Behind the Making of the Cover for Quest of the Hart

Today I am at These Words Tell a Story with the fabulous Michelle Pickett sharing a long excerpt and also at The Mind's Eye with my fantastically talented cover artist, Charlie Volnek, where she interviews me. (Ironically, I am interviewing her here today. Or was that planned? Only I know for sure!) Be sure to check them out and enter to win a copy of Quest.


And, now, I'd like you to meet Charlie and learn what went into the making of the cover for Quest of the Hart.

Mary, thanks for sharing your questions about the cover for Quest of the Hart. It has such a great story line and was my pleasure to design the cover for it.

Thanks, Charlie! I love what you did with it, and always wondered just how it all came to be.

So, How did you come up with the artwork for the cover? I know I sent an excerpt describing the necklace, but how did you make it come to life? (And for the record, you captured it better than I pictured it!)
I was fascinated by the premise of your story. I took all your descriptions and mulled them around as I searched images I thought would work. There were no images of necklaces to fit your exact description, so I began to add layer upon layer to an image, adding and enhancing the details that would describe your necklace. It was a great and fun challenge and I’m glad I was able to capture it.

How did you get started doing covers?
I have always had a passion for art. I earned my degree in Commercial Art many years ago. Most of my career has been designing brochures and advertisements. After joining MuseItUp Publishing with my three titles, I dabbled in book covers and hoped for an opportunity to design for MuseItUp. I jumped at the chance when the call opened up.

What software do you use?
I mostly use Photoshop to create the covers for MuseItUp. I dabble a little bit with Illustrator, but the majority of the work is done in Photoshop.

Did you go to school for art or did you learn elsewhere?

I went to a small community college to get my degree in Commercial Art, but I have taken classes and taught myself how to use the software necessary to build the covers. I have always enjoyed working with computers and am not one to quickly turn away from a challenge such as this.

How do you decide what color palette to use for a cover?
That’s an interesting question. I first look for images that I think will satisfy the author’s desire for their cover. The mood of the book is an important feature to me and plays a big role in the images I select. It depends upon the story whether I look for dark, mysterious images or bright, happy ones. I feel the reader needs to have the mood framed in his or her mind before picking up the book. Once I have the images, I then let them and the mood of the book dictate the direction I take in the color palette.

Do you look at it full size and thumbnail and in black & white and color before sending to the author? If so, can you explain why and what you are looking for by doing this?
Yes, I review the cover in as many possible sizes and angles as I can before sending it to the author. The cover will be viewed in an array of sizes on the internet and I want to make sure the mood and title are readily viewed and understood. Many readers are image driven and I don’t want a reader to skip clicking on the cover because they couldn’t read the title or get a feel for what the book is about.

Do you find it easier to work with objects or people for the cover art?
That’s a tricky question. I don’t think it is easier with either objects or people…it’s a matter of finding the perfect image that speaks about the book itself. Some authors prefer people while others prefer images. That is a personal touch. I just try to take their personal feelings and find (or create) the perfect image to tell their story in one picture.

You're also an author. Do you design your own covers or have someone else do them?
I have designed most of my own covers. When I first joined MuseItUp, I was not on the Cover Artist staff, so my first two titles were created by other artists. I thought they did a great job.

When I sent you my description, I was picturing a crystal prism, yet you made it into a heart (which was an awesome change that played off the title- one I incorporated into my final round of edits). What caused you to make that slight change? 

I did take a little liberty when I created your image and changed it into a heart. I wanted the reader to know it was a necklace, first and foremost. And, playing off the hart, a heart just seemed to come naturally. I took into account all the decorative elements you’d described and changed the color to match as well. I was thrilled you let me take this liberty with the shape.

How long does a project like this usually take?
It really depends upon the title and the images as to how long it will take. I am very critical to finding just the right image and will search for days some time before I find the one I feel gives off the mood I am after. I do not want to create a cover in a single day. I will work on it, and then let it set for a day or two before I send it off to the author, tweaking it over and over before I am happy.

Just to give you all an idea of what it was like for me, I filled out a form with questions on my novel and what I'd like to see in my cover. I was also asked to give samples of covers I liked, so I sent these links to Cinda Williams' books http://www.cindachima.com/Warrior_Heir/About_the_Heir_Chronicles.htm and http://www.cindachima.com/Demon_King/About_the_Seven_Realms.htm

Charlie then sen this first cover:

(I never realized until we were putting this post together, that the covers I linked to had the text vertically like this.) While I loved the uniqueness of the placement of the titles, I wasn't quite sure, so I asked Charlie if I could see what it would look like with my name and the top and the title and subtitle at the bottom. And this is what she sent.

In the end, I went with this second choice, as I felt it was easier to read in large, small, color, and black and white, and the placement of the necklace and the title seemed to just draw your eye to the center of the cover, right where all the important information was.

So, what do you think? Do you have any questions for Charlie about cover design? Ask away!

You can find Charlie at The Mind's Eye and her books at MuseItUp Publishing