In Which We Have a Cover!

Orbit unveiled the cover for Torn last week and GUYS. I love this thing!

One thing that's very weird about the cover of one's book is that, unless your circumstances are very unusual in traditional publishing or you're a multi-talented self-pubber who did her own cover, it's, um, not actually your work. So people are generously complimenting me on it and I can't take the credit at all! The artists at Orbit are amazing--captured the essence of the story and the vitals of the plot without resorting to anything too trope-y or sentimental.

The other thing that's kinda weird (everything is a little weird for me right now, it's all so new) is that your publisher sends your book to established authors to ask for quotes or "blurbs" about it. Hopefully these are positive and not, you know, "about on par with the back of my cereal box." They then feature these on the cover (unless they're the cereal box thing), and let me tell you--it's flattering and embarrassing and exciting all at once that real live authors said nice things about Torn.

So--hooray! It's like a real book and everything!

Comments

RULE Cover Launch!

Check out this lovely! I have the best covers...not that I'm biased :) Orbit artist Lisa Marie Pompilio created this beautiful piece of art with the work of Carrie Violet , an embroidery artist. It's absolutely gorgeous--and what's more, there's significance hidden in a lot of the choices. The gray and red, the unraveling threads...I won't tell you what it all means, but it's so perfect! More on Orbit's blog .

Best-Laid Plans: Outlining

Every writer has answered the question at least once--panster or plotter? I'm sure there is no right way--maybe there are more efficient ways, or ways that produce more creative twists, or, most likely, ways that are the most right for each individual. In college I had a roommate who literally outlined every paper down to the paragraph. Beautiful, typed, complete outlines, and they took forever to create--but the actual paper-writing part was shortened because she already knew what she was going to say. Me? I never outlined more than what was in my head already. Even my thesis outline was pretty much section titles and quick notes. (I think that drove my advisor batty.) Still, a novel isn't a five-page essay, a twenty-page paper, or even a thesis. Despite that, I pantsed at first. It was what I knew, and what worked for me. You know what? It worked for writing novels, too. Just not very well. That is, I doubled back...

Going to Your Happy (Writing) Place

Slumps happen. Sometimes they're life-induced--no matter how much of a superwriter you are, it's not easy to balance giant life changes and normal writing habits. Sometimes they're creativity-zappage-induced--everyone hits a point where you just don't feel like writing. Or thinking. Or being creative or imaginative at all. Either way, when you decide to get back in the swing of things, I find two things help. One is a schedule--more on that on Thursday. The other is finding your happy place. No, seriously. I don't do the tortured artist thing. Even if I'm writing something deep or introspective or dark (umm, as deep or dark as I can get, anyway...), I find I do much better if I start with a smile. Or at least not a scowl. So I've identified a few things that never fail to put me in a better mood--and a more optimistic mood is a better writing mood, at least for me. Because if you're feeling like a giant pessimist, ...

Rowenna, Writing

Search This Blog