COVER OF A BOOK – IS THE SOUL OF THE STORY by Rita Karnopp

     I don’t know about you . . . but the cover on a book is a big deal to me.  While I’m reading – I often times flip back to the cover.  I know that might sound silly, but I’m ‘visual’… and I find a cover is a big part of the book.

     To me the “cover of a book is the soul of the story. “  Some of you might think that I’m being a bit dramatic here, and yes, in a way I am. But I’m very passionate about this. 

     Take for instance my very first book cover.  My publisher emailed me my release date, and I thought ‘say what?’ I still didn’t have a cover for the book and it was releasing in two days!  So I emailed her back and said as much . . . within a half hour I received my very first book cover. This book took place during the winter . . . in Montana and in Chicago.  Now that would mean snow and cold.  My cover was of the big city … and the tail lights of a motorcycle faced the reader . . . a floating woman’s face was in the skyline.  I hated it . . . it did NOT reflect the story or the timeframe . . . there wasn’t even a motorcycle in the story.  I emailed my publisher back and told her how I felt.  The disappointment was when my publisher said . . . “It’s a done deal and there is nothing we can do about it now.”  SAY WHAT??

     As a new author I was afraid to say anything more . . . I don’t hold back anymore.  I have to love my cover . . . I’m inspired by my covers.  I’m so blessed to be writing for Books We Love.  They allow us authors to give input, even pick out example pictures that reflect our vision of the book we have written.  If we don’t like a cover – we can voice that opinion and they work with us to make sure we are both happy with the results.  I love my Tango of Death trilogy covers . . . top quality, eye-catching . . . and they reflect everything about what is inside the book.

     When I received the cover for White Berry on the Red Willow, I went back into the book and changed what the heroine was wearing to reflect what was on the cover. Yep, that’s how important it is to me.

     Are you a cover person . . . or does it matter to you?  If you’re an author is it important that the cover begins telling your story before the reader turns to page one?  If you think about it that way – we have to admit that the cover is like a snapshot, setting the mood, the character(s) – it’s just a taste - inviting us inside to find out what it’s all about.