Monday, May 22, 2017

A Season to Dance Cover - Go Behind the Scenes + Giveaway - by Patricia Beal

Hi everyone! So the debut has been out for a couple of weeks, and people love the cover. I want to give away a book, and take you behind the scenes for a look at the cover development and selection.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a paperback copy of A Season to Dance (void where prohibited)

 My original idea didn't work out. I wanted something like this Picnic in Provence cover, but in yellows and oranges. Maybe a sunflower field, the Rhine, the girl. But my publisher doesn't do this kind of cover.

We needed a photograph and a person. I was given the opportunity to search a site and provide input, and I offered a dozen photos/ideas. One was a bride and flowers. The designer found a different image inspired on that bridal idea and that was the image that later became the cover. 

 I'm so grateful I was able to give so much input. As most of you know, most contracts, mine included, give the publisher full control of the cover.

Here are other ideas we looked at.

 This one was too happy. There are happy moments in the novel, but this cover doesn't reflect the overall mood. And while I like partial faces on covers, I wasn't too keen on this one.

And we looked at this option too. The idea could have worked. I love the tree branches and the flowers, but the model is too young for a story of second chances. Wrong hair color too.

So the bridal stood. I love it because it communicates the perfect mood and is so elegant. It's mysterious. She's walking into her story and reflecting at the same time. I'm so thrilled with it.

Promo image designed using PhotoFunia

What did you think about the other options we looked at? How about the process?

Remember to comment for a chance to win a paperback copy of A Season to Dance (void where prohibited).

Thanks for stopping by!

Patricia
Patricia Beal writes contemporary Christian fiction and is represented by Leslie Stobbe of the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. Her debut novel, A Season to Dance, is out now (Bling! / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas 2017). Order here!

She’s a 2015 Genesis semi-finalist and First Impressions finalist. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati in 1998 with a B.A. in English Literature and then worked as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Army for seven years. Now, after a 10-year break in service, she is an Army editor. She and her husband live in El Paso, Texas, with their two children.



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17 comments:

  1. IolaMay 22, 2017 at 1:53 PM

    I love your cover ... but I also love the cover in the middle, which you called the "happy" cover. But if that's not the mood of your book, it's the wrong cover for your book.

    I have seen books that make that mistake - they set expectations the book can't keep, and that can lead to disappointed readers.

    Thank you for sharing your process!

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    1. UnknownMay 22, 2017 at 3:18 PM

      I've seen that too. It bothers me to no end. It's like falling in love with a line in a movie trailer and then not hearing it when you watch the actual thing... Thanks, Iola!

      Delete
  2. nickmonrMay 22, 2017 at 2:22 PM

    I really do love the cover that it has. I dislike getting a book only to discover that the book has a completely different feel.

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    1. UnknownMay 22, 2017 at 3:19 PM

      I do too! So glad you like cover. Thank you! :)

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  3. UnknownMay 22, 2017 at 4:17 PM

    I love the cover you chose as well as the process but admit I would also be partial to one like A Picnic in Provence because of the colors and painted/watercolor look. Can't wait to read your book.

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  4. Ian AMay 22, 2017 at 4:49 PM

    Patricia, I think the final cover is one of the best covers I've seen in ages. It's simply gorgeous and so so romantic. I do like the one on the swing too - it's playful and the flowers give a wonderful sense of new beginnings.

    It's always fun chatting cover art!

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    1. UnknownMay 22, 2017 at 5:16 PM

      Thank you, Ian! I feel so blessed. I know so many people who end up with a cover they are not crazy about. My agent tells me covers disagreements give him the most work, headaches, and heartaches. No wonder publishers demand full control... The swing one is really pretty. We just couldn't get past her hair color and youth. In A Season to Dance we journey with Ana from the time she's 25 until soon after her 33rd birthday. I did make a note to look up that image and model again for The Song of the Desert Willow, if I'm ever ready to pitch/sell that manuscript. She would make a great Clara :)

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  5. NarelleMay 23, 2017 at 5:19 AM

    Hi Patricia, I love your cover and the alternatives were pretty good options, too. Congrats on your debut book release with a beautiful cover to showcase the story :)

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    1. UnknownMay 23, 2017 at 6:15 AM

      Hi, Narelle! I'm curious and excited to see Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas grow. There's so much talent (old and new), hard work, and growth going on right now. Thank you for the kind words :)

      Delete
  6. writerjanMay 23, 2017 at 10:42 AM

    I love the cover you chose, Patricia. Your comments on the others showed how they just didn't fit the story, or the character. The cover you picked out is gorgeous, and also gives a sense of mystery, of challenge somewhere in the story. Great choice and all the best with this book.

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    1. UnknownMay 23, 2017 at 11:01 AM

      Mystery and challenge. Yep. We've got both in A Season to Dance. Thank you so much for the kind words :)

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  7. SavingsInSecondsMay 24, 2017 at 6:05 PM

    The one you chose is elegant and sweet. I like knowing about the process, and didn't realize that authors don't get the final say every time.
    Dianna

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    1. UnknownMay 25, 2017 at 4:15 AM

      Hi, Dianna! Glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for the kind words :)

      Delete
  8. UnknownMay 25, 2017 at 4:17 AM

    And Random.org selected Narelle Atkins! Congratulations on winning a copy of A Season to Dance :)

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  9. Karen SargentJune 21, 2017 at 1:04 PM

    Your cover is the BEST choice! I love seeing all the options!

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    1. UnknownJune 22, 2017 at 1:48 PM

      Thanks! I love posts like this. I just had to write one of my own ;)

      Delete

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