Comments on: Who Decides Titles and Cover Design?

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By: The Artist and the Author | VAST 231: Don't Buy This Book, Spring 2012

The Artist and the Author | VAST 231: Don't Buy This Book, Spring 2012 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:30:06 +0000

[…] artistic control over covers and drawings as opposed to designers or publishers calling the shots? Most people seem to agree that the norm is for publishers to have all the control for book covers; they […]

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By: JJ

JJ — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 03:21:30 +0000

>I've never thought much about covers except that I want something which will properly convey what my story is about.

The title for my current ms is awesome hahaha. It popped into my head before I had even written the first chapter. I met with an agent recently and she requested pages before I was done pitching just off my title.

By: Lori Benton

Lori Benton — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:55:36 +0000

>I've gone so far as to make mock covers for one of my novels. Just in case I ever do have a say, I'll be able to show, not tell. 🙂

By: D.J. Hughes

D.J. Hughes — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:53:58 +0000

>This is good information.

Elements of my manuscript had been floating around in my mind, but when a title came to me that I liked, it set the rest of the manuscript on course. Having a working title, even if it's not the one that stays in the end, has helped me to sustain a tighter focus throughout the manuscript.

By: Anne Lyle

Anne Lyle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:45:45 +0000

>My current manuscript has gone through several working titles - I hope I get to keep the current one because knowing my genre I think it works on a marketing level, but I wouldn't throw a tantrum if the publisher insisted on changing it to something even better :)

As for covers, I know my own limits as a designer, so as long as it's reasonably classy and not hopelessly inaccurate I really don't mind what they put on it. I've seen some hideous SF&F covers in the past (mostly on US editions, I have to say), with badly-proportioned, even anatomically-impossible people on them, so I'd be a bit upset if I got landed with one of those - but UK publishers are usually better than that. The past decade has seen some gorgeous covers (e.g. any of Joe Abercrombie's books) so I'm not too worried.

By: Lyndoncr

Lyndoncr — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:23:26 +0000

>I adore book covers! I think it's a great art form that is often under appreciated. The recent releases of 1984 and Animal Farm or gorgeous, as are the line of Cormac McCarthy books. All perfect examples of what to expect on the pages.

I've done a series of mock ups for various projects, I find it helps me think of it as an actual book. I posted a series of them on my blog a little while ago ( http://www.lyndoncr.com/blog/2010/11/24/evolution-of-a-cover.html ).

That said, I would have no issues if any publisher wanted to change it.

By: J. Koyanagi

J. Koyanagi — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:06:35 +0000

>Generally, I trust the publishing house to know what they're doing with regard to title and book cover. Of course I daydream, but ultimately, I have no illusions about the author's influence over the cover.

That said, I think the one thing I'd raise heck over would be the whitewashing of a character of color.

By: Edward G.

Edward G. — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:19:02 +0000

>What the f... do I care what they call my story or what artwork they put on the cover of the book. Their job is to sell the damn thing. Mine is to write the story.

...As if anyone is actually publishing first time authors these days, anyway.

By: R.D. Allen

R.D. Allen — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 05:25:58 +0000

>I have some covers worked up for my novels already, mostly because I figure it's so hard to get published today that I might have to self-publish first. I have a title for every novel I've written so far, and as far as the two I'm working on right now... I like the titles but I'm not particularly attached. I think they make a lot of sense and they're not too long or cheesy.

BUT. Should I get a contract and the publisher come up with better ideas than I have, by all means, I'll let them. :P But I would hope to have a say in it.

By: Carrie L. Lewis

Carrie L. Lewis — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:12:52 +0000

>Another great topic.

I always have a working title, even if it's just the name of the lead character.

Sometimes the first glimmer of an idea for a story is a title. I have a list of potential titles, as a matter of fact.

As an artist, I've also worked freelance on book cover design. I had the extreme good fortune to be involved not only with the publisher but with the author on cover design.

The Writer's Market has a section for artists, too. At least the edition I have lists publishers who accept freelance design work. I was quite surprised by that.