New Cover~New Contest

Isn't she cute? I absolutely love the cover and already pronounced generations of blessings upon the designer. It's in the running with the cover of To Have or To Hold for my favorite cover of all time and I'm very happy with it. I think it does a good job of communicating the book--which is a little bit romancy--and reflecting the main character--who is a high-heel fanatic. It's always a great day to see what you're baby is going to look like.

I don't remember if I've told people how covers work on books--lots of people think that the author chooses or is somehow instrumental in designing the cover. Not true . . . mostly.

I have chosen exactly zero of my covers. I have had covers sent for my approval, and I have made suggestions, but the final cover is up to the publisher. They also own the copyright, meaning that I can't use it without their okay (though they are always okay with my using it). However, if for some reason I got rights to a book back, I would not get rights to the cover, which is why most reprints have a different cover.

I do know some authors that did design their own cover, and most self-published authors do, but typically if you go through a traditional publisher the cover is out of your hands. Apparently they think the graphic designers with all their fancy degrees and years of experience with image design know more about covers than you, the writer, does. Weird.

Anyway, it's dang exciting for me to have the cover and be able to decorate the world with it. The book is slated to be released in September and I'm getting my marketing ducks out of the pond and lined up right and proper. Which brings me to my next point:

CONTEST!

Along with the cover, the first two chapters of Her Good Name are now on my website. In order to enter the contest you have to read them and answer the following question:
"What does her name tag say?"

To answer this DO NOT PUT IT IN THE COMMENT TRAIL OF THIS BLOG, because that would give away the answer which would significantly decrease your chance of winning. Instead, e-mail it to me at kilpack@gmail.com. All the right answers will go into a drawing.

The prize is a signed, dated, and numbered copy of Her Good Name when it comes out in September. I will do one book for every fifteen entries into the contest and announce the winner at the end of this week (July 11)

Sooooo, have at it--in inbox is poised and at the ready! Go here to read the first two chapters