One series I’ve gotten quite hooked on is Karen Olson’s Annie Seymour series. Annie is a sassy and smart New Haven journalist who gets up to a lot of antics in this mystery series. I started reading this series last year when Karen was doing a blog tour and have really enjoyed getting to know her characters. I’m excited that Karen is stopping by my blog today as part of her latest blog tour. Her newest book, SHOT GIRL, is just out and it’s another exciting entry in the series. Watch for my review soon. In the meantime, read up on how Karen’s latest book got its cover:
On more than one occasion, I’ve visited this blog and seen Iliana’s beautiful books that she creates. The pages inside are blank, but it is the cover that makes me want to open one and see what I can put inside.
Book covers are so important. An author will write a book and then will be on pins and needles wondering just what sort of cover the publisher will decide on for it. A reader will wander a bookstore and covers, not the words, will catch their eye. The covers must “pop,” as my editor so aptly puts it, so someone will reach up and take the book off the shelf.
I remember getting that first book cover from my editor. I saw the subject line in my email and quickly clicked on the attachment. The cover for SACRED COWS was so perfect, so simply perfect, with its cow and gun and beautiful typestyle against the palest of yellow. I fell in love with it immediately.
Because publishers like to keep the book covers in a series looking the same so readers will be able to distinguish it from another, SECONDHAND SMOKE’s cover followed suit with blue this time and the flames. Again, I loved it.
But I was faced with something different for DEAD OF THE DAY. I was with a new publisher, even though I was still working with the same editor on the same series, and the publisher wanted to give the series a new look. The first cover that I received just wasn’t right. It didn’t convey the feeling of the book in the right way, and my editor was kind enough to humor me. The cover that they came up with the second time around was exactly right, better than the other two, in my opinion.
And now there’s SHOT GIRL, Annie Seymour’s fourth adventure. And this cover is my favorite. It is in keeping with DEAD OF THE DAY, and the bullet hole in glass is the best touch. I love that the girl on the cover is mysteriously pretty, that the man behind her has his back to her. When you read the book, you’ll be able to tell right away why this cover is perfect for this story.
I know people who buy books based on the covers. I like a nice cover, but I’ve only really bought one book because the cover grabbed me. It was ONE RED PAPERCLIP, and it was a plain white cover with a small, raised red paperclip on the cover. That was it. Simple and intriguing. I bought the book and loved it.
Have you ever bought a book based on the cover?
Karen
** Thank you Karen for stopping by my blog and telling us about the whole book cover experience. I know, I can definitely be lured to a book by a pretty cover. And, yes, I think SHOT GIRL’s cover is just right!
**SHOT GIRL is the fourth book in the Annie Seymour series. You can also find out more about Karen’s upcoming blog tour stops and other projects by checking out her website, www.kareneolson.com and her blog www.firstoffenders.typepad.com.
It’s interesting what Karen has written. It must be tough for an author to give control to the publishers on certain aspects of her work, especially after investing so much time on a work.
I love Annie Seymour’s series! Annie is a great character and I just love her attitude!
Oh yes, I do buy books based on their covers. There were several times I bought the same titles with different covers because I just love the other designs; it’s been one habit which is hard to break in my case, hehe. 😛
Iliana and Karen: Thanks for this blog tour post! 🙂
How interesting, I have to say I am terrible for being lured in by book covers especially when there is so much to choose from. I have neverread any of Karen’s books so I will have to check them out! Thanks.
I’ve never passed up a book for being ugly, but I am a sucker for a pretty cover.
I admit to judging a book by its cover from time to time…I do love a good cover, and one that pops out will definitely make me pick up a book. There have been times when a cover has turned me off completely.
I’m so keen to read this series! Great interview 🙂
As far as I can tell, that whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” philosophy is just that-a philosophy (that many people ignore). I’ve done it myself, if you can believe that. 😉 I still remember seeing the suitably gothic cover of Wendy Corsi Staub’s ALL THE WAY HOME and thinking that was a book I just had to read. And I’ve read every book since. I had quite the same feeling when I picked up SACRED COWS. (Of course, it was your discussion that really sold it!) The cover grabbed me-and then I made a connection to the story. But a cow and a gun? That’s classic! Fortunately, all your covers have been great, but it wouldn’t matter to me if they weren’t because you always deliver the goods. (OK, it would probably bother me, but I’d still pick up the books…)
Isabel, it IS hard to hand over the reins to the publisher, but this is their business so we have to trust them!
Melody and John, you guys are great and I’m thrilled you love Annie.
Kelly and Ravenous, hope you check out Annie’s adventures!
Chris, I agree that I can be a sucker for a pretty cover too. And since I wrote this blog post, I’ve gotten the cover for my first tattoo shop mystery, THE MISSING INK, which will be out in July. It is so absolutely gorgeous, so pretty, so incredibly perfect that it now has become my favorite cover! I love the SHOT GIRL cover, but this one will blow your socks off!
I really enjoyed this post. OK, I am convinced that I need to read Annie’s adventures and make my way into the mystery genre!
I am a complete sucker for a book cover. I think that comes from me being such a visual person and well, how can you not be intrigued by an interesting cover?!
I can’t believe I have not heard of this series before. sounds like something right up my alley.
Great guest post! A cover will sometimes draw me to a book in the sense that it will be enough to make me take a closer look to see if it’s something I want to read. I admit to being partial to the covers of the second two books in this particular series.
I am very much drawn in by a good cover! Titles are also important to me, but not nearly as much as the covers. However, if I’ve already heard good things about a particular book, the cover art ceases to become so important.
Not only am I drawn to beautiful covers, but often pass over good books because of bad covers. Now that is a shame, but the truth is a good cover at least catches your eye and makes you curious enough to see what the book is about.