Sunday I did a cover reveal for my upcoming release, An Appalachian Summer. I loved all the comments since you seemed to really like the cover. Some of you said that yes, a cover either attracted you to a story or didn’t. Most of you liked the pretty purple of Piper’s dress and the rhododendrons. I do have Piper enjoying the beauty of those rhododendrons in this mountain story. She had a summer not to forget.
Then, later this week, when I posted a picture of our old barn on Facebook, someone said it would make a book cover. I’ve had that comment on other pictures I’ve posted in the past. Since we were discussing book covers and what makes them work or at least what made the cover of An Appalachian Summer work, the comment on the barn post made me ask what they might add to the picture if they were thinking of it as a book cover. I thought of adding a girl with a basket and a couple of dogs. So, I hunted up another picture that made me think it could be the background for a book cover. You might or might not agree with that being true for the gate picture above, but just for fun, think
about what you might add to the picture to make it right for a story. You might have to think about what kind of story it would be or perhaps whatever you imagine adding might let you know what type of story it could be.
What makes a good book cover? What invites a reader into a story? One of you said setting. Others of you may think the character or characters portrayed. Often the history or era of the story will be shown. A book cover should draw a reader’s eyes to it. Attractive colors and font for the title and author name helps. But I think perhaps the mood the cover suggests might be the most important. With Piper looking toward that cabin, you can imagine several different moods. Perhaps she’s anxious to go to the cabin. Perhaps she’s hesitating, unsure of what is going to happen next. Perhaps, well, perhaps you’ll have to read the story to see.
The Refuge E-Book Sale – Only $1.99
Then there’s the cover of my recent book, The Refuge. Some have said they liked it best of any of the covers I’ve had on my Shaker books. I’m not sure I could say that. I do like Gabrielle on the first Shaker book, The Outsider. At the same time, I like this cover too and I think it does capture the mood of the story. There’s the title that enhance that mood. The bright fall colors add to the beauty of the cover too. And of course, I like that they used authentic Shaker buildings from pictures I sent of the Shaker buildings in the village near me.
I’m not featuring The Refuge simply because of the cover. It’s on e-book sale for $1.99. What a great time for you to take a reading trip to my fictional Shaker Village of Harmony Hill if you enjoy e-reading. It’s a great time to get out those e-readers and dust them off if you haven’t used them for a while. If your town is like my town, the libraries are closed, but you can still borrow those e-books. But for a couple of bucks you don’t have to worry about a return time. You can have The Refuge on your e-reader where you can see if the cover had the proper mood to match the story. You can find out more about the story and find buy links here.
But meanwhile back at the book cover fun, what would you add to the gate picture up top to suggest a story? Or to the barn picture if you like it better?
I’ll draw for the winner of one of my already published books on Sunday. If you leave a comment on this post or last Sunday’s post, you’ll get an entry. As always thanks for reading.
Comments 33
I would add a little girl in a beautiful dress climbing on the gate and a dog following her.
To the top picture I would add a girl in a pretty summer frock of pastel yellow and blue, just closing the gate. She would be holding a basket full of colorful wild flowers she has gathered in shades of purple, pink, yellow and blue. There would be an English Springer Spaniel tagging along.
Author
What a great spring picture, Paula. And all those wild flowers too. My Marley could be the dog in your picture with his curly spaniel hair. So she’s coming back from picking those flowers for her dear mother or maybe sister who’s sick. She has to take care of whoever it is and really doesn’t have time for romance. But her heart does beat a little faster when she sees a horse coming over the hill with that boy she’s had her eye on. But for some reason, her dog doesn’t like him at all. Uh-oh. I see trouble ahead. 🙂
The gate photo reminds me of going fishing on my grandpa’s farm. (“Don’t forget to close the gate!”)
All it needs is a girl (or boy and girl) holding fishing poles. And of course a dog tagging along.
Author
Lavon, yes, you never forgot to shut the gate, and when I was a kid you had to make sure you fastened it exactly the right way. Dad’s way. 🙂 Let’s just let a boy and girl both holding fishing poles head out that gate into a story, along with that dog, of course.
I see a young woman standing at the gate with a small suitcase in her hand. She has one hand on the top of the gate, ready to open it onto the path. She is looking behind her at an older couple who are holding hands. The gentleman has a hand raised in farewell. Beside them sits a beautiful dog. Is she leaving for an adventure, or school? There is hesitation in her posture as she is ready to go, but hesitant to leave.
Author
Love it, Mary. You have set the scene well and opened up all sorts of possibilities. I think that’s what a good book cover attempts to do. Open up those possibilities and have a reader wanting to know what might happen next in the scene.
A church beyond the gate and a young Amish family walking up to it
Author
You inserted a new touch, Linda. A church. Might have to change the family to a country family. Don’t Amish meet in homes? But the Amish family does fit the scene. And we can always change the church to an Amish house or barn. But the church would be a nice touch and maybe I’m wrong about the Amish not having church buildings. So, I looked it up, Linda. Seems the Old Order Amish do meet in homes. Some other Amish orders do occasionally have a church building. Mennonites have church buildings. Of course if we really want to throw in some conflict, we could have that Amish family visiting a Protestant church. That would mix things up. 🙂
To the gate picture, I would add a young man and woman petting a very pretty horse next to the gate. They would have driven up on an old rusty faded farm truck with a dog standing in the back of the truck.
Author
I like the addition of the old farm truck and the dog, Connie. Let’s make him a black lab like my sweet Oscar was. Except Oscar hated riding anywhere. But this is a story so we can make it work out however we want. 🙂 The young man and woman hints at a romance going to be part of the story. But then a lot of stories have romance as part of the story. We do like to read about love.
I think a pony grazing or looking expectantly over the gate, or a mare and her goal together in the field would be nice.
I would add a pony or a mare and her pony…maybe they could be looking over the gate? Or just grazing ?
Author
I like the idea of horses or the mare and her colt. That might make a good young person’s story because kids do love reading about horses. Black Beauty is one of the first books I read that I still remember.
I immediately saw a horse drawn buggy/cart and an Amish man standing by the gate preparing to or in the process of letting someone in or out, or perhaps himself. What a beautiful picture! Stay well, stay safe.
Author
The country setting does set you back in time, Karen, or bring up thoughts of the Amish. I think the gate does suggest a beginning and that’s good for a story.
I would have a horse looking over the gate and a young bare foot country boy climbing the gate to give the horse a treat while his dog sits and waits patiently.
Author
I like the picture you’re imagining, Janice. Especially the barefoot country boy. Not sure what story that might introduce but it makes you think of stories like Where the Redfern Grows or The Yearling. Both of those stories can bring on the tears. But maybe your story will be one full of smiles instead of tears with this boy and his dog and horse. 🙂
A beautiful Appaloosa horse is heading toward the gate.
A young lady has just whistled for him, and is waiting on the path.
She has a bridle in one hand, and a sugar cube in the other.
A gorgeous German Shepherd (dog 😉) is sniffing the tree trunk.
I can see a small group of horses across the field.
Now you need to write the book😊
Author
That’s great, Marji. I’m practically into the story already just with your description. Sounds wonderful.
I agree. I could see her description vividly!
I love gate pictures because they stimulate one’s imagination. I’d add a cow grazing on that tall grass and maybe a child playing nearby or a dog romping with (a) child(ren) in the tall grass or along the pathway. It is a serene looking setting!
Author
I can see the picture you have in mind, Suzanne. Very nice. You have a pastoral scene in mind. The dog and kids sounds good along the pathway. My dogs and grandkids certainly are always ready to head toward that gate to take a walk out on the farm to see what they can find.
I would suggest adding a dog to the book cover or an object that underlines the main character’s personality or a defining characteristic about their personhood,Ann! Perhaps adding little details like that will enhance the metaphorical depth of your book cover and attract the eye of potential readers.💜Isaiah 64:4-8💜
Author
In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with a dog, Emily. But of course, said dog would have to have a part in the story the way Sarge did in These Healing Hills. I also had a dog in The Innocent, but no dog on the cover, alas. The cover designers do work hard to put that whatever to bring the character to life. You can study various covers to see how they use those sorts of added features to draw you into the story and tell you something about the character, as you suggest.
I really like the gate picture. I see a child standing on the gate while holding on to the top and leaning over just to see what all’s on the other side.
Author
I wish I could share pictures here with my comments, Nancy. I have a picture of one of my granddaughters standing on that gate holding the top and as you say, looking forward to some kind of adventure. Maybe I’ll share a picture to match in my next post.
I’d add some cows or horses to “The Refuge” cover. The lady looks hesitant about the manor in the background, so maybe she stops to talk to the animals to calm herself.
Author
A horse does play a part in my story, The Refuge, Betty, so that might have been a good addition. And Darcy definitely has some hesitation about being in the Shaker village at times.
Hi Ann, the gate picture is so beautiful and I think that the picture of a handsome young man on this side of the gate looking toward a beautiful young girl who is visible but standing a distance away. A young man longing for a glimpse of the one who has stolen his heart!
Author
That’s a great visual, Connie. In fact, reversed a bit it sounds a lot like the cover of my book, The Outsider. We have the girl front and center with the guy in the background by the gate. So that’s fun that you suggested that scene. 🙂
My mother-in-law whose maiden name was Gabhart, was a nurse who took a job at a coal mining camp during the 20’s in Lynch, Kentucky. Her first sight when she got off the train was the hills covered in blooming Rhododendrons. She never forgot that sight.
Author
That’s interesting, Shirley. My husband where I get my Gabhart married name has always said his family descended from three doctors who came to America or Kentucky, maybe. I’m not into genealogy myself. I just make up people to write about, and a nurse at a mining camp during the 1920’s sounds interesting. 🙂