is Katy:
Did you have a cover in your mind after you’d finished the book?
I really didn’t! I guess after all the baking and pie tasting, I assumed that maybe there’d be some tower of cake or something on the front. But beyond that, I was more than happy to leave it to the professionals!
How did you feel seeing the first roughs pop into your inbox?
I was so excited! And just a little bit nervous. It’s weird, seeing how someone else pictures your book. But I got incredibly lucky – the art department at Stripes got the book completely.
Who did you share it with first?
My husband, my daughter, my mum and dad and my brothers. Gemma actually got to see it before me as my email didn’t come through at first!
What do you think of the final cover?
I adore it. After the proof cover, they set up a special photo shoot to get the picture exactly right, and the details that got added in are just perfect – Lottie’s necklaces, the smudges of flour on the rolling pin, everything.
What was the process like? How much were you involved?
For me, mostly sitting around and waiting to see what they came up with! I’m not a designer, and since I knew that everyone at Stripes had read the book, I trusted them to come up with the best cover. And they did!
What’s your favourite aspect of the cover?
I love it all, especially the fonts they chose, but my absolute favourite part has to be my name on the rolling pin!
What has been the response from friends and family?
They all wish they could have a book cover so pretty. And one friend actually sent me a wooden rolling pin with my name on it this week, which was very exciting! It’s now sitting on my desk inspiring me to get on with writing the companion novel.
Love, Lies and Lemon Pieswill be published on 5th May 2014. You can find out more about Katy on her website and about her younger series, POOCH PARLOUR, which will be published in March 2014.
And now to Robin:
NOTE: Robin’s cover has changed from the original one posted. I asked her what she thought of the new cover:
I’m really excited about the changes. The wonderful illustrations and gorgeous title font that I loved in the original are still there – the essence of the cover is absolutely the same – but now I feel like the tweaked design gives the details even more room to shine. The colour’s great too – a really bright, lovely blue – and I think that it’s going to look wonderful on shelves. I can’t wait to see the finished book!
Original interview below:
Thanks for sharing this. I love book covers (especially middle grade!) and it is fun to hear the author's perspective and how much input they had on the process.