Trade Paperback Reissues: The Covers
Apr82010
St. Martins, the best of all possible publishers, is reissuing the first six solo novels I did for them in trade paperback format. This is nothing but good news, but it did lead us to someothing we’d never really worked at before: a series cover concept. That is, even though the books–Tell Me Lies, Crazy For You, Welcome to Temptation, Fast Women, Faking It, and Bet Me–are all very different, they still had to look as though they came from one writer with one sensibility, mood, and style. Therefore we had to come up with one type design and one layout/concept that could be tweaked so that each book had a cover that represented the story (not illustrated it, conceptualized it) while keeping a coherent overall look. In other words, we needed the same thing but different six times.
Sure, piece of cake.
The first tries were good-looking covers–I still love the Crazy for You cover from this pass–but they were too chick lit. I have nothing against chick lit, I’ve written some of it (see the cover for Trust Me On This) but the six solos I’ve written for SMP are not chick lit. Or romance. They’re women’s fiction, but only kinda. It’s hard to describe. But I knew these weren’t it:
So I asked for something edgier, sharper, snarkier, and gave the art dept some covers that I thought were closer to the mood of what I write, and got this:
Not as cute, but closer in mood. There were photoshop problems on Tell Me Lies which I assumed could be fixed, and Some People (cough, Gaffney, cough) saw nothing but phallic in that knife, but the real problem was Crazy For You: the bra dangling off the lettering was chick lit all over again and not the mood of the story at all. So I said, “A dog.” And we auditioned dogs:
I liked the laughing dog, so we went with that. Then I got the final comps, and the photoshopping hadn’t been fixed, and I freaked out.
At that point, I had to admit I wasn’t thrilled with what we had, Jen and I talked about it, she called Mara Lubell, and we got these, which were beautiful:
The top row covers were still too chick lit. The second row felt bland to me. I liked the third row a lot, but they were missing the quirkiness we needed, they were too sweet, and that was going to be a problem when we got to Fast Women. Plus there was that whole stalker thing in Crazy for You. I found some stock photos that I really liked that I thought fit the mood better and sent them and got this:
That wasn’t right, either. Mollie sent me a jpg that showed where we’d been and where were going which was pretty much nowhere:
At this point you’re saying, “My god, that’s a picky writer,” but this was more than just attractive book covers (which those all are), this was going to represent me as a writer, and more than that, had to grab trade paperback readers who might possibly not want to read a chick lit romantic comedy which was not what I was writing. By then I was so crazed by the choices and the feeling that nothing was right and that we were NEVER going to get it (and the cover for Maybe This Time loomed and that was going to be worse), so Mollie stepped in and reorganized the process. She said, “Here’s what your paperback covers in the past have looked like:
As you can see, they’ve been all over the place, but it was easy to see which ones didn’t work: anything that was cute, anything that was too pastel, anything that was too cluttered. The best were sharp, simple, evocative with strong color. So Mollie started there with a very simple concept, sent me to stock photos to find images I liked, and after I sent her a boatload of them, sent me back this:
The images were too small, there wasn’t enough color, the type wasn’t working, so she came back with this:
The pastel background was killing the sharpness, so she went back and tried again:
And I thought, “This is it.” They weren’t as cute or as funky as Mara’s designs, but the power of the image married to the strong color in the type felt both new and simple to me. Mara’s designs were gorgeous on their own–hell, I’d frame them–but I didn’t think they’d pop on a bookstore shelf. These in-your-face white covers with a strong image that had a lot of detail up close, these were what I wanted.
Sort of.
The problem was, if you only have one image on your cover, it has to be the PERFECT image. I lost hours of my life searching stock photo images and so did Mollie, and we came up with four that worked, although a couple of the colors were still off:
That left us two to go which wouldn’t have been a problem since we had the concept now and we only needed the first two to start, but of course one of the ones we didn’t have was Crazy For You, and it was going to hit the stand the beginning of April. We needed the image now.
So there was this:
which was Mollie being funny, and then we went for dogs:
And everybody loved the pug in the tutu, so we went with that. VERY happy. Then Jen came back and said everybody loved the pug in the tutu but it was too hard to read on the shelf and we needed a simpler image, and we went with the puppy in the house which is actually much better for Crazy For You anyway. And the first two went into production like this:
They should be in bookstores now if you want an up-close-and-personal look at them.
So now we were good except that mask we’d found for Faking It wasn’t really right. So we tried a sunflower since the book opens with Tilda painting sunflowers.
The sunflower was way too blah. “Dogs,” I said, and sent a stock photo to Jen and she said, “Yes, that one,” and Mollie doesn’t like it, but we do so here’s the Faking It cover (with the Welcome to Temptation cover to show how it fits in the series):
And we’re done. I think. Looking back over these, I like some of Mara’s concepts a lot, so I may have been too hasty in saying no there, but I think what we came up with is best for the bookshelf, I think they’re going to really stand out there, so I’m happy with where we are. It took months to get here, but I’m happy.
And now you can all tell me I was nuts not to go with that last set of Mara covers.
Loading ...
138 Comments to 'Trade Paperback Reissues: The Covers'
On April 8, 2010 at 10:20 am CT said...
Does anyone have a good reference for a rundown on the differences between romance, chick lit, and women’s fiction? I thought I had a good handle on this, but after reading this post…frankly, I’m a little confused on some points. Thanks in advance!
On April 8, 2010 at 10:49 am Jenny said...
Chick lit is usually snappy-pattered fiction about women usually in their twenties, usually in an urban setting; think Sex and the City.
Romance is a love story with an optimistic ending. Chick lit is often but not always romance.
Women’s fiction is sometimes also romance, but it’s always about a woman’s emotional journey. My women’s fiction has happy endings, but I’d agree with Merry that it does go darker. (If the protatonist of this kind of fiction is male, it’s called “fiction.”)
The expectation is that chick lit will be light and fun and fast-moving, that romance will focus on the relationship and emotion more than plot, and that women’s fiction will be more layered, which slows the pace down while providing for a deeper exploration of character.
Trust Me On This is chick lit.
My Harlequin novels and The Cinderella Deal are romances, as is Bet Me.
Except for Bet Me, my SMP solos are women’s fiction; that is, there’s a strong romantic plot, but the real story is about the heroine’s journey, not the romance.
My collabs with Bob are romantic adventure, a term we made up.
My collabs with Krissie, Lani, and Eileen are paranormal romances.
But really, all those terms are whatever anybody means when they use them because there is no industry standard. And their meaning here is really just short hand for “Don’t make these books look like sex-in-the-city or classic romances because they’re not and people will be disappointed if they buy them thinking that’s what they are.”
On April 8, 2010 at 2:05 pm Julia said...
(If the protatonist of this kind of fiction is male, it’s called “fiction.”)
Ohh, god you’re funny and this breakdown of genres is so spot on – thank you!! I used to read ‘fiction’, but since I started itching for women protagonists it’s been mystery, romance, and once in awhile, chick lit. So, now that I’m writing a non-mystery, not so romantic book about a slightly older chick . . . I don’t even think of it as straight fiction, because I abandoned those aisles so long ago. But you’ve got me thinking that I’ll elbow my way back in
On April 8, 2010 at 10:31 am Merry the CB said...
Women’s fiction doesn’t have an HEA… maybe a bittersweet semi-dark happy ending, but no milk chocolate at all.
Oh all right. I’ll go have some more coffee. I spent too many years discussing the definition of post-modern literature, and it made me cranky. Um… more so.
On April 9, 2010 at 11:29 pm Meredith B. said...
The main difference for me is that Women’s Fiction, done well, never ever makes me want to throw it at the wall. Chick Lit can make me do that from time to time even when it’s done well. (Not to say I don’t like Chick Lit, because I often do, But.)
On April 8, 2010 at 10:39 am June said...
I love the concept. Particularly since they are reprints. It’s great when they look very different. They look wonderful.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:45 am Merry the CB said...
Okay, I’ve been fortified with caffeine and the fog has cleared a bit.
The definitions of Romance, Chick-Lit and Women’s fiction can overlap or be diametrically opposed, depending on who you talk to and how much chocolate they’ve had. It would probably be more useful to know the definition as specified by the illustrious Ms. Crusie.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:49 am Slave Driver said...
I like the simple single photo and the consistant type/font. As I looked at your covers I thought about one of my other favorite authors, Victoria Dahl, and how her contemporary romance (Talk me Down, Start Me Up, Lie to Me) covers are very simple, one model doing/wearing something that represents her life, and all three books have three word titles ( I have no idea if she planned this…) Her historical romances have very different covers, with deep jewel tones, handsome men and lucious women, but I also understand that it’s the genre difference and they must look more grand and sweeping.
Thanks for showing us the process. I often find myself picking up a book based on the cover, then I look at the blurb on the back. I think you and Molly did an excellent job. Rock on!
On April 8, 2010 at 10:49 am Meagan said...
I am going to have to buy Bet Me when it comes out. I love the frog prince. I have 30+ frog princes. Love the covers.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:57 am McB said...
I’ve always thought that women’s fiction could have HEA, but was more about character arc. That is, a heroine who grows and ends up in a place where she’s stronger and happier with her life.
And, sorry, but didn’t care for the pug in the tutu. I wasn’t even sure it was a dog. But I love the dog in the house and agree it fits the book better. The sunflower for Faking It was too yellow. I’m not a fan of yellow. I like the red chair. And the frog for Bet Me is perfect, fitting in with the whole fairy tale theme. All in all, you guys did good work.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:12 am Mireille said...
Just commenting to say I love your cover posts so much, I wish you did them all the time. It’s actually how I found your blog! I bought The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes mostly because of how interesting the cover post for it was, haha.
I love the final look – especially the spines, I think they’ll work very well together on bookshelves. I also love the “top row” ones of the first Mara stuff, but then, I love chick lit too – but there’s really something with the types for your name that grabs me.
So, good work! I’m a new fan so I will definitely buy all of these because of pretty. I definitely think they’re a BIG step up from the previous covers.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:23 am robena grant said...
What an exhausting process. My faves are Bet Me, and Welcome to Temptation. Love all of them. The apple is perfect for Temptation, and something about it being a granny smith instead of the usual red apple and about it not having just one fatal bite taken out of it, well it cracks me up. If you’re gonna be tempted might as well go the whole way.
Meagan, I have a frog prince that sits on a small marble base which is engraved with, The Frog Formerly Known as Prince. I always thought that would be a great fun book title, except I don’t write funny.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:37 am colognegrrl said...
I think you were right turning down the original designs. I like this a lot, it’s cool but suggests there’s going to be fun inside. The only problem I have is the apple – it looks so realistic that I expect it to turn brown any minute now.
We’ve had this discussion recently concerning the cover art for my next novel (to be released in February 2011, so still a long time to wait). Of course I’m not in the situation where I can just veto something but I thought it was nice to be included in the process. Last thing I heard was that they commissioned a drawing but I haven’t seen it yet. Now that I think about it I can hardly wait.
On April 8, 2010 at 12:48 pm Jenny said...
Oh, good luck! Fingers crossed it’s a great one.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:45 am Harley Jane Kozak said...
Jenny, this was an absolute education — and such fun to read about. I’m sure it wasn’t as much fun for you to live through, but congratulations. Gorgeous.
On April 8, 2010 at 12:49 pm Jenny said...
Hey, you. I haven’t seen you since San Diego. Thank god for the internet.
On April 8, 2010 at 2:19 pm marly said...
I love your books – is there more Wollie to come? I miss her.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:08 pm Jenny said...
Him. Wolfie is a him. And right now. he’s retired. It’s Veronica’s turn.
On April 8, 2010 at 5:14 pm marly said...
Oops – sorry. I was being lazy and asking Harley Jane Kozak a question. I should have just popped over to her website and asked there. Wollie Shelley is the main character in the “Dating” books. Maybe I’m spelling it incorrectly. It’s been a long day.
On April 8, 2010 at 7:35 pm Jenny said...
Ack. I’m being lazy, too. I skimmed and saw “Wolfie.”
Never mind.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:29 pm McB said...
Dating Dead Men was hysterical!
On April 8, 2010 at 11:50 am Chevy Stevens said...
Covers are hard! We went thought a lot with mine, too. I think your final selections are fantastic. Simple and bold. Perfect.
On April 8, 2010 at 12:48 pm Jessie said...
It’s clear that the design is not my forte. They are all great. But my absolute favorite was Molly’s Crazy for You cover with the nuts.
On April 8, 2010 at 12:53 pm Jenny said...
Joke. That was a JOKE. Although come to think of it, the hero was a mechanic.
On April 9, 2010 at 10:50 am Libby said...
Yes! I thought it was very clever of Mollie. A chip off the old block.
On April 8, 2010 at 1:10 pm Rosa said...
Me too! I love Crazy For You and I would have bought another copy just to get the lug nuts.
I’m sad to see the coffee cup on Fast Women go away. Something about it was just so noir and perfect.
Clearly I’m not the Trade Paperback Women’s Fiction market. I always expect a tragedy in those.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:31 pm McB said...
I think I know what you mean. For some reason entertainment marketing always assumes women like lots of angst.
On April 9, 2010 at 1:50 am followingtheroad said...
I haven’t picked up a Trade Paperback Women’s Ficiton in over a year because I couldn’t take the angst anymore. I’m sure I’ve missed out on some fantastic reads but you just never know. The covers all look happy and sweet (Butterflies! Dragonflies! Green Fields with Yellow Sandals!) and then the dog dies and the hero is a jerkwad and the sister has an life threatening drug problem and everyone is being cheated on by everyone else and the Mom has incurable cancer…
Geez- I call that kind of crap real life. If I wanted more of that I wouldn’t be reading. Give me a good car chase and a dog that lives through to the end. And possibly some brain-altering sex thrown in at the appropriate moment.
Sorry- I got distracted by my hate of publishers believing that if I am female and I read I must either want to be throttled with The Angst or hit over the head with the Sex Without Plot. Stepping down from my soapbox now…
On April 9, 2010 at 9:33 am Jenny said...
The dog never dies in Crusie World.
I’ve knocked off quite a few people, though. Nobody we couldn’t spare.
On April 8, 2010 at 12:51 pm Jessica Leader said...
Thank you for sharing all this (and thanks to your publisher for letting you post the images)–it was fascinating! I agree with most of what you said about the mood/genre/audience that the various images implied, and I really like what you came up with. Hope they sell like hotcakes! (Now that is an evocative image as well…)
On April 8, 2010 at 12:57 pm Tawna Fenske said...
This is unbelievably fascinating! I love seeing the process involved in your cover selection, as well as your take on the importance of setting the tone and differentiating between romance, chick-lit, & women’s fiction. My agent and I have wrestled with how to define the sort of rom-com I write, but I’ll admit I haven’t given much thought to how that should be reflected in my book covers. My editor hasn’t broached the subject yet, but I imagine she will soon (clearly I’m a rookie, I don’t have a clue.) I just forwarded my agent a link to this post as a great example of something we’ll eventually need to think about. Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve been learning a lot from you
Tawna
On April 8, 2010 at 2:07 pm CrankyOtter said...
Wow. Just wow. Thank you for sharing the art and the process.
As usual, Mara is a goddess of design but I can see why you thought it would be too much or too hard to keep up on multiple covers. I still use the screen background of TUMF as my computer background at home and bought a matching box (in pink) from the Border’s sale table… Your publisher must love you to give you such consistently great covers. Props to SMP.
I actually saw Crazy for You at Borders last night (the same Borders where I randomly saw Harley Jane talk about her books last year… small world) and I picked it up, but I don’t know if that was because it was on the high shelf of the endcap, it was your name being easy to read or it was the cover.
If you just want the chipper cheerleading stuff, stop reading now.
I really, really think the apple core for WTT should be red. I know granny smiths are tart. Maybe the old cover and the “are they apples or cherries” conversation influence me unduly, but every time that green apple popped up, I kept waiting for it to change to red. I agree that using a core rather than a bite implies giving in to temptation, and that’s cool. And for Bet Me, I thought Min was more of a transformed frog than Cal. Is it a girl frog?
That said, I have to admit that trade paperbacks are not my preference. I like paperbacks – their size and weight just works for me. I mostly buy hardcovers to support an author I consider to be a keeper. Trade paperbacks are all the drawbacks of hardcovers (too big, pages are floppy, heavy, giant margins, expensive, don’t fit on my shelves) with all the drawbacks of paperbacks (pages fall out if read more than a couple times, pages often yellow, cover gets beaten up) so it doesn’t justify the extra cost to me. So if I get the trade paperbacks to replace the books I apparently lost in my move, or lent to someone before I moved, then they look all wrong on my shelf. I love you, but I don’t see myself re-buying trade paperbacks of all 6 when I have multiple copies of 4 of them already. Hrm. I really needed to say that, but did you (or anyone else) need to hear it? That I’m not so sure of. So I’m glad I get to see them on your blog.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:18 pm Shiloh said...
Actually that’s funny, I was thinking the apple should be red when I saw it too. Still love it, I think I just associate the old cover being red?
On April 9, 2010 at 10:52 am Libby said...
Yes, the red apple just says “Temptation.”
On April 8, 2010 at 2:10 pm Kathy K said...
Will all of these re-releases be released as e-books – specifically Kindle? I’ve read my copies so often they are falling apart.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:06 pm Jenny said...
I don’t know. I’ll check.Yes, they’ll go on sale as the trade pbs are reissued.
On April 8, 2010 at 9:41 pm Kelly S said...
Sweet! I have a friend with rheumatoid arthritis who has trouble holding books but can read on her iphone via the Kindle app.
On April 8, 2010 at 2:18 pm Kelly George said...
Hello,
Not sure that this belongs in this thread of posts BUT I was cleaning out a closet the other day and found a copy of Bet Me that I had purchased but somehow put aside until I had time. Well, I am on vacay from work this week and I have to tell you that I started it at 8:30pm last night and finished it at 3:30am. I could not put it down!!!! I have been a fan for a while put this just cements it! Thank you for putting out great reads!!!! You are truly very talented
On April 8, 2010 at 3:08 pm Jenny said...
Thank you!
On April 8, 2010 at 2:25 pm marly said...
I enjoyed the nuts. Now Katie has a face, and I’d know Steve anywhere – missing Marlene and Phoebe just a little bit.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:22 pm SheenaJade said...
I am just really very relieved that it didn’t end up being the ones with the scary looking women on them. I’m planning on buying the reissues because my copies are truly shot but those ones frightened me. Especially the Welcome to Temptation one. I’ve definitely read that book too many times though because my first thought (well, after “yikes!”) was “Why is Amy in the foreground?”
On April 8, 2010 at 8:12 pm CrankyOtter said...
And here I’m thinking that was my favorite of the non-apple WTT covers. Clearly, my opinion is minority. I’ll shut up.
On April 8, 2010 at 3:23 pm Denise said...
Thank you for sharing the process! I love all the new ones except Faking It, the original is one of my all time favorite covers so that’s probably why, and Bet Me just because the original with the cherry shoes was such a part of the story itself! That said, these really pop and are going to be so easy to see on the shelf. I LOVE the new Tell me Lies, the old cover didn’t match the story at all…
On April 8, 2010 at 3:25 pm Harley Jane Kozak said...
Yes! It was San Diego. You know what I remember from San Diego? You did a PowerPoint presentation and I remember being so amazed at its cleverness. And ever since, when I see PowerPoint, I think “Jenny Crusie.”
And now, whenever I see a pug in a tutu, I’m going to think, “Jenny Crusie.”
On April 8, 2010 at 3:32 pm Jenny said...
All in all, I prefer the pug to powerpoint. “That Jenny Crusie, you know what she reminds me of? Power Point.” ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH.
But we did have a good time. That was the conference that Catherine Coulter came up arm in arm with Bob and said, “I’m stealing your partner.” I thought about it and said, “Take him.” It simpled things up so much.
You I remember as being the most elegant person there. I kept thinking, “How does she eat and not spill things on herself?”
Of course that’s probably not what you wanted to be remembered for either.
Conferences. I just try to get through them without stabbing myself in the eye with a fork.
On April 8, 2010 at 4:40 pm Diane (TT) said...
Huh. That sounds a lot like what Will said in Manhunting. I guess a writing partnership is not like sharing a hotel suite.
On April 9, 2010 at 10:31 am Kate G said...
I have just learned a TON about covers (went back and read your previous post too). My head is spinning. I have to rethink EVERYTHING and start over. That’s a good thing.
Jenny I put this under your comment about conferences because I woke up one day last week and discovered I was helping (confernce chair!! Yikes) of the NEC conference for next year. Do I contact SMP to find out about booking you for a conference? I’m pretty sure we can’t afford you, but hey, it can’t hurt to ask!
On April 10, 2010 at 11:19 pm Jenny said...
I’m not going anywhere ever again.
Okay, maybe sometime, but not next year. Maybe if I get that RV we saw today, the one I’m giving Liz in Rest in Pink . . . no. I need to stay home and write. But thank you so much for thinking of me!
On April 11, 2010 at 10:41 am Kate G said...
Puppy dog face and sad eyes. I guess I can understand needing to stay home and write. I’m thinking of playing hookie from work tomorrow myself. No word count from last week at all, although, in my defense I did do a last edit on CAS and sent it to my editor. However, I LONG for 8 hours of quiet so I can write a cohesive sentence or 500.
I’ll go camp on someone elses doorstep. Surely someone will speak at a conference to make me go away?
On April 11, 2010 at 11:59 am Jenny said...
You have a ton of people up there. As I recall, you’re author-rich. This is Boston, right?
On April 8, 2010 at 3:43 pm Sure thing said...
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting the process.
I love seeing the plan come together.
On April 8, 2010 at 4:51 pm Jenny said...
Yeah, it’s fun AFTERWARD. She said, bitterly.
On April 8, 2010 at 4:47 pm Harley Jane Kozak said...
I’m sorry to have to disagree, but there is no one more elegant than Catherine Coulter, who manages to be well-dressed, in HEELS, and publishes 14 books a year, all while stealing men. An inspiration to us all.
On April 8, 2010 at 4:50 pm Jenny said...
I think of that more as energetic than elegant, but I’ll concede the point.
On April 8, 2010 at 5:17 pm Deborah Blake said...
I loved all these covers (except the ones with the scary women on them–I’m with SheenaJade on those). But really, I’ll buy any cover that has your name on it, so I’m easy.
On April 8, 2010 at 8:04 pm Rosemary said...
I know this is in the wrong post, but I was in Dulles on Easter Sunday and saw two things and thought of you. First up was some of the cast of Glee: Fin, the kid in the wheelchair and I think a couple others. At the same gate was a man knitting a pair of socks.
On April 9, 2010 at 5:08 pm Naked Under My Clothes said...
That really is a kind of surreal Crusie combo, isn’t it?
On April 8, 2010 at 8:26 pm Shelley said...
This post was so interesting. It was neat to see the progression of the covers and to hear about the thought that went into them. I will definitely look for the reissues in person!
On April 8, 2010 at 8:27 pm Susan said...
All that hard work and time and angst was so worth it, Jenny!! Gorgeous covers that hit the nail square on its troublesome head.
-Susan
On April 8, 2010 at 8:37 pm JulieB said...
Again, this was fascinating, and I really like seeing the whole process. Thanks! I wish I could have you as an art teacher as well as a writing teacher.
I did not like the pug in the tutu as much as I liked the dog in the house. I thought the dog in the house had all the elements in the story, so I’m glad you went with that one.
And, now, for and anal question: does it bug you that the color of the font in Bet Me is not that same as the primary image — the frog? Because it bugs me. Everything else matches up so well in the other covers. But then, I like the sunflower, so what do I know?
I think it’s probably just me, but the chair reminds me too much of “Blue’s Clues” and I’m not making the connection of how it fits into the story. I remember Wolfie very well, but when I think of the book, I think of the paintings, and Tilde painting her room and furniture, but not a chair. I think, perhaps, I was too influenced by the cover of the book I read — I really loved it, and I think that Faking It is my favorite. (Or Welcome to Temptation — I dither between the two…)
I can see all the other images in the covers except that one. I guess it’s time for a re-read.
On April 8, 2010 at 8:41 pm JulieB said...
OK, I realized that I switched the covers I was talking about mid-stream, and my comment didn’t make much sense. Sorry. I was mulling over the Faking It cover. I looked again. I think the flower is not a sunflower at all, but rather, a daisy.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:38 pm Micki said...
(-: Steve was on a chair, in a bow tie, if I remember right, watching over the circus of the Big Sale of Art Work.
On April 9, 2010 at 12:40 am Jenny said...
There you go. I don’t know what’s wrong with the rest of you forgetting that detail from a book that published over ten years ago. Tsk.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:30 am JulieB said...
Har! It hasn’t been quite 10 years for me, but there you go…
But thanks Micki, that’s what it was. And of course, his name was Steve. I had just read that when I had to find out whotheheck this Jenny Crusie was, and I saw a picture of Wolfie and merged the two in my head forever.
On April 9, 2010 at 10:46 am Micki said...
(-: I learned to be a fangirl over in the SF community, where a memory for trivia will get you funny badges and maybe a rocket ship of your own.
On April 9, 2010 at 3:33 pm Marcia in OK said...
We’re slackers!
On April 9, 2010 at 12:37 am Jenny said...
We’re using the dog in the chair anyway, so not a problem.
On April 9, 2010 at 12:37 am Jenny said...
Wolfie wasn’t in Faking It, that was Steve. He sat in a chair at the gallery opening wearing a black vest so this isn’t dead on, but it’s close enough.
And yes, it bugs the hell out of Mollie about the yellow in Bet Me. But we have over a year to figure that one out, so we’re not obsessing.
On April 9, 2010 at 2:31 am Bonnie C said...
I have to say the cover for Faking It was a total head scratcher until you just reminded us about Steve and the art sale. For me, Faking it is Davey’s book and I always think (in no particular order): jukebox, poor baby, hand painted furniture, and the BEST worst sex scene EVER.
I love the new cover series. In fact, I may have to donate my old, battered copies to science and get fresh, pretty, clean ones to brighten up the old bookshelf. Mmmmm, shopping…
On April 9, 2010 at 9:31 am JulieB said...
It truely was that sex scene when I knew I was reading a master. The Best.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:34 am Jenny said...
Ooooh, juke box. Good idea.
I love the green apple. The red is too on-the-nose. Mostly I love it that whoever bit into it kept going without guilt.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:39 am JulieB said...
I think the juke box is a cool idea too. But, I love the color of the green in WTT. Id did throw me, but I thought, “wow!” I think all the covers will look great together when complete. I love trade paperbacks. I am a geek.
On April 8, 2010 at 9:53 pm Kelly S said...
Tell Me Lies always starts the song in my head and then I can’t remember the plot line, so the phone looks fun.
Crazy for You – the lugnuts were the best option. Hero mechanic and nut case stalker loosened screws and things in her house. What you picked works too.
The apple for Welcome to Temptation – best image in the bunch. It’s perfect!
Fast Women – I understand a car = fast, but I don’t remember a car playing a big role in the book. I would have preferred an image of a running egg china egg holder or a fedora or something dealing with detectives. Oh wait, there was their dad’s car wasn’t there. Hmm, still prefer the china running egg, since it’s women’s fiction and not simply fiction.
I too am disturbed that Bet Me’s title is in a different color than the froggy. I know there is already green for WTT, but it is lime. The color could have been a dark green. Kind of like the dark pink instead of the light pink of CFY.
Finally, Faking It. I would have loved to have had the chair painted like Tilde would have painted if she had been free to do so.
That all said, I think you were completely right to keep searching. What you ended up with is the best in the bunch.
On April 8, 2010 at 10:15 pm Shiloh said...
I love the covers. That being said, I wish you could have kept the brownies with the knife somehow for Tell Me Lies. I loved that part of the story where Maddie is destroying the frozen brownie with the a huge knife. We’ve all been that desperate for chocolate before, at least I know I have
On April 8, 2010 at 10:29 pm Mary Stella said...
I think all of the covers you settled on are not only good, but will also be effective and that’s the bottom line.
That said, the stabbed brownie covers raised my hopes. Even though I still have my hardcover of Tell Me Lies, I’d have been tempted to buy the trade version just for the cover. Ditto what Kelly S. said about running china for Fast Women!
*waving to Harley* You coming to RT this year? (hopehopehope)
On April 8, 2010 at 10:33 pm RfP said...
I love the apple for Welcome to Temptation and I can see a connection to the books for the ancient car and the frog. So far I’m puzzled by the other art; is it a general theme of dogs and retro objects, or is there something specific I should get? E.g. why a dog in an upholstered armchair for Faking It? (That’s a favorite, so maybe I think of it in terms of especially specific images.)
On April 8, 2010 at 10:46 pm Beth E. said...
Interesting to get a view into the creative process of the covers. I feel kind of bad to know how much effort goes into the process, since the only part of the cover I pay any attention to is the author’s name.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:16 pm Alyssa Goodnight said...
This was great fun to read! Thanks for sharing all that. I love the white/single color/single image–they’re going to look great on the shelves (bookstore and personal).
On April 8, 2010 at 11:28 pm Janice said...
I like them all, and this is where I differ, except the one for BET ME. So maybe I’m just so wrong. But that’s such a classic. And I think so many readers have thought so too. So I can’t think of it as separated from the blue cover with those great shoes with the red cherries. That is one I own.
And … I think the one for Crazy for You could be better.
On April 9, 2010 at 7:28 am RfP said...
I find them all a bit literal and a bit banal, except for the apple–as someone else said above, it looks real and un-static, as if it’s still being eaten. Crazy for You is the one I like least, with the children’s dollhouse.
But I should go away and be negative somewhere else. My taste is my taste, and not at all a good barometer for what will catch the eye or sell.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:46 am JulieB said...
Bet Me’s cover was brilliant. I thought the shoes were perfect, and I always think of the baseball field scene when I see my book. (Of course, probably more often than not I think of a sex scene associated w. a Crusie book — not always, but usually). Anyway.
The shoe was fabulous. But I really like the fact that they’ll all have a unique yet coordinated look. Again, I’m a geek.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:50 am JulieB said...
I knew I had a point about the shoes. I wondered if they were avoided as part of the not veering towards “chick-lit” plan. Because, I think shoes imply chick-lit.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:21 pm Jenny said...
No, we didn’t avoid them because of chick lit. Bet Me probably is chick lit although I think of it as classic romance. We went with the frog because it said “fairy tale,” and that’s what we wanted to emphasize about Bet Me, that it’s a fairy tale.
On April 8, 2010 at 11:30 pm Courtney said...
Oh, I love these covers! I already have all of the books, but I’m going to have to buy all of these re-issues so that I can look at them sitting all snazzily on my bookshelves. Perhaps I’ll pretend they’re bookstore shelves, and turn one of the books out so I can see the cover…rotating choices when the mood strikes. Heh. Think I’m a bit punchy. But, honestly, what does one have to do to get a copy of Crazy For You with the lug nuts? There should be a contest for that. And I, as the thinker upper of such a contestt, should receive a copy to celebrate my brilliance. Ooooh, yeah, definitely punchy. I’ll just toddle off to bed now, don’t mind me….
On April 8, 2010 at 11:32 pm Courtney said...
And there’s only one “t” at the end of “contest,” she pointed out, equally brilliantly….
On April 9, 2010 at 12:43 am Jenny said...
Don’t stifle yourself, Courtney. If you want that extra T, go for it.
Also, those trade paperbacks are real doorstops. About an inch thick. I was amazed but they’ll be excellent for killing bugs and knocking down bats.
On April 9, 2010 at 7:10 pm Sierra said...
So Lucy gets extras?
On April 9, 2010 at 2:09 am followingtheroad said...
I love how simple these covers are and still pop. The colors are gorgeous. That should have a capital G. They are that scrumptious. The script font on the title is lovely without being romancy.
I agree the apple should be red. Call me a purist. I have the red cover on my shelves and I can’t imagine it any other way. No matter the delicious candy-coated color scheme. If you made the Bet Me cover green, you could make the Welcome to Temptation cover red, just to please me.
Also? The Faking It cover should be a fake Dogs Playing Poker, all dolled up in a fancy-shmancy frame.
I kid, I kid… sort of.
On April 9, 2010 at 2:55 am followingtheroad said...
Okay- I don’t kid. This is what Faking It should look like…
Dogs Playing Poker Cover
On April 9, 2010 at 9:35 am Jenny said...
No. No, no, no . . . hmmmm.
On April 9, 2010 at 12:28 pm followingtheroad said...
You can’t deny the power of Dogs Playing Poker. It was practically made for the cover of this book.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:15 pm Jenny said...
I deny the power of dogs playing poker.
On April 9, 2010 at 12:11 pm Jennifer said...
I haven’t read all the comments above, but I don’t think the apple can be red. Red apples are too reminiscent of Twilight, these days.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:15 pm Jenny said...
Plus red is banal. Green says “different and probably dangerous.”
On April 9, 2010 at 3:52 am colognegrrl said...
I just looked at the German Crusie covers at Amazon.de. Whoever it was that said that German covers are the worst was absolutely right. Steel yourselves before you take a look:
http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_de_DE=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Jennifer+Crusie&x=0&y=0
The German titles are just as bad. Good thing I discovered the original version of “Getting Rid of Bradley” way back in the last century.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:36 am JulieB said...
Well, they almost all have a theme… No. They’re just really bad.
On April 9, 2010 at 10:20 am Merry the CB said...
Those covers… oh my.
Just Say ‘Nein.’
On April 9, 2010 at 6:19 pm AgTigress said...
The old covers for the UK paperbacks were not great, either.
On April 9, 2010 at 6:56 pm AgTigress said...
For example: http://askchris.essexcc.gov.uk/Files/BookJackets/21.jpg
On April 10, 2010 at 6:13 am Merry the CB said...
Well clearly they must have read a different book than I did. Maybe when WTT was translated into English (wink) it lost something in the translation? Otherwise, I have no idea why the cover shows a headless Gidget who is clearly leaping up from a trampoline while at the beach.
… Lost a whole lot in the translation, seemingly.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:06 pm Jenny said...
I think it was more of the spirit of the book.
My fave is the French (French-Canandian?) cover which was gorgeous but perplexing. It was a black and white picture of a blonde climbing out of a dumpster in a prom dress, and they’d hand-colored the prom dress bright red. Gorgeous. I just couldn’t figure out what Sophie was doing in a dumpster in a prom dress.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:00 pm Shiloh said...
It’s like they’re fixated on Valentine’s Day…. ick
On April 12, 2010 at 12:19 pm Marta said...
Maybe the red dress from the bar pick-up fantasy? Wasn’t that red (as well as miniscule)?
On April 12, 2010 at 12:53 pm CrankyOtter said...
Hot pink. And miniscule with lots of elastic. First miniscule dress in a romance novel that behaved the way my experience with elastic things indicated they ought to – aka the rolling up/down where you don’t want ‘em to. But it was hot pink. I’m almost certain.
On April 13, 2010 at 11:49 pm Jill said...
Foreign covers http://www.jennycrusie.com/more-stuff/foreign-covers/
On April 9, 2010 at 4:18 am Lynz said...
This post was fabulously interesting and I love what you ended up with and all, but really, the whole process gave me a bad case of “sucks-to-be-me”s.I’d finally decided to get off my lazy butt and buy my own copies of TML and CFR because I knew the trade versions were coming out and would probably be pretty. So I went online to preorder them, saw that they were displaying covers, (the second version of the TML cover and the third of the CFY one) assumed those were the final versions, and though, “Ew.” The mood might be right, but they just weren’t doing anything for me. But I already had my credit card out and I was motivated for once, dammit, and I was going to do this! so I ordered the mass markets of them. (And do NOT get me started on how it seems like every online bookstore shows the wrong covers for those, not the pastel-y ones but the ones with the blue-on-white and red-on-white and legs poking out from cars and letters pulled off-kilter, gaaaah.) Got my books, decided I wouldn’t take them on vacation with me but would leave them at home to make up for having to return to the Cold Place of Winter, and everything was lovely.
And then, during the last of the thirty days in which I could return my books, when I was out of the country and unable to return said books, I saw the new [final] covers. Which I love.
I believe the moral of this story is that the universe is out to get me (but not in a big way that would be obvious to other people, no, just in little ways that will eventually drive me insane) and that publishers who send pictures of non-finalized covers to bookstores are in on it. Because this is clearly all about me, and not about a long and exhausting process involving editorial, design, and author input.
Also, in non-egocentric news, this part of your earlier comment made my day: ‘(If the protatonist of this kind of fiction is male, it’s called “fiction.”)’
On April 9, 2010 at 10:20 am Gina F said...
I just wanted you to know that in all the years since I read Bet Me, I’ve searched EVERYWHERE for kitten heel bunny slipper mules. And I can’t find the blasted things anywhere.
On April 9, 2010 at 9:01 pm Shiloh said...
That’s funny, I’m not even into shoes, but I totally want some of those! There has to be someone we can talk to about this…..
On April 9, 2010 at 11:17 pm Carol Anne said...
Me three. I so want a pair of bunny slippers with kitten heels.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:19 pm Jenny said...
Me, either. I made them up.
On April 11, 2010 at 6:58 pm Meredith B. said...
Here’s what absolutely kills me– they do exist, at least, in some form. Not really what I was picturing myself, but they do exist, I just don’t have any idea where to buy them. But check out this link: http://www.thesfstyle.com/2009_08_30_archive.html The notes below say that they do have kitten heels.
On April 9, 2010 at 11:21 am Erin said...
LOVE the new series. I probably need to replace all my old dusty copies of all these books anyway, so I may well just go out and buy the whole lot. Don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll get to release these covers in hardcover, is there? They’d look so pretty on my bookshelf, all series-like.
(Oh, and Gina F., I really wanted the cherry shoes from Bet Me, and could NOT find any. I finally doctored a pair of plain strappy sandals with some fake cherries from the craft store — if you’re at all handy with a needle/glue gun, I’ll bet you could cannibalize a pair of bunny slippers and attach them to a pair of kitten-heel mules. I may have a new project for this weekend now …)
On April 9, 2010 at 3:05 pm Danielle said...
Erin,
Last year Dillard’s had clear plastic slip-on sandals with the option of either fish or cherries on the toes. I took pictures of them because they reminded me of Bet Me. Hopefully they’ll come back to the store this year!
On April 10, 2010 at 11:17 pm Jenny said...
No, they won’t be done again in hardcover, and even if they were, they wouldn’t have these covers.
On April 9, 2010 at 11:41 am Diane (TT) said...
OK, I hadn’t thought about the car in the cover for Fast Women in relation to the car in the book, but there is something a bit disturbing about a big American car from the ’50s standing in for a turbocharged Porsche from 20+ years later. The covers are pretty and I like them (I liked the knife in the brownie, too, but thought it too evocative of a murder mystery, which is Not the Point of the book).
I like having Steve the Gallery Dog on the cover of Faking It – much better than the yellow flower, which doesn’t look nearly crazy enough to be a Van Gogh sunflower.
Perhaps for Bet Me, the frog could be in a shoe? Or a snow globe? Or maybe there could be a wine glass or a piece of buttered bread. But don’t try to please me on these, I have most of them in HC and don’t need to replace them, so far.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:17 pm Jenny said...
The 50′s car is more of a nod to noir than it is to the car Gabe had and a play on “Fast Women” in a car with fins (big hips).
On April 9, 2010 at 12:05 pm Mel in AZ said...
I’m sad that the Bet Me cover changed. I love love love the bright blue sky and the shoes with the cherries. It does kind of whisper chick-lit (agreed that the mere presence of shoes tilts it that direction). I would have thought a donut was more on track….. But it’s me and I will buy copies of it anyway because yours are the books that I give to all of my friends and co-workers and acquaintences who say “I need a good new author”. Thanks for sharing the process.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:16 pm Jenny said...
I had all of the shoes in that book except for the kitten-heeled bunny slippers. I made those up.
On April 9, 2010 at 2:26 pm Marta said...
Lose the house. Keep the lug nuts. Really, the second I saw them, I grinned. Like Kelly said, it connects to so much of the book. I know, it’s too late to change.
Loved the rest of the covers, although the Faking It cover didn’t really capture the book for me, and I knew it was Steve on the chair at the gallery. Call me greedy, but what I really want is a wet paintbrush next to fancy-framed copy of the Mona Lisa with Steve’s face.
Anyway, I’m glad you posted about covers, because after a recent rough time at the book store, I had an epiphany. I realized that how I choose books off the shelf, paperbacks in particular, is hugely related to how easy it is to read what’s on the spine.
Sharp visual contrast and a simple font makes the title and author much easier to read. It’s hard enough browsing shelves at eye level with your neck twisted reading sideways, but lower shelves are darker and farther away. Books with spines that catch my eye are the ones I pull off the shelf for a closer look, so the harder a spine is to read, the less likely it is to get my attention. A great cover and/or tag line becomes moot if I never see it.
The spines above for Crazy for You and Tell me Lies wouldn’t grab me unless I was specifically looking for your name, which is in dark bold block print on much lighter background. The book titles in light fancy script on relatively darker background are about two steps from invisible ink to my eyes. Actually, the sharper visual contrast of your name would make the title even harder to read. So, when browsing for something new, it’s unlikely either book would get a chance to impress me with the great new covers.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the colors and title script. I just can’t read it on the spine of a book without far more effort and physical contortion than I’m willing to expend to find a book. Black on white is easier to read that white on black. Apricot on orange and light pink on rose verges on indecipherable to a really big slice of the book buyer pie chart.
Of course, this doesn’t matter to a Crusie. I’ve spent hours crawling through dusty used book shops across the country searching for backlists of favorite authors. For less well-known authors trying to increase their reader base, though, it’s something to think about. I did a quick check of the last few books I bought by authors previously unknown to me. Sure enough, they all had easy-to-read, eye-friendly print on the spine.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:14 pm Jenny said...
Mollie did pay attention to the spines, but I didn’t. I think the SMP art dept did, too. To tell you the truth I don’t know what the spines look like. I’ll have to check them out and get back to you.
On April 9, 2010 at 3:54 pm Sure thing said...
Crazy for you with lug nuts – competition please!
On April 9, 2010 at 4:24 pm Marta said...
Sudden Realization #2: I’ve always disliked pictures of real people (posed photo or art from posed photo) on fiction book covers. Unless the people are in costume, they tell me nothing about the book, can be embarrassing to read in public, and never, never, never resemble my idea of the characters in the book. Embarrassing covers hinder sales to certain demographic segments, IMHO. I didn’t get why they were so popular with publishers.
I think I just got it. Is it because they’re easier? Probably cheaper, too?
On April 10, 2010 at 11:13 pm Jenny said...
Romance readers like looking at pictures of people. Hiring painters to paint people is expensive. So stock photos are very economical. But you really don’t want to mess with people’s perceptions of what the characters are like, which is why so many covers crop the photo so the head’s gone.
On April 12, 2010 at 12:32 pm Marta said...
So, the digital revolution gets the credit for fewer life-like people covers. Makes sense. It surprises me that romance readers like people covers, though . . .
On April 9, 2010 at 7:20 pm Tabs said...
I don’t want to be a spoil sport but in the effort of constructive criticism, I really don’t like most of the images. (Although I’m coming around on that green apple, slowly).
I think my biggest problem is that if you were to take the titles away, I would have the hardest time guessing which cover goes with each book. The images are, to me, promising things that aren’t inside the covers.
I like the stark white covers and the simple colors that pop, but I don’t think the images are quite iconic enough.
On April 10, 2010 at 11:10 pm Jenny said...
The images are there to evoke the idea of the books, not the stories inside. It’s too confusing for readers to go for the story since they have no point of reference. But a frog with a crown says “fairy tale,” and a green apple that’s completely devoured in connection with “Temptation” in the title says this is about people who can’t resist temptation, and a retro orange phone combined with “tell me lies” says funky gossip . . . It’s not the story we’re going for, it’s the vibe.
On April 9, 2010 at 7:33 pm Rosie said...
Slightly off topic…
I want more of the Dempsey’s. I have re-read Welcome to Temptation and Faking It a gazillion times.
And I love the covers.
On April 9, 2010 at 10:43 pm CG said...
The first image that comes to my mind for Faking It is a muffin, but that probably wouldn’t work on the cover. I like them all, although the chair/dog for Faking It is my least favorite. Thanks for sharing. I always thought that simply writing a book would be the hardest part of being an author, but I stand amazed at all that goes into a book besides the story itself.
On April 9, 2010 at 11:52 pm Meredith B. said...
There it is! My own personal birthday present from the universe. I knew there would be one. I have to admit, when we got the first two trade editions, I just wasn’t sure what I thought of them. My coworker was over the moon– “Jenny got real books!” she said. (Meaning we don’t have to strip them if they don’t sell, which always rips our hearts clean out and leaves us gasping on the floor.) She loved them. She thought they had legs. And still, I just wasn’t sure. But now that I see the whole line, I love them! I’m completely sold. My coworker was right! They have legs! They will stand on the shelves, bear their own weight, jump into hands and run right out the door. This is Great. Thank you so much! I don’t know why I had to see them all to get it, but I get it now and I’m on board. This is going to be great. Just watch us sell them.
PS– the cover you picked for Trust Me On This just showed up in our database. Sooo pretty! (Presuming they loaded the right image into the database, that is. There’s a certain level of Fail on that which B&N has no trouble in attaining on a semi-regular basis.)
On April 10, 2010 at 11:08 pm Jenny said...
LOL. Trust Me On This is the pink martini glass with my name in green lettering.
And from your mouth to God’s ear on the sales. Fingers crossed.
On April 10, 2010 at 12:22 am Clever Cherry aka Judy Long said...
Wow those covers somehow so appeal to the methodical side of me. I can just picture them on my shelf. I may just have to sell off the copies I have now so I can buy the new ones. The only one I don’t like is WTT. I don’t remember an apple in the book except the wallpaper. I might have gone with sunglasses or a pool table.
On April 10, 2010 at 8:36 am Micki said...
Mel in AZ gives me a mind-bug: Now I have this image in my head of a chocolate covered donut, hovering in a blue-sky like the mothership. Mmmmmm. (-: But the donut is a fetish; so are the shoes, probably. The frog royalty, OTOH, ties in with the fairy-tale aspects so well (-:. Not to mention, there are lots of frog collectors out there . . . .
On April 10, 2010 at 11:05 pm Jenny said...
We tried doughnuts on the cover. They just looked . . . odd.
On April 12, 2010 at 10:35 am Rosa said...
I was in a Barnes & Noble this weekend for an emergency birthday gift, and the covers look AWESOME. I take back any criticism, the size & uniformity made them just own the shelf.
They had them in “fiction”, too.
On April 12, 2010 at 1:15 pm Stephanie said...
I think my head would have exploded about half way through the process. I realize this isn’t your first rodeo but it has to be a huge time suck. Thanks for showing us the process.
Thank you for making the name font bigger – and putting it on the top half of the book. My 40 yr old eyes couldn’t read it the first time. This way hopefully no one needs their reading glasses from across the bookstore!
On May 1, 2010 at 4:19 pm Diane said...
I really like them – they are very fresh and different and eye-catching and I like that they’re packaged as a series. They’re such great books.
I think my fave covers of yours are still Agnes and the Hitman and the British edition of WTT (the one of the girl jumping in the top row here: http://www.librarything.com/work/40419/covers)
Having never heard of it (for shame!) I bought it (back in 2001-ish) totally based on that cover, because it was summery and retro and not totally fluffy-looking but you knew it was women’s fiction and might be a bit unusual. Then of course I loved it *and* I found out how popular and prolific you were, which was a delight.
On May 1, 2010 at 9:13 pm Jenny said...
I loved that cover, too. Thank you for reminding me of it. And for buying the book, too.
On May 3, 2010 at 8:30 pm Diane said...
You’re welcome. Thank you for writing it.