Judge a Book By Its Cover
Thanks so much for having me to visit today. My name is Shelley Munro, and I write both contemporary and paranormal romance for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing.
A cover is like a shop window. It’s an advertisement, an enticement to buy. The cover gives the reader a hint as to the contents of the book, and armed with the blurb, it’s a great selling tool.
For an author, the cover is one of the fun parts of writing. Most publishers ask the author to fill out a cover sheet. We give descriptions of our characters and suggest elements for the cover. Then we send our covers sheets back to our publishers for the artists to work their magic.
Sometimes our author ideas don’t work—they’re too big or too difficult to portray on a small cover, and the publisher will think of an alternative. Sometimes the cover artists translate our cover sheets into something quite different from what we’ve envisaged. I’ll admit that in the past I’ve had covers that made me cringe. One, which shall remain nameless, actually made me cry. I hated it.
On occasion the publisher ignores the author’s suggestions entirely, as is their right. The publisher always has the final say with covers, which is fair enough considering that they’re taking a financial risk with each book.
For Soldier of Fortune, I suggested my hero and heroine depicted on a beach in Fiji (which is where they met) and a soldier in the background.
Here is the cover:
My husband was away when my cover first arrived. I rang him and said I’d received the cover for Soldier of Fortune. “I’ve christened it my Ninja Turtle cover,” I said. “My soldier looks just like a Ninja Turtle.”
“So you don’t like it? Is it really bad?”
“No, I like it. The couple in the forefront is gorgeous. Sexy.” I didn’t mention that I wanted to borrow the hero so he could lift me like that. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind running along a moonlight beach in Fiji with my hero…
I really do like my cover. In fact, the more I gaze at it on my computer desktop, the more I love it. I like the colors. I like my couple. And I really dig my Ninja Turtle soldier. I smile every time I see the cover for Soldier of Fortune. Thanks to my talented cover artist. You’ve done an awesome job.
Here’s the blurb for Soldier of Fortune:
Joanna “Mac” McGregor loves her father, and she’ll do anything to keep him safe after Alzheimer’s starts to steal his mind. That takes money, and Mac uses her only skills—those of soldiering—when she takes up a security contract in Iraq. She doesn’t have time for men, her last vacation fling in Fiji relegated as one perfect moment to hold close during the grim reality of war.
Soldier Louie Lithgow is tired of fighting, the constant danger, and has decided this is his last contract. He wants to retire, sink his savings into a place on the beach, and find the sexy Joanna, his holiday lover.
Mac’s arrival in Iraq causes consternation. They’ve both been economical with the truth, but the attraction sizzling between them flares hot and bright. They embark on a clandestine affair—professional and confident during their high-danger day, passionate with the release of emotional stress during their torrid nights. One thing is clear—they have different goals and the future is both murky and dangerous. If they survive their contracts.
You can check out my other covers at my website and don’t forget to stop by the book page of Soldier of Fortune where you can read an excerpt of my Ninja Turtle book. www.shelleymunro.com/books/soldier-of-fortune
Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7810-127-soldier-of-fortune.aspx
Website: http://www.shelleymunro.com
Blog: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog
What things do you like to see on covers? What elements do you like? What elements do you dislike?
Thank you to Shelley Munro for stopping by Smexy!!
Leave a comment for a chance to win Summer in the City of Sails, which is the book you are first introduced to Louie (the hero in Soldier of Fortune)
The book will be in ebook form. Contest ends Friday November 27th and I will announce the winner on Saturday.
Hi, Shelley! That *is* a very nice cover! Generally I like the cover to be evocative of the story–to have the right mood and feel. I also like it when it's accurate–in a setting that makes sense to the story and showing the couple as they've been described. (At least get the hair color right! ;)) Depending on the story, sometimes I love the sexy clinches. I do admit to drooling over those hot guys on the covers…
Congrats on Soldier of Fortune! Looking forward to reading what's inside that cover!
–Fedora
I am not particular about covers. They don't have anything to do with whether I do or do not but the book
Hi Fedora – it always bugs me when the hair color on the cover doesn't match the hero and heroine's. And like you, I do like a sexy male on the cover. :-)
Hi Estella – I tend to choose my books via the blurb, but I'm the first one to admit I can be seduced by a sexy cover.
HI Shelley and Mandi! This story sounds like a good one.
(Mandi already knows what my question is *g*) First let me say the cover might draw me in but I always read the blurb. Secondly – usually the cover has a woman in skimpy undies – not so on this cover. Are they military-issue? I'm not sure why I'm fixated but I am.
Hi Patti – LOL – I didn't have any input into the undie size. They do look like granny undies don't they??
Have you noticed my soldier? He looks like a Ninja Turtle. That's what I fixated on! *grin*
I think they are more the tomboy style which is popular right now.
And girls, can we observe the yummy MAN?!?
I LOVE a good cover! I usually don't like seeing the entire face, I would rather leave that up to my imagination. I don't mind a partial face though.
Louie looks good on the cover..just sayin. :)
LOL – yes, I did see the ninja turtle in the background and the yummy man in the foreground – I don't think he really cares what kind of undies she's wearing! Seriously, it's a nice cover.
Hey Shelly..
Lovely to meet you here… I am liking your cover a lot..
And also likng your tact in not letting hubby know where your wayward thoughts was leading you…
Congrats on your release…
E.H>
Hi, Shelley! I do love pretty book covers. Most of all, and this is a biggie, the cover must match the character descriptions and the story line. It's very distracting to read a book with a cover image that doesn't match the contents of the book.
Soldier of Fortune does have a nice cover (especially the lifting).
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
I like a cover to reflect the book. While I know there is artistic licence involved, if a character has a particular hair colour then don't have the cover model with the opposite. I'm still peeved about a historical romance, with a curvy (I'd say plus-size but I hate the term) heroine, yet the cover model was so slim it wasn't funny. The author wasn't happy either.
I do love the cover of Congrats on Soldier of Fortune Shelley. All the best with it's release :)
Don't enter me, I just wanted to let you know I gave you award on my blog :)
http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2009/11/you-like-me-you-really-really-like-me.html
Mandi – I have to agree – Louie looks very fine on this cover. My cover artist did an awesome job.
EH *grin* I think my hubby is used to me by now.
Virginia – I like the covers to match character descriptions. It's surprising how often they don't.
orannia – Thanks. For some reason publishers don't like putting larger heroines on covers. One or two of my heroines have been larger and my covers didn't really show this.
I dislike covers that have cartoon people on the cover. They are good for children's books but not adult books.
I'm pretty indifferent with covers though the ones with hunky looking guys to grab my attention first.
Thanks,
Tracey D
Hi Shelley and Mandi,
Sounds like just the book for me, since I easily go gaga over men in uniform *grin*
And that cover is doing it for me, too :)
I'm easy to please… when the cover pictures a sexy guy I'm fine *wink*… But yeah, I agree with you on the non-matching hair color and seeing the entire face. The image you make in your head of the H/H should not get interfered by the image on the cover, LOL.
Quiltingreader – I don't think I've seen many cartoon covers around recently. There are a lot of readers that don't like them.
Tracey – there's something about a hunky male, isn't there? ;-)
ErotRomReader – A man in a uniform is a beautiful thing. That's it in a nutshell – the cover shouldn't interfer with reader enjoyment by inserting plain "wrong" visions inside the reader's head.
On my covers, I just want a scantily clad, ab rippling hottie. That definitely gets my attention. And I want him to look like he's described in the book.
i hope i'm not too late.
i'm not usually the tipe of person who see the covers. i always turn the book and read the blurbs. that's the important part for me in a book.
uniquas at ymail dot com