How It Works-Being an Author-How a Book Gets a Cover

Hi, here's another facet of being an author that many readers have asked about. How does a book get its cover?

The process varies between publishing houses. At most houses, the author is asked for input and information about the covers and the text that appears on the outside of the book. But 98% (my estimate) of all authors do NOT CONTROL what goes on the cover of a book. Who does?

Though editors have some clout, it seems to me, the marketing department holds sway over covers. (I often think about being an artist and having to paint a cover to please a marketing department in addition to picky authors--the artists have my sympathy!)

At Steeple Hill, a division of Harlequin/Silhouette, Love Inspired authors like me fill out an AFS-Art Fact Sheet-for each book. The form is done online now and is quite exhaustive--covering a short synopsis of the books plot, a complete description of hero, heroine, important secondary characters, season of book, and the description of three scenes from the book. It takes hours to complete.

At other houses, I've been given suggested covers to comment on. One house even let me choose the models for two of the covers and another house lets me help write the back cover text.

At one house, however, I wasn't asked for any input and was just given covers. One of which was the most hideous cover ever known to mankind--Just my opinion. But I think that a book cover ought to ATTRACT a reader to pick up the book from the shelf (or click Larger image button on the online page)--not repel them.

So here's the cover I'm talking about. Look at the heroine's face and the hero's and all the clutter!

In the story, I said that the heroine wasn't good-looking in the usual way, but that didn't mean she was UGLY! And she's a daring 1920's flapper--not a school miss! And would you be tempted by that hero???? I ask you.


Nearly a decade later another house bought my Blessed Assurance series, all three books, and reissued it. Now I think this cover is ATTRACTIVE. Look at the first one and then the second one. Which do you prefer??

I have tried over the years to cultivate a detached attitude toward covers because ONLY THE NY TIMES BESTSELLING authors have control over their covers (and not all of them either probably). And what to me might be ugly, must have looked good to somebody, right?

Drop by my website and look at my book page. Let me know what your favorite cover and least favorite there are. Do you agree with my opinion of the covers above?
Next Tuesday, I'll be posting another of these How It Works articles.
Hope you'll drop by!

Book Monday-Author Susan May Warren & Sons of Thunder

My Book Monday is a WWII adventure romance from Author Susan May Warren. It sounds like a great story and she has a great contest going--something very similar to my brand Strong Women, Brave Stories. Here's the scoop!

About the book:
Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these “sons of thunder” offers a future she longs for, the other—the past she lost.

From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they’ll discover betrayal, sacrifice, and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she’ll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder.

Read and excerpt here:

http://susanmaywarren.typepad.com/files/excerpt-for-sons-of-thunder.pdf

About Susan:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Enter Susan’s Memory Prize Pack contest:

Each one of us has a wealth of stories from the past – while they might not all be as sweeping and dramatic as that of Sofia and the Stravos brothers (swoon), your family history is a treasure nonetheless.

Well – let’s hear them! Were your great-grandparents ‘fresh off the boat’? Was your great uncle a war hero? Did your grandmother make unbelievable sacrifices to help or protect the family? Did your father harbor a family secret until his death? Are you related to someone famous (my assistant is related to presidents Harrison and Jackson – wow! Who knew?) Do you have a family treasure? Maybe you just have some lovely memories. Whatever it is that is unique in your family history – share it with us.

Have a photo to go with your story? Even better!!!! Email those to amy@susanmaywarren.com !

One grand prize winner will win a Memory Prize package containing a gift certificate to create your own hard cover photo book, a 6 month membership to Netflix (to satisfy that flick fix!) and a signed copy of Sons of Thunder! 5 runners up will also win signed copies of Sons of Thunder! Contest ends March 31st. Winners will be announced April 2nd.

TO ENTER THE CONTEST VISIT THE SONS OF THUNDER WEBSITE: http://brothersinarms.susanmaywarren.com/ AND CLICK ON THE SHARE PAGE!

Author Ruth Logan Herne & Winter's End

My guest today is Ruth Logan Herne, a debut Love Inspired author, who is pretty happy. And her title is definitely TIMELY! Here's Ruth:

"As a child interventionist for a local school district, I spent nine years dealing with children’s anger issues, anger whose roots began in a small child and mushroomed into acting out behaviors by the time they reached me in middle school. But what happens to those children who don’t act out? I wondered. The ones who suck it up, put their chin in the air, and quietly survive? Who’s there to help them?

And so began the structuring of Kayla Dougherty, the heroine of Winter’s End, my 4 ½ Star debut novel about a hospice nurse who deals with life and death by facing both head on. All I knew when I started this book was that Kayla had faced her Rubicon successfully but carried residual clutter from her dysfunctional setting, a ripped and torn childhood.

For Kayla, a new believer who can’t quite accept that God’s grace really, truly means her, facing the hero’s antagonism and anxiety is a drain. As she recognizes the depths of his personal losses, she realizes there is no hope, no chance for them and broken families are the grillwork of her past, not stepping stones to the future. Kayla wants the fairy tale, the happy ending, and she’s willing to step aside to prevent ruining that for anyone else, even the man she loves.

Yesterday’s child has grown into today’s woman. The child of the streets became the woman who longs for normalcy and strength, victimized, yet refusing to be a victim, a professional in her own right, clinging to an image of savvy success.

While life has sharpened and honed the well-dressed nurse, faith has softened the sassy woman within, offering her a chance to embrace a life she hadn’t dared hope for. A husband. A home. A family of faith, where warmth embraces the coldest winter days."

Thanks, Ruth. And for more about Ruth and her books, here you go!--Lyn

Winter's End Steeple Hill Love Inspired, March 2010, 4 1/2 STARS!!! Romantic Times Review...

Waiting Out the Storm Steeple Hill Love Inspired, July 2010

Made To Order Family Steeple Hill Love Inspired, September 2010

Enduring, endearing... Fiction that embraces the heart.

www.ruthloganherne.com

www.seekerville.blogspot.com Fifteen author blog!!!! SOOOO fun!

Book Monday-Book Review-titled "How to Be Brilliant"

A friend Author Angela Hunt let me know about this NY Times article. Here's an excerpt and the link for the full article is below. What do you think of this reasoning?

Quote from Review by Author Annie Murphy Paul-

"Motivational gurus from Dale Carnegie to Tony Robbins have long promised access to these hidden stores of genius. Now here comes David Shenk with “The Genius in All of Us,” which argues that we have before us not a “talent scarcity” but a “latent talent abundance.” Our problem “isn’t our inadequate genetic assets,” but “our inability, so far, to tap into what we already have.” The truth is “that few of us know our true limits, that the vast majority of us have not even come close to tapping what scientists call our ‘un­actualized potential.’ ”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/books/review/Paul-t.html?nl=books&emc=booksupdateema3

Author Kathleen Fuller & An Honest Love- Amish-style

My guest today is Author Kathleen Fuller who shares her experience researching Amish women for her novels. Here's Kathleen: "

Amish Women, Quiet Strength

Through my research for my Amish novels, I’ve had the privilege of meeting several Amish women. I’ve noticed they possess a great deal of inner, quiet strength that comes through in their relationships with their children and their spouse. This strength, which the Amish would say comes from the Lord, is necessary when raising a large family while trying to maintain a plain and humble lifestyle. Laundry duty alone can be a monumental effort! Yet most Amish women wouldn’t have their lives any other way.

In my latest novel, An Honest Love, the two heroines have their strength tested in different ways. Elisabeth has to learn to accept who she is while finding her place in Amish life, while Anna deals with a secret that could cost her the man she loves. Both women discover that they can’t stand on their own, but must lean on the Lord as they journey through the seasons in their lives." --Kathleen Fuller

For more about Kathleen and her great Amish novels, drop by

www.kathleenfuller.com

www.amishhearts.com

An Amish Gathering (Dec. 2009) and An Honest Love (Feb. 2010) Thomas Nelson
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen--Lyn

How It Works-Being an Author-Show Me the $

Today I'm parting the curtain and letting you know how much an author earns from writing a book. Of course, this varies widely from author to author and even from book to book by the same author. That's because it all depends on you-the readers who buy NEW books.

When I first began the trek to publication, my dh glimpsed the headline of a writing magazine which touted a first time author receiving a six figure advance. I grinned and said, "Honey, if that were commonplace, it wouldn't be on the cover." GRIN

Drop by Brenda Hiatt's Show Me the Money

Look at the list and find Steeple Hill who is my publisher of my Love Inspired mass market (That's what the small paperbacks that fit in your purses are called.) romances.

Brenda uses three important words for writers:
1- advance or advance on royalties, which is what the publisher pays the author after approving a finished manuscript or a book proposal. (Its purpose is to keep the author alive till the book is on the shelves and earning royalties.)
2- earn-out, which is how much $ the book brought in.
When the book comes out, the author receives no more $ until the book has "earned-out" the advance on royalties.
3-standard royalty percentage-which is the amount of the price of the book that returns to the author in royalties.

Take the earn-out amount and divide it by 6 or 12 for the months that it takes to work through from inspiration to finished and accepted manuscript. And notice the range of earn-out (what the book makes in royalties total including the advance.) It all depends on how many readers buy the book, AND BUY THEM NEW not used. An author receives nothing for any book sold used or shared.

So are you surprised at what an author earns?

Book Monday-Author Louise M Gouge & The Captain's Lady

Today's Book Monday is another of the new Love Inspired Historicals, the

title: The Captain’s Lady, by

Author: Louise M. Gouge

ISBN: 13-978-0-373-82832-6

Torn between love and duty, American Patriot James Templeton must deny his heart to help win his country's freedom. Templeton's orders from General Washington are clear. His target: Lord Bennington, a member of George III's Privy Council. The assignment: find Bennington's war plans. The risks: the future of the East Florida Colony, Jamie's life...and his heart. In spite of the dangers of their hopeless situation, he's fallen in love with Lady Marianne Moberly, Lord Bennington's daughter. Desperate to protect his country, Jamie carries out his orders with a heavy heart. But Marianne's persistence is a challenge he never expected. With love and faith, they must navigate troubled waters to win their future together.

Bio and About the Author:Award-winning author Louise M. Gouge writes historical romance novels and has published nine books. She has been married to David Gouge for 45 years, and they have four grown children and six grandchildren. Louise earned her BA in English/Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and her Master of Liberal Studies degree at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Louise is also an adjunct professor of English and Humanities at Valencia Community College in Kissimmee, Florida. Her favorite Bible verse is “He shall choose our inheritance for us” (Psalm 47:4), a testimony to her belief that God has chosen a path for each believer. To seek that path and to trust His wisdom is to find the greatest happiness in life."
Thanks, Louise and here's an opportunity to

WIN A COPY OF THE CAPTAIN'S LADY AT her WEBSITE! www.Louisemgouge.com

Review of Her Patchwork Family

Crazy Book Lady: Thoughts on Books, Music, & More: Her Patchwork Family- Lyn Cote

Author Allie Pleiter, Knitter & Mom

My guest today Author Allie Pleiter is excited about her latest Love Inspired romance.
Here's Allie:

"Every once in a while, life hands you a story too good to leave alone. A good story is valuable, but when it also introduces you to amazing people, it’s priceless. This happened to me with Bluegrass Easter, my current book and the last in my Kentucky Corners series. I’m very fond of the people at Esther’s Place--it’s so much more than a yarn store. The sheep farm associated with Esther’s Place is a touching story in itself; as Donna Leher puts it, “sometimes God takes you on an adventure, changing your course and enriching your life as you ride along.” You can read their family’s entire adventures at www.esthersplacefibers.com. These truly are strong women with brave stories.

My story with them begins but when life handed the Leher family a lamb population explosion. True to their faithful natures, they chose to view it as an adventure rather than a problem (but didn’t hesitate to ask for a little prayer to shore up their “adventure”). An “enthusiastic” ram doubling a flock of sheep on short notice? A surprise bumper crop of fleecy little springtime lambs? You can’t blame me here: As both a knitter and an inspirational romance author, how could I resist asking if I could create my final Kentucky book plot from their story?

My heroine Audrey Lupine learns the lessons of bravery in the face of life’s surprises. She thinks life has exploded beyond her coping, but the truth is God has just taken her beyond her comforts to the place where He can do His most amazing work. Audrey is stronger than she knows, but it takes the support of handsome veterinarian Paul Sycamore to show her that strength. She, in turn, shows Paul that an explosion of life can also be the rebirth of hope for him and his daughter. As one of the funnier characters in the story puts it, “it’s a ca-lamb-ity” of epic proportions.

Author bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

How It Works--Being an Author-Lyn Cote

The main reason I'm taking this opportunity to write about my life and daily work as an author is to make it clear why owning the copyright to my fiction is important to me and other authors.

I've been watching and reading news about how digital books, such as the Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader etc are (read are already) going to change the way readers purchase and read books. This change from the printed page has brought an interesting shift in how people view the end product, my stories, my life's work.

There are some readers who think that books should be free or cost very little. The ease of obtaining books in the form of a digital electronic file makes it seem like air, free and easy to get, I guess.

This mindset is hard for me to understand since I spend 6-12 hours a day writing and dealing with the business of writing. I think that most readers don't understand this, the writing life. And don't realize that just eliminating the paper, ink and postage from the product, my book, doesn't mean that the product is worth nothing. Or be given away free.

Few except those of us in the "bizness" understand the commitment and the mental strength and emotional determination it takes to write not just one story, but many. And in addition, to stay viable or salable in the public and very competitive market of books. I'm hoping that this frank discussion of what it takes to be a writer and stay a writer may help others understand what I do everyday. And why it's important that authors are allowed to benefit from their labor.

First of all, I'd like to give you some idea of what I receive in $$ for my work. It takes me 6-12 months to write a book from the first ideas about it till the final manuscript is written and in the hands of my editor and finally accepted by the editor. That's a long time and there are many stages in that process which I will be writing about on the Tuesdays through March and April.

So talking about $$, have you ever wondered what a writer earns from a book? Drop by next Tuesday and I'll give you the real deal. GRIN

Book Monday-Author Leanna Ellis & Once in a Blue Moon

The book for Book Monday is
Once in a Blue Moon
(ISBN: 978-0-8054-4988-4
B&H Publishing)

Faith is the first step to soaring.

The day Armstrong stepped on the moon has special memories for most Americans, but not for Bryn Seymour. It’s the day her mother died. Despite death defying feats, guilt has always pulled Bryn down time and again. But a perfect love shows her taking a leap of faith is the first step to soaring. But it only happens … once in a blue moon.


About the author:

‘Leanna Ellis takes a back seat to no one,’ says Debbie Macomber. But Leanna hopes she allows God in the driver’s seat as she taxies her two children to and from all their activities, lets her menagerie of pets in and out … in and out ..., figures out what to cook for dinner (or where to order takeout), and at the same time keeps those quirky characters in her head from bothering others. Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna writes quirky women’s fiction with a splash of romance. From a long line of southerners and patriots, she lives with her family in Texas.

Amazon Purchase Link: Click

Excerpt Link:
http://leannaellis.com/onceinabluemoon.html

Author website and blog:

www.leannaellis.com
www.leannaellis.com/news/

This sounds like an interesting book and I do have special memories of the day man first walked on the moon. To me, the most unbelievable part was that the world was able to watch on TV! WOW! Do any of you have memories of that day?--Lyn

Author Susan Page Davis & The Ladies' Shooting Club

My guest today is Author Susan Page Davis who I think came up with a unique series idea. Here's Susan:

"The heroines of my Ladies’ Shooting Club series are women who aren’t particularly strong at the outset. They band together to protect themselves, their families, and their property. In numbers, they discover strength. They also find unsuspected grit within themselves and do things they never dreamed they could accomplish.

Gertrude Dooley has lived a quiet existence with her brother for eight years, keeping house and helping him in his business. She would not consider herself a leader. But when trouble comes to their town, she puts her one special skill—shooting—to work and leads many other women to confidence and security.

Libby Adams has been widowed for several years. She lives alone and runs her business well—but sometimes she’s afraid, and she doesn’t like that. Learning to shoot her husband’s pistol is a step toward overcoming that fear.

Vashti Edwards wants to break away from her past as a saloon girl, but when she applies for a “man’s job,” she’s rebuffed and laughed at. But persistence and support from her circle of friends drives her to succeed.

These three women and others in their town begin new chapters of their lives when they gain confidence and independence. This phase coincides with a season in their lives when they come under biblical teaching for the first time in years. They find that spiritual growth is more important than independence, and they that real confidence comes from trusting in God, not themselves."

Now about the author in her own words:

"I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.

My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We're so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!

Our children are all home-schooled. The two youngest are still learning at home. Jim recently retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper.

I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical book. Please drop by www.susanpagedavis.com "

Wonderful series idea, Susan!--Lyn