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 Lyn Liao Butler, author of The Tiger Mom’s Tale. Lyn Liao Butler was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. In her past and present lives, she has been: a concert pianist, a professional ballet and modern dancer, a gym and fitness studio owner, a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, an RYT-200 hour certified yoga instructor, a purse designer and most recently, author of multi-cultural fiction. 

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

Yes. I’ve always liked having people, drawn or photographs, on covers, so I imagined mine like that.

 How far in advance from your pub date did you start talking covers with your house?

I got my first sample covers about a year before my original release date. We had just finalized the cover when I found out my book got pushed back by several months due to the pandemic. I had to sit on my cover for about six months, which was torture!

Did you have any input on your cover?

Yes, I had sent in a few covers that I liked. I was a bit taken aback when I first got my four options from my publisher, because they didn’t look anything like what I envisioned. But my agent told me the covers were so unique (and that my vision was cliched and overdone – ha!), giving off an upmarket vibe, which is what the book is. I quickly realized she was right and really loved the one I ended up picking. I did give some minor feedback on things I wanted changed and they were so great about accommodating my requests.

 How was your cover revealed to you?

One day, out of the blue, I got an email from my editor with four options for my cover.

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

So hard, especially because I ended up having to sit on the cover for six months due to pushbacks. I wanted to plaster it all over the internet. Thank goodness for author friends who I could share it with and know they will keep it to myself until the official cover reveal.

 What surprised you most about the process?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t have an opinion about my cover, that I’d love whatever they gave me because, hey! They’re letting me publish a book! So I was surprised by how strongly I reacted when I first saw the sample covers and then how I ended up loving the final cover we chose.

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

Talk to any writers who have been through it before you. An author friend called me the day I first got to look at sample covers and she really calmed me down, sharing her own experiences. Whether you love it or hate it right from the start, having people who have been through it really helps to calm any anxiety caused by having to decide on your cover. The most valuable thing I’ve heard is, the publisher wants you to be happy. If you are reasonable in your request, most likely, they’ll want to accommodate it to fit your vision.