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 fro the CRAP is Parker Peevyhouse, whose most recent novel, The Echo Room (Tor Teen 2018), is a science fiction thriller for young adults which Kirkus called "a thrilling ride" in a starred review. Her next novel, Strange Exit, will be available from Tor Teen in January 2020.
Did you have any pre-conceived notions about what you wanted your cover to look like?
When my editor asked me for my initial ideas, I had just one vague thought: it’d be cool if my cover followed the style I’d seen in several recent covers that look like they’re covered in intricate metalwork. Since doors play a big part in my book, I thought we might end up with a metal door on the cover.
In fact, when we were trying to figure out a title, my editor told me Tor Teen was looking for one that would fit with a cover that might feature a door—which is why we settled on Strange Exit for a title! It was a bit of a chicken-egg situation.
How far in advance from your pub date did you start talking covers with your house?
Before I’d even finished writing the book, my editor asked me for initial cover ideas. Strange Exit was the second in a two-book deal, so the process stared pretty quickly. Even so, that initial discussion took place in June 2018, and we didn’t land on a final cover until September 2019. It’s just such a tricky book to convey in a single image, but I think the final design does a great job of encapsulating so many elements.
Did you have any input on your cover?
After Tor settled on the image of a door for a cover, they moved on to the idea of focusing on just an intricate lock instead. They showed me some drafts with some really cool lock plates that I loved, but ultimately I thought that the lock plates gave the impression that the book would be a Victorian fantasy, and I think Tor agreed because we went back to the idea of a door.
The designer (Lesley Worrell) tried a lot of really great door images, but I mentioned that I didn’t think they quite evoked the tone of the novel. I shared an image from a “book aesthetic” I had posted on Instagram —and the designer ended up using the very image I sent along! So in the end, I did give some input, and Tor really took it into consideration.
How was your cover revealed to you?
I think I saw something like a dozen different drafts. When the final image came through, I felt like the designer had really tied together a lot of elements to give a stellar visual impression of the story. She added a sunlit landscape that shows through the doorway on the cover—I get so many compliments on those striking colors! She also added some pixilation to hint toward the genre of the story and the idea that the characters are in a simulation.
Was there an official "cover reveal" date for your art?
Tor Teen let me reveal the cover on my social media, which was a lot of fun. We ended up doing excerpt reveals on The Nerd Daily and on the Tor Teen Blog, but the cover went out first to my social media followers.
How far in advance of the reveal date were you aware of what your cover would look like?
The cover design was a long process, so we revealed it almost immediately after it was finalized.
What surprised you most about the process?
I wish I had shared my book aesthetic earlier. I didn’t want to disrupt the designer’s process, but it surprised me to find that she felt it was a great fit for the cover. In the future, I’ll probably be quicker to share any images I think might be helpful, even if all that does is provide some talking points for everyone.
Any advice to other debut authors about how to handle cover art anxiety?
I’ve made swag with images different from my cover—magnets and character cards and quote graphics. Your cover is only one visual representation of your novel. Swag gives you other opportunities for you to have more creative control over promoting your novel. So if you have a strong vision for your cover and your publisher goes in a different direction, use that vision for creating some cool marketing items.
