I love talking to authors. Our experiences are so similar, yet so very different, that every one of us has a new story to share. Everyone says that the moment you get your cover it really hits you – you’re an author. The cover is your story – and you – packaged for the world. So the process of the cover reveal can be slightly panic inducing. Does it fit your story? Is it what you hoped? Will it sell? With this in mind I put together the CRAP (Cover Reveal Anxiety Phase) Interview.

Today’s guest for the CRAP is Leslie Karst, author of Justice Is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG, a heartfelt story of simultaneously searching for delicious recipes and purpose in life

Did you have any pre-conceived notions about what you wanted your cover to look like?

Yes: I knew I wanted it to be clean, simple, eye-catching, preferably in primary colors, and with something that made clear the story was about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

Did you have any input on your cover?

I’m lucky that my publisher’s cover designer worked closely with me, as many publishers allow little—if any—input from their authors. I was encouraged to provide samples of other covers that I thought reflected the sort of design I was after, and then once my designer had come up with several different ideas, she sent them all to me to consider and provide feedback.

How far in advance of the reveal date were you aware of what your cover would look like?

We settled on the final cover design over a year prior to the release of the book, but I waited until the advance reader copies had been printed—a full six months later—before giving folks a sneak peak on social media. But then I waited another two months (four months before the release) to do my formal over reveal. 

Was it hard to keep it to yourself before the official release?

Boy, was it hard not to shout from the rooftops (and Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram) that it existed! Because I love this cover SO very much! Having a dinner plate in the style of RBG’s iconic collar was a stroke a genius, not to mention the gavel that accompanies the fork, and the place card with RBG on it, as well. Simply brilliant. And I adore the bright colors and bold design. So thank you, She Writes Press!

What surprised you most about the process?

That my designer and editor actually knew better than I what was right for my book cover. (Imagine that!) I originally picked a different design as my favorite, but was talked into this final one by them, and it’s a decision I am so very glad I made!

Any advice to other authors about how to handle cover art anxiety?

Well, given what I said in answer to the previous question, I guess that advice would be this: Trust your publisher (if you have one) and your cover designer. They know the market and they know your book. And if you love your cover, it’s a good chance others will, too! 

The daughter of a law professor and a potter, Leslie Karst waited tables and sang in a new wave rock band before deciding she was ready for “real” job and ending up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that she rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking, at which point she once again returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her days penning the Sally Solari culinary mystery series, as well as cooking, gardening, cycling, and singing alto in her local community chorus. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai’i.