Q & A Time – “Do You Get to Pick Your Book Covers?”

I used to want covers that represented the book’s contents very closely and were also pretty. Many folks automatically believe that this is what makes a good cover. But I’ve changed my mind about this. While the cover should not lie (by implication or outright), its job is simply to say: ‘Pick me up!’ to someone who might like the book. ~Nancy Werlin

In person book events have been few and far between ever since COVID turned our normal world upside down last year. It was better not to be in large groups or even small groups for a while. Then we thought things were better, but what happens but we get a new variant that is hitting people hard and fast. So, even though I had an in person meeting with a Women’s Club in Jackson scheduled, at the last minute it seemed smarter to do a Zoom meeting last night instead. Not as much fun, but still good. I got to see most of the women at the meeting in their little squares. Makes one think of playing Hollywood Squares. Do you remember that old game show that used to be on? So we all hung out in our little squares and enjoyed seeing one another although a couple of the attendees didn’t have a camera on. But they were still there.

My favorite part of any talk I give is always the Q & A time, but for that to be fun, somebody has to ask a question or two. A few of the ladies did have questions. One asked a question I often get after a talk and that’s how long does it take me to write a book. The answer to that is I like to have a year to research and write a book, but if I was more focused I could probably write two a year. But the older I get, the more time off I need now and again to catch up on tasks I don’t get done when I’m racing to meet a deadline or my grandkids are visiting. Things like washing those windows or weeding my strawberries. Got the strawberries weeded, but still haven’t gotten to that window washing. And here it is time to get going on a new story.

The ladies didn’t ask me this question, but I am often asked about the covers on my books. I’m thinking about that since the publishers and I have been trying to get a new cover designed for the story, When the Meadow Blooms, that will be released next summer. I’ll share it with you when the design is finalized. Anyway, here is the question I’m often asked about my book covers.

“Do you get to pick your covers?”

Readers are often interested in how the covers are designed. In traditionally published books, which most of mine are, the publishers have an art department that comes up with covers although they do often ask the writer’s input. That is, they want to know what the characters look like and what season of the year the story is set in or if there are particular settings or background items that would make the cover work. Revell Books, my publishers, always come up with wonderful covers that do their job of catching a reader’s eyes. That’s the job of a book cover. I even had several readers tell me that they picked up Along a Storied Trail to read because the cover was so enticing. It is a beautiful cover.

I’m sometimes asked which is my favorite cover. I have several that I really, really like. I like the 1855 Louisville city background behind lovely Adianne on the cover of Words Spoken True. I like Gabrielle’s beautiful blue eyes on The Outsider. The cat on the mailbox for Murder Comes by Mail is a winner. But I have to say Angel Sister is the cover that wins my heart because if you could have picked up my young character Lorena Birdsong out of the pages of my book to take her picture, she would have looked just like the little girl on the cover of Angel Sister. Then on top of that, she has the perfect look on her face as she looks up at Kate, her angel sister. I think I could take each of my covers one by one and find a favorite thing about them, such as the dog Sarge on the front of These Healing Hills or Adria as a little girl by the river on River to Redemption.

So for most of my books, the art department at my publishers designs the cover. However, if a writer publishes a book independently without going through a traditional publisher, then it’s up to the writer or someone the writer hires to design a cover. As I’ve told you, I’m trying to do audio versions of my books that didn’t get an audio contract through the publishers. So far, I’ve gotten the Heart of Hollyhill books, Scent of Lilacs, Orchard of Hope, and Summer of Joy, up on audio through Audible. I did the narration on the last two. Here are the covers I designed with photos I have taken myself. Think you might notice a flower them?

I always hope the covers of my books will tell a little story of their own and make a reader decide to pick up the book and read the back cover copy. With so many people shopping online, the cover needs to catch the reader’s eyes and make them click on the image to find out more about the story.

I will soon have Love Comes Home up on audio with another cover I designed. I can’t wait for the book to be ready so that I can share that cover with you.

Seeing a new cover for a book and sharing it with one’s readers is always a fun time for a writer.

Have you ever picked up a book to read because of the book’s cover?

What do you think makes a good cover?

On the other hand, have you ever been irritated when you thought the cover didn’t match the story?