The Making of a Cover

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.