If you've read previous blog posts, you might have figured out that I love learning behind-the-scenes stories about book covers. Today's guest post is from author Dianne Salerni.
5 Fun Facts about My Covers by Dianne Salerni
Many thanks to Yvonne for inviting to post here with little tidbits about my covers!
1. I’ll start with the cover of We Hear the Dead, which I admit was quite a shock for me. I wasn’t expecting this for a book about fraudulent spirit mediums in the 1850s. Women’s dresses were extremely modest in that time period, and spiritualists (even fake ones) would have worn somber clothing. This girl is dressed like a circus performer!
The “cover concept” behind the design is that the spooky title and font contrast sharply with the bright colors of the girl on stage. Readers are meant to know that “hearing the dead” is an act. Everybody except me really liked this cover, and I got used to it in time.
1. I’ll start with the cover of We Hear the Dead, which I admit was quite a shock for me. I wasn’t expecting this for a book about fraudulent spirit mediums in the 1850s. Women’s dresses were extremely modest in that time period, and spiritualists (even fake ones) would have worn somber clothing. This girl is dressed like a circus performer!
The “cover concept” behind the design is that the spooky title and font contrast sharply with the bright colors of the girl on stage. Readers are meant to know that “hearing the dead” is an act. Everybody except me really liked this cover, and I got used to it in time.
2. I loved both the hardback and paperback covers for The Caged Graves, although I think reader response for the paperback cover has been stronger.
Both versions feature this photograph taken by my husband, Bob Salerni. If you look through the caged grave in the foreground, you’ll see the blurred images of my daughter squatting beside another tombstone and me, bending over to look at it with her.
Both versions feature this photograph taken by my husband, Bob Salerni. If you look through the caged grave in the foreground, you’ll see the blurred images of my daughter squatting beside another tombstone and me, bending over to look at it with her.
3. The cover for The Eighth Day is the first one of my books to get original artwork, as opposed to stock images. That is always an exciting benchmark for an author!
Freelance artist Mike Heath created a cover that conveys a contemporary--but unpopulated--setting. The boy running through a portal hints at a fantasy or science fiction element to the story (even though there is no literal portal in the book). I adore the colors he used for the sky.
Freelance artist Mike Heath created a cover that conveys a contemporary--but unpopulated--setting. The boy running through a portal hints at a fantasy or science fiction element to the story (even though there is no literal portal in the book). I adore the colors he used for the sky.
4. Mike Heath also designed the cover of The Inquisitor’s Mark (Eighth Day #2). This design suggests a sinister setting. Look at that plumbing! It reminds me of grasping fingers. The cinderblock basement is a real place in the book, and I love how the abandoned skateboard mirrors the abandoned bike on the first cover, suggesting that the main character has put ordinary life aside for this adventure.
5. I can’t show you the cover of The Morrigan’s Curse (Eighth Day #3) yet, but Mike really outdid himself this time! You can expect the same eye-popping title and the repeated motif of the running boy. But for the first time, there are other characters besides Jax on the cover, and it illustrates a specific scene in the book. I can’t wait to share it (probably this summer).
Author Dianne K. Salerni DIANNE K. SALERNI is the author of the The Eighth Day fantasy series (HarperCollins) and historical novels, The Caged Graves, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and We Hear the Dead, optioned for TV and inspiration for The Spirit Game, starring Charles Shaughnessy, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. To learn more about Dianne and her books, visit her Website, Facebook, or Twitter.
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