Latest Work, 2007 Week 24
Still about three covers pending approval, and one ready to go into a second draft as soon as the author deigns to respond to my e-mail.
[Rant]
E-publishing must be coming into its own. Three or four years ago, my first drafts today would have earned reverberating SQUEEs, prayers of thanks and worship, and tons of chocolate in the mail, especially considering the state of e-book covers in general back then.
Nowadays, I find myself jumping through hoops to please every single little nitpick because either this or that tiny detail isn’t quite right or because, “I don’t know. You gave me everything I asked for, but it’s just not amazing enough. It just doesn’t stand out enough. It’s just not better than the best thing you’ve ever done. Ever!”
So I’m guessing, yes, e-publishing has really made some strides in the cover department because authors have completely forgotten what it’s like to have a butt-ugly, amateurish piece of crap for a cover and now have this giant sense of entitlement and demand only the very best that anyone can ever give, no matter how much an artist might have to spend again and again on time and stock credits.
I found myself spending $20 and 20 hours on a cover once, through I-don’t-know-how-many drafts, and I was so frustrated I wanted to slap someone. So I slapped myself. An author’s lucky to sell 100 units of a book in the first month out, so I thought, “If this book doesn’t rake in enough royalties to pay off my costs and labor, I’m going to start doing ugly Poser covers for everyone.”
And then I gave birth to a final draft, everyone finally so cooing pleased with the cover that the frustration simply melted away, all but forgotten in the basking glow of contentment. I once said that creating a cover is like making a movie:
It’s a collaborative work—if the actors, director, screenwriter, and producers can’t get along or agree on a single vision, it’s a pain in the ass to make. And sometimes, you get Casablanca. Nobody liked working on Casablanca. They were always rewriting it on the set, no one knew how it would end, and they all just wanted to get it over with. But in the end, you got Casablanca.
But it’s also a lot like giving birth. During labor, you want to kill the man next to you, the one who has been so supportive, the one for whom you are having this baby in the first place, all the while screaming in a bloody rage, “You did this to me!” But after the baby comes out, and the man beside you praises the job well done and the cute little nose and toes of the baby, the labor pains start to fade and are soon forgotten, and everyone’s full of love and joy.
“Oh, my God! What a beautiful baby!”
You smile and say, “Thank you. I know.”
[/Rant]
This week, I also completed matching designs for a business card, a bookmark, and a web ad banner for Paz Edwards:
Hopefully a whole lot more covers to show next week…
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7 thoughts on “Latest Work, 2007 Week 24”
Did I mention I love your covers? I think I first heard about you in the comments of the blog post about fugly covers, where several authors were squeeing over the fact that they hit the cover art jackpot because you were doing theirs.
Thanks, Kat! But I sometimes feel that I’m slipping in my work or that I’m falling out of favor when I have a handful of covers in progress and ALL of them require three or more drafts. Just one of those WHY, GOD? WHY? moments, I guess.
I squee! Everytime! And I told you I’d send you chocolates or something… 😉
You know, I’m not sure I understand the whole attitude thing. I’ve only requested a major change once (with a different publisher), and only because the model used really squicked me out and I didn’t want to hate the book because of seeing his face, lol. And the artist was hugely cool about it, and very, very accommodating. But honestly, there are plenty of places that don’t even let you get a say in the matter. You get the cover, and that’s it. Considering how gorgeous your first drafts are, I would think people would be a little more grateful.
Or maybe it’s because I have a pet peeve about the lack of graciousness in the world, lol. I know I’m relieved and thankful for everything you do, and if I don’t say it enough, I’ll say it again. Maybe with chocolates. 😉
Aw, Tina, thanks! 🙂
Hi, Vivien! Thank you, too, but please don’t take my little rant seriously. 🙂
We cover artists are all generally very accommodating, especially in the first handful of drafts, and most authors are way more than grateful; they’re a pleasure to work with. It’s just … every now and then, the entire process is like being in labor for a week, lol. You want to scream at the baby, “Get out! Get out already!” 😀
And actually, having worked as a graphic designer at various companies, I used to do even more drafts per project than I do now, except back then, the person/people requesting the changes would stand behind me directing all the changes over my shoulder as I worked at my computer. It was easier to do 50 or so drafts back then because it didn’t involve saving a draft file, closing out the program, sending the draft out, and waiting a day or two for the written feedback … and that’s for each round of drafts; repeat as required.
Plus, all the changes back in my graphic designer days were usually noted and marked on the printed paper and possibly explained in person with gestures and visual examples, not written in a long-drawn out explanation via e-mail that may or may not even make sense in the end. I think that’s where half my frustration lies — just in the mode of communication. So much can be misinterpreted.
Oh, I know you were just blowing off a little bit of steam, that it wasn’t meant to be too serious. It just comes on the heels of witnessing a minor tantrum from an author I thought I respected about cover art I thought was gorgeous. It was just timing that I saw this so soon after that.
Hm. Interesting! I hope it wasn’t one of mine. 🙂
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