Thursday
Jul152010
Evolution of a Cover: Her Mother's Daughter
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 11:51AM The cover design process for Lesley Crewe's fifth book, Her Mother's Daughter, took longer than most. Fiction covers tend to be more difficult to design than non-fiction because you're trying to sum up the plot and feeling of the book, attract the right audience in just a glance, not give too much away, place it in a category and please a whole lot of people all within a 6x9 space.
These are just a few of the versions that were considered and discussed in house. There was a lot of discussion and input from marketing (that's me), sales, editorial, and the author before reaching the final cover (#5). But before we get to the final, here's a little insight into the evolution of this cover.
#1 This was the cover printed on the Advance Reading Copy. The photograph itself seemed to fit perfectly with the book and the whole thing was a literal translation of a moment in the story but it didn't seem right. That the photo was black and white and had the old-style edge, didn't fit with the setting of the book. It wasn't contemporary enough.
#2 The designer took us to the windswept Cape Breton beach where the book is set and we loved that but weren't sure about the image. Some people didn't like the colours and it focused a bit too much on the little girl where the book is about mothers and daughters.
#3 This adorable image reminded the author of her own daughter when she was little so it was, of course, one of her favourites. The colours and feel were right but this one focused solely on the little girl as well. It was decided that while it was a sweet photograph, it was not meant for this book.
#4 This one fit with the feel and setting of the book but it just wasn't punchy enough. The colours were too subdued for our liking and it looked a bit sleepier than we wanted. We liked that the image included both a mother and daughter.
#5 The final! This cover had it all, the mother and daughter interacting, the beach, a beautiful photograph that evokes the feel of the book and light, airy colours. We hope you like it too!
...
So, what do you think? Do you like the final? Would you have picked a different cover? We'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment on this post and be entered to win a Lesley Crewe book of your choice. (Relative Happiness, Shoot Me, Ava Comes Home or Hit & Mrs)
Draw closed. Thanks for entering and congratulations to the winner, Cathy.
Become a fan of Lesley Crewe on facebook and enter an exclusive contest to win an advance copy of Her Mother's Daughter! (Draw closed)
If you liked this, check out the Evolution of a Cover post for Country Roads: Memoirs of Rural Canada.
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Reader Comments (9)
I love the front cover. I think it is certainly a Lesley cover. I am just too excited to read the contents.
She is an amazing Author, not to mention a fine woman.
This will be the book I give to all of my friends this Christmas. I have them all addicted to Lesley's Books.
Wonderful cover choice. I love these posts, it is so interesting to understand how the decision was made. I really liked #2 at first, but once I read through the progression and understood that the book was more about both of them, than just the daughter, #5 was the clear choice. Well done! I'm looking forward to reading it!
That photo on #5 wasn't even a front runner at first, but it caught my eye and the more I saw it, the more I felt that it captured the tone of the book completely. A young mother, that indescribable but obvious connection between a mother and a child, the pounding ocean, the bright sunshine and dark shadows… it's great on a surface level but also has so much meaning beneath. Love it.
Nice! I like the final cover. I actually really like #4 too. Looking forward to reading it!!
I think I like the last cover the best. Up close and personal rather than in the distance
Looks great! Looking forward to the read.
I have to say I much prefer #4. It evokes a deeper reaction in me than #5, which seems more generic and quite stark, actually. However, not having read the book, it's hard to know which is more appropriate.
Look forward to reading it!
I agree with your choice. It's beautiful. I also liked #2 and #3, but I can see how they might not have matched the content. Good choice.
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