Covers are so important. The way they look — the way they make us feel — can attract us to a new book. They can be the deciding factor in a sale. When we read a book we often refer back to the cover to get a sense of setting or time period. We feel frustrated if the cover doesn’t fit the book well. A good cover is so important.
I am lucky enough to have a fantastic team at Revell working on my book. From the get-go I’ve felt their deep investment in The Hope of Azure Springs. But still, as an author that had slaved over these words for so long, I was on the edge of my seat when I finally opened the email with my cover image. Seriously, I shouldn’t have worried — it’s beautiful and completely appropriate for this book.
Let’s back up and explore how this beautiful cover came to be.
Way back in the summer of 2017 I received a questionnaire from Revell. It was several pages long asking me about different characters’ looks and qualities, the setting, what I envisioned for a cover, etc. I was even able to submit favorite covers I’d seen.
Once I sent that back they used that information as they began meeting about the book’s title. Its working title had been Azure Springs and was eventually changed to The Hope of Azure Springs. I was impressed that they consulted with me on their titling ideas.
They also used the information I sent to help them create a concept for the cover.
Revell did not do a new shoot for my cover. They pulled an image from an old shoot that’d been taken several years ago because they liked the model’s body positioning. However they did think her face wasn’t right and so they traded that out with another image from an old shoot. Then they changed her dress color.
From there the image was put into several different backgrounds. They explored the idea of putting a train or a town in the background. Showing her head or not. My one big request was to not have her face shown. Once you read the book you will understand that it’s so important for the reader to create their own image of Em. Her physical appearance made a big difference in the story. In the end they honored that request.
I couldn’t be happier with the final product. They were very thoughtful and asked my opinion. I of coursed gushed over it and have been nothing but happy with it since. This final cover captures the setting and time period. It gives us a glimpse of Em without divulging too much. Awesome job Revell!
I hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the making the cover for The Hope of Azure Springs. Let me know if you have any questions!
Credit for the beautiful end product goes to Dan Thornberg from Design Source Creative Services.
What a great little write up for the cover. I am very excited to read and this made me all the more excited to know the character of Em! Great alert!
I found the process fascinating. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great blog. Thank you for sharing with us. I look forward to meeting Em!
I think I had just as much fun writing it. The whole book making process is much more complicated that I had imagined.
Thank you so much for sharing this process. It is very interesting. I love how Revell worked with you, even down to the questionaire you mentioned. So many authors feel left out of the cover design and selection process by their publishers. It’s great to know that Revell isn’t that kind of publisher.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I’m convinced Revell has the best team ever!
Thank you so much for your description on how your book cover came to be. It was well explained and was intriguing.
FYI… I just finished your book and loved it. Looking forward to what you have planned next with your upcoming books.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the book and the blog. If you have a spare second it’d be awesome if you left a review so others can find the book.
I have a release scheduled for 2019. It’s stand along but we do get to see a couple characters from this book!
Hi Rachel! I just finished reading The Hope of Azure Springs for a blog review for Revell. And I must say that I love the cover as well. I even mentioned it in my review! Well done on the book! I hope to read more from you one day. I truly enjoyed this publication.
In case you would like to read it, here is my review. But be forewarned that I do give you one criticism. I hope it is helpful and you can not dwell on it because I praised you WAY more than I criticized! Blessings! https://clothedinrighteousness.weebly.com/my-blog/the-hope-of-azure-springs-by-rachel-fordham-review