I wish I had a better punchline for that set-up. It’s been a long day.
Let’s try another one: if an author writes a story and it doesn’t have a cover, is it still a book?
OK, OK, now I’m just procrastinating.
In a recent post about publishing my book, I mentioned looking for a cover designer. An online gaming buddy connected me with a graphic artist in Australia named Hoomie. Her portfolio was excellent and I found her to be a consummate professional. And as the conversation progressed…I knew she would be out of my price range. That’s on me: I have champagne tastes and a lite beer budget. It’s unfortunate because I liked her and was excited to see what we could accomplish together.
What I was able to witness, however, was an expert who knew the right questions to ask. It required me to articulate things I knew – things churning about in the cauldron between my ears – but hadn’t put into words. I find this extremely valuable because it’s challenging to distill thousands of hours of writing time into an engaging and succinct description. I’ve written about the importance of it here: Learn about your writing by talking with people.
The following questions are among the things I will continue to contemplate in this and future writing projects.
Book’s mission statement:
| I remember thinking when I started this project, “we need fewer damsels in distress and a few more Princess Leias.” Tildy is a strong female character who doesn’t need saving, and I hope that gives young people – not just girls – a role model they might not see much today. The story also tackles tough subject matters, such as depression and mental health. Hope is a recurring theme, even when things get very dark. Finally, we are advocates for those less privileged, oppressed, or abused. |
Reader benefits:
| The primary goal of the story is to take readers on a fun fantasy adventure that fuels their imaginations. I want them to see themselves in the story, which is easy when our lead character is a shapeshifter. I want to give readers just enough detail that they can visualize my story, but tailor it to their own tastes and imagination. I am looking to help distract people from things in their lives that aren’t so great. I want to encourage people to read more. |
Additional style info:
| The story is a work of epic fantasy with a goal of invoking the same feeling as Lord of the Rings. The main character likes to creep around the forest, and she hides and spies. Since she has wings, she often hides in trees. The haunted forest is inspired by the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. Recurring imagery in my writing and marketing are: dark forests, twisting vines, tree roots, shadows, and dark things prowling. |
I was also asked to provide covers that evoked the mood or style of my story. I went to the best resource I knew: my wife, a voracious wolf-reader of young adult literature and an English teacher, too! These are a few of the titles she suggested, and a few I found on my own.
Cover concept (literally as I wrote the following, I pictured the time and expense ballooning – again, that’s on me for having more ambition than budget):
| A small teenage girl in a haunted forest. Her clothing would allow her to blend in, though she can be in shadow here. She might be spying on someone or following them. Tree roots, gnarled and covered in moss, stretch across the ground like large snakes. I envision the forest wrapping around the spine of the book onto the back cover. The back can be more of the same, though additional images could include a falling star in the sky or tiny glowing fairy meandering through the trees. I would like to add a written summary of the book to the back. Alternatively, I would be open to a single simple image: see the The Hobbit above. |
As a writer, when you’re thinking about the details of your story constantly – and I do mean constantly – it’s easy to forget that no one else is in your head with you. That there’s a a difference between having partially-formed ideas swirling in your head and eloquently describing them to people. Take every chance to put form to the formless, whether it’s simply writing them down or talking them out with a trusted advisor. You’ll be amazed how much sharper some of those details become.
Good luck with your writing!
Mike
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(C) Michael Wallevand, September 2024
The Lost Royals 