As an avid reader, I'd be lying if I didn't say the cover of a book is what first motivates me to pick it up. After all, it is the cover you see first, and maybe a few blurbs, before you flip it open or look on the back for the synopsis. When author Scott Keen first contacted us at WOW! Women on Writing to inquire about a blog tour for his upper MG/YA fantasy novel, I was immediately drawn to the cover:
Isn't it gorgeous? Scott's publishing company is WiDo Publishing, and their ability to design the most beautiful and intriguing covers for their novels has always impressed me. I've reviewed several of their books here on this blog, including Elizabeth Maria Naranjo's The Fourth Wall and Karen Jones Gowen's Afraid of Everything.
Here's a synopsis of Scar of the Downers:
Branded on the slaves in the Northern Reaches beyond
Ungstah, the scar marks each one as a Downer. It is who they are. There is no
escaping this world. Still, strange things are stirring.
Two foreigners ride through the Northern Reaches on a
secret mission. An unknown cloaked figure wanders the streets of the dark city
of Ungstah. What they want no one can be sure, but it all centers around a
Downer named Crik.
Crik, too scared to seek freedom, spends his days working
in his master's store, avoiding the spirit-eating Ash Kings while scavenging
food for himself and his best friend, Jak. Until he steals from the wrong
person. When Jak is sold to satisfy the debt, Crik burns down his master's
house and is sentenced to death.
To survive, Crik and his friends must leave behind their
life of slavery to do what no other Downer has ever done before--escape from
the city of Ungstah.
About the cover:
I asked Scott if he could share the story of how the cover for Scar of the Downers was developed, and he was happy to oblige.
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!” Maybe this pithy
statement works when you are dealing with people, but when you are seeking out
actual books to read, if you’re like me, you always judge the book by the
outside of it, especially if you are unfamiliar with the author.
And so, the issue of the cover for Scar of the Downers was
definitely something that had me worried and slightly stressed out. See, when
you sign the contract for the publication of your book to a traditional
publisher, you are, to some extent, signing away your rights. And one of the
biggest decisions that a publisher makes for the book, (outside of which editor
to assign), is what the cover design is.
My publisher, WiDo, obviously takes cover design seriously,
and so asked for a few things from me to give to the designer. They wanted a
synopsis of the plot (I think mine was 1-2 pages long) and a passage from the
manuscript that best typified the tone of the book.
Then, several weeks later, an image popped in my inbox… I opened
it with great trepidation and with my heart in my throat. What did I think
about it? I loved it!
The best moment for me though? The week that my book was
released I visited the closest Barnes and Noble to let them know about the
book’s release (the children’s department manager knew that I had been pursuing
publication), and I got this reaction:
“Oh, your cover is great! I know they say you shouldn’t
judge a book by its cover, but I usually do anyway.”
One less hurdle for people to buy the book.
About Scott Keen:
Scott Keen grew up in Black River, NY, the youngest of
three children. While in law school, he realized he didn't want to be a lawyer.
So he did the practical thing--he became a writer. Now, many years later with
an MFA in script and screenwriting, he is married with four daughters, two of
whom he homeschools. He blogs at www.scottkeenbooks.com.
And last but not least, where you can find the book:
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scar-of-the-downers-scott-keen/1121349256?ean=9781937178635
IndieBound:
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781937178635
Books-a-Million:
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Scar-Downers/Scott-Keen/9781937178635?id=6277304294797
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937178633/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
What are some of your favorite book covers?
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