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Featured Author - Jennifer McKenzie


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I fell in love with "Shadow Of The Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spanish writer) last year.

 

That was one of my favourites of this year and I went on to read Winter in Madrid to find out more about the Spanish Civil War of which I knew embarrassingly very little.

 

Do you have a choice over what cover you have for your book? I have heard that some companys (not necessarily involved in publishing)can have a bigger say than the writer.

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That was one of my favourites of this year and I went on to read Winter in Madrid to find out more about the Spanish Civil War of which I knew embarrassingly very little.

 

Do you have a choice over what cover you have for your book? I have heard that some companys (not necessarily involved in publishing)can have a bigger say than the writer.

 

*writes down "Winter In Madrid"*

 

I also knew very little. What I've gotten has been Winston Churchill's take on it in his history series and "For Whom The Bell Tolls" which I didn't like much.

 

I have input on my covers. I asked for a fishing boat (that made it) but not the sexy guy on the front. :D

Because of the line this book was contracted under, it did have to have a "certain look" which I'm fine with.

My husband and I did laugh at the irony that the book is set in Alaska and the hot guy is shirtless! And he doesn't LOOK cold.

 

I've heard that bigger publisher let authors have ZERO input on their covers. In fact, one author I know was extremely upset over a cover she was given due to the "implied" nature of the picture which didn't match her book at all.

 

Often, sales are determined by how "sexy" a book is and that's the reality of publishing. I usually ask for what they call "concept covers" which involve less "sexy poses" and more "mood" covers. As you can see by my collection, it's about half and half.

 

I've been VERY lucky in my covers, acutally.

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From what I've seen, it appears the US readers like the 'sexy pose' covers etc, whereas in the UK it tends to be more abstract. Have you seen the differences between the Kelley Armstrong covers, for instance?

 

 

Oh absolutely, Michelle.

 

I notice a difference in Chick Lit too. For example, Jennifer Crusie's stuff and Sophie Kinsella both have that humorous, cartoonish cover thing going on. Yet, "Bet Me" by Crusie is just as sexy as some of my stuff.

I notice that the UK tends to be MUCH more subtle. I appreciate it.

There was a discussion on a blog about romance covers that noted the history of what they call "clinch covers". (Woman with huge breasts and man with long flowing hair in an impossible pose. *shudders*).

The established wisdom is that these covers were developed to sell to MEN who bought the books to sell in stores. Hence, "sexy" came to represent the genre.

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Yep - and personally, I'd pick up the contemporary ones, but not the Blaze ones.. purely because of the covers. It's very judgemental of me, I know.

 

Believe me, we know that too.

The thing is that it cuts both ways. There's a ton of people who wouldn't pick up the contemporary ones. *shrugs* It's just tough to know which way to go.

Kelley St. John has gone BOTH ways. Very smart of her.

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However, that goes back to one of your other questions.. considering I don't like the blaze covers, would I look at that page, and judge *all* of her books to be the same, but with different types of covers? It's possible.

 

Fortunately, Kelley sent me a copy of one of the comp romance books, and I really liked it. Things like that are making me question my judgements.. and I may even pick up a blaze one one of these days! :D

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I was going to ask whether you thought that covers can make for a bad representation of a book, but I think you would answer yes. We have had a few of these discussions on the forum and covers definitely show a lot about a book, but often we can be disappointed. I always read the burb to make a decision but I have probably missed a few good reads when browsing, as I look at covers because my attention span is not very good if I am not in the mood. I have also read some books that were bot up to the standard I first thought.

 

I have other books that look exactly like those blaze ones and found them good stories, but not something I could read too much of. I would see these and think they were the same, but they may not be.

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I was going to ask whether you thought that covers can make for a bad representation of a book, but I think you would answer yes. We have had a few of these discussions on the forum and covers definitely show a lot about a book, but often we can be disappointed. I always read the burb to make a decision but I have probably missed a few good reads when browsing, as I look at covers because my attention span is not very good if I am not in the mood. I have also read some books that were bot up to the standard I first thought.

 

I have other books that look exactly like those blaze ones and found them good stories, but not something I could read too much of. I would see these and think they were the same, but they may not be.

 

I think covers have a HUGE influence on the selling power of a book.

For example: I had a romantic fantasy that was part of a special line at a publisher. The biggest complaint about that line was the covers. Both authors and readers hated the covers. It was reflected in DISMAL sales, even for established, best selling authors. As a result, the line was discontinued and all the books were released from contract. Mine is still homeless right now.

That's a pretty extreme example.

Another author I know had a dark paranormal book that was given a "chicklit" like cover. The reader backlash was pretty harsh.

Covers can decide a book's fate and in a very short time.

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Thanks Jen, that seems rather unfair, but then that is how we are I suppose:roll:. Having written some books, do you personally think the covers do justice to the stories?

 

Any opinion I give is very subjective. My first two covers with Cobblestone Press (by artist Anne Caine who is WONDERFUL) were perfect.

"A Taste Of Christmas" cover matched the mood and fit the book. "Singled Out" cover is directly from the book and perfect. "Double Trouble"? No. Not exactly what that story is about.

But "Triple Play" was perfect too (by an artist named Covervan).

 

The Wild Rose Press covers were more difficult since they were stock covers (for shorter stories). My newest one with them represents the story well.

 

Like I said, I've been very lucky. The covers I can't stand (and titles for that matter) are the ones that "dumb down" the content. There's an author I respect and she's released a book where they changed the title (it's pretty awful) and gave her a "hunk" (not a tasteful hunk in my opinion) on the cover.

 

Her writing is VERY good, but you'd never know it by the book cover. I'm not sure who they were aiming for, but I think it was a mistake.

 

But I'm no marketing expert either.

 

Of course, she's never said a thing about that cover, but I wonder if she had much choice in it. (It was a bigger publisher).

 

There's two things I can't stand for my own covers--boring or deceptive.

 

If my story is erotic romance, the cover ought to reflect what a person will find in the story.

If my story ISN'T erotic, no "clinch cover" please.

 

I don't envy cover artists, that's for sure.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I meant to get here sooner.

I want to thank you guys for allowing me to be the featured author this month.

You all really asked me questions that made me ponder several things I had taken for granted. I appreciate that.

Congrats to IceCream who won a free book. I hope you enjoy it!!!

I, of course, am going absolutely nowhere and will try and improve my time on the Daily Quiz so that SOMEDAY I can beat Kell. :readingtwo:

 

Thank you again.

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It's been lovely having you as our feature'd author - thanks for being such a good sport. :readingtwo: And as for the daily quiz, well, I'm not the one that's always at the top, so there's proof that it can be done! :readingtwo:

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