There have been many times when I have agonized over the image for a book cover.  More than once I have looked at what I was sent, stared at it, and screwed my face into a look of complete detestation.  As an example, I did not like the first covers I got for Love Comes Silently.  They had a completely wrong feel.  The story was a winter story and the covers were summer.  There was a hat blowing in the wind.  The images weren’t bad, just wrong.  So we worked on it… and worked on it.   The cover artist and I went back and forth 22 times on this cover.  The last 12 to find the right pink hat to sit in the mud.  Now I love this cover and I use that story all the time to tell other authors not to settle and to be patient.

Some covers come easy.  Last April I had just finished the manuscript for Inside Out.  I was at the Dreamspinner author retreat and was up in my room writing the last sentence.  When I came down, I told J P Barnaby that I needed a cover model.  I described Bull and she immediately showed me a picture of Jesse Jackman and tweeted him.  I was shocked when he tweeted me back and was interested in doing the cover.  He had a session scheduled with a photographer and in June, he sent me a lot of pictures to choose from.  now let me tell you that was a hardship.  LOL  Looking at dozens of pictures of Jesse.  Oh my.  Fans self.  Anyway, the picture Jesse liked best was perfect and its that image on the cover of Inside Out.

Now over the last few weeks, I’ve been working with Dirk Caber on the image for the follow up story Upside Down.  I can’t share that image with you.  Its top secret, but I can tell you that Dirk, just like Jesse, was amazing to work with.  I really hope I get to meet both these men in person.  They are generous people with their time and their handsomeness.

So in conclusion, if you’re looking for cover advise, here it is.  be patient and persistent until you get an image that you love.  Sometimes that happens instantly and sometimes it takes effort, but either way its worth it.

About the author

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and now writes full time after 27 years in corporate America.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Email:  andrewgrey@comcast.net

Web Site:  www.andrewgreybooks.com

Twitter:  @andrewgreybooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewgreybooks