After I got my book deal, the #1 question I was asked was, “Do you get to design the cover?” I found this very amusing because I am not artistically inclined AT ALL. Publishing houses have people who design book covers (and thank god for that). Of course, I was a little nervous to see the final product. Would it capture the tone of the book properly? That’s why book covers are so important–they capture the tone. They advertise what you’re going to get when you crack the spine and start reading.
Liane Moriarty shared this funny bit of advice in a Writer’s Digest interview: “When your publisher sends you the cover for your new book with the message, ‘What do you think? We LOVE it!’ the correct answer is, ‘WOW! I LOVE IT TOO!'” Ha. Thankfully, when I opened the file, I was genuinely pleased. No enthusiasm had to be faked.
Here ’tis (and if you click on it, you’ll go to Amazon where you can pre-order the book):
This, more than anything, makes it all seem real–for me, and for my friends and family, too. I’ve been talking about my book for a long time, but it wasn’t until I posted the cover on Facebook that people said, “Oh, you wrote a book book!” Ha.
Something else that makes it all seem real: A couple weeks ago, I got an email from Amazon recommending my own book to me. That was a trip.
Other exciting updates:
- They are going to make an audio version of PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME–yay!
- The Frankfurt Book Fair is coming up in October and that’s a big venue for selling foreign rights
- We’re starting to reach out to people about film rights
In the meantime, I’m 250-ish pages into writing a new novel. I’m having the familiar doubts and insecurities about it, but I’m trying to just keep going. I know it will change so much over time, so may as well get a first draft down. Wish me luck!
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