Judge a book by its cover

I have a confession to make: Even thought I should know better, covers still sell books to me. Truth be told, we authors are obsessed with covers. Especially our own. We hate love hate relationships with them, but I'm not sure we always know what's really in our own best interest. We certainly don't agree on what a *great* cover is. For example, one of the covers I adored and showed to my editors when we were discussing what I envisioned, the author actually loathed. I complemented her on it in Orlando, and she blinked and said, "Wow, I actually hate it."

I think it's always hard to see someone else's vision of your characters (I can't help but think of Ann Rice's full page ad in response to her horror of Tom Cruise as Lestat, and her subsequent apology when the movie came out and she discovered he actually pulled it off). And in your own mind you have a vision (a *VISION*)of what your book deserves.

At the moment, I'm enchanted with the first cover in my League of Second Sons series. They really listened to me (ok, they ignored all me about the hair, but that's probably for the best; the "hedgehog" isn't a style most people find attractive [see Keira Knightly to the left as the Duchess of Devonshire], and not all women think long-haired men are hot, esp with side curls, LOL!).

The blue damask stays they've given my heroine are spot on, and the subtle sheen of the watered-silk petticoat makes me drool. The deep gold is eye-catching (at least I hope it is!), and the whole thing will be set off by gold foiled lettering (any author who says she doesn't lust for foil is lying).

What about you? Are you still seduced by pretty covers?

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