Revealed: Evolution of a Book Cover

Since Widow of Gettysburg has now had THREE (count them three) "final" covers that have each appeared at all the online retail sites, I thought showing you the evolution of the cover would be fitting. If nothing else, I'm sure I've confused you by posting varying covers for the same book, so it's time to explain! Before I go any further, THIS is THE FINAL FOR REAL cover of Widow of Gettysburg. Just finalized last week. Ta-da!

Now here's how we got there.

Step One:  Shortly after Wedded to War released in July 2012, RiverNorth asks me to give them some ideas for images that would work for covers for the rest of the books in the Heroines Behind the Lines series. For Widow's cover, I throw out several ideas: how about the farmhouse turned field hospital, or maybe the battlefield, or perhaps. . . I don't even remember the rest.

Step Two: They give me six conceptual covers to choose from, based on my suggestions, which clearly, were all awful. The farmhouse image isn't dramatic enough. The battlefield is too grotesque, not in good taste. The models on the covers are all wearing dresses I hate. Half are black for mourning, and half are just not right. I can't even find a single face on any of the six models that I like. Either their facial expression aren't appropriate, or they aren't pretty enough, or they are the wrong age. I tell myself not to be nervous, all of this can be fixed.

Step Three: I have two brainstorms amidst my book cover angst (not to worry, all authors get a case of this from time to time, it's perfectly normal). One--I suddenly remember a Gettsyburg image from July 1863 which I love. Check it out, below.

Some of you may recognize the building in the background as the Lutheran Theological Seminary building. It's one of the main landmarks/historic buildings Gettysburg is known for. The cupola was used as a vantage point for both Union and Confederate leaders, the building itself was used as a hospital during and after the battle, and my character Liberty has a scene there. Another character in my book was a former student there. Perfect, right? Also very fun--this building is the very spot where I conducted my research in the fall of 2010, when the Adams County Historical Society had their archives there. I took a photo of it when I made the trip (shown below) having NO idea that the inspiration I was about to find inside would lead to a series of Civil War novels.

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So I feel like I landed on a perfect new background image for the cover, and tell RiverNorth, while apologizing all over myself for not just thinking of this in the first place and saving the designer the time and effort already spent.

Second brainstorm: The dress. I decide not to put the model in black for the cover because by the time we meet our main character, she is about to finish her official mourning period for her late husband, who was killed in the First Battle of Bull Run two years earlier. That opens up more possibilities. Now what?

I had been "pinning" photos of Civil War era fashions on Pinterest for a few months by this point, and suggest to RiverNorth that I select several and allow you readers to vote on your favorites. Remember that? If so, you remember that's exactly what we did. (See that blog post here.) The winner: a coral day dress appropriate to a young woman living on a Pennsylvania farm in 1863.

What I love about this dress is that it was really worn during the 1860s. I found it on an auction site--you can see close-ups and different angles of the dress here. It's threadbare beneath where the apron would be, stained in a few places and has some small holes in it. The hoops beneath aren't super wide--this was an ordinary girl's dress, not for formal occasions. Definitely an authentic look for Widow's cover!

So now we have the background figured out AND the dress. I leave the rest up to RiverNorth.

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Step Four:

They send me Final Book Cover #1 (see at right), and I am happy with it, except that in the book, Liberty's hair is curly, and it looks straight here. Oh well, I think, I'm not going to nitpick anymore! And I gleefully post the cover on Facebook for all the world to see. I think it's so great that the dress and seminary sort of match. :)

Step Five: RiverNorth shows the book cover to some other staff and receive some pushback on Liberty's look. She doesn't look the way I've described her in the book enough. So they revise her, and we get Final Book Cover #2:

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Step Six: RiverNorth shows this cover to a very well-respected consultant who says immediately, "I don't like it." Liberty looks weak, she says. She's just standing there with her hands folded. "I need to see more resolve and motion." We get three seconds of a reader's attention before she decides whether or not to flip to the back cover or open it up. That's all. So RiverNorth decides to heed this insight, for which I am very grateful. Another improvement? Great! Ony problem--time is running out. They have to change it fast. I wonder--how are they going to show more resolve? Hand her an amputation kit? Gross.

Step Seven: RiverNorth sends me two revisions from the designer. One of them is a close-up similar to what you saw at the beginning of this post. The second is of a woman with her hands on her hips but her face is cut off a little above the chin. I didn't like that, so voted for the close-up. "She looks stronger now," I say, "but I still don't see any motion. I wish her hair could be blowing in the wind, but it's pinned up so there's not much to work with." I feel sort of bad for pointing this out, but to my utmost delight, RiverNorth agrees with me. "Yes! Windblown hair! Let's do it!" (That was a paraphrase.) Feeling confident, I add, "As long as you're changing it, can we make her eyes definitely blue?" Time is still running out. The change must be made in a day, two at the most. But they did it, and that brings us to Final For Real Cover #3. I know you've already seen this at the beginning, but let's just look at it one more time for fun, shall we?

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I LOVE that they put in the extra effort for this, even at the last minute. Love the hair, don't you?

One last little piece of cool book cover trivia--the Seminary building pictured is currently being converted into the Seminary Ridge Museum, where I will be doing a book signing this coming summer during their 150th anniversary of the battle festivities. WOW. Talk about full circle! (More details on that signing to come later!) The chief operating officer of this museum was a historical consultant for my novel, and has endorsed it.

And now, please excuse me while I gleefully post this to Facebook for all the world to see. (Feel free to do the same!) The online retail sites will catch up later. :)