And now, a confession...

Dear Readers,

I will now explain my "vote for the best cover" post and will reveal which cover(s) I did.

How it started--
I made a cover. My publisher made a version of the cover. I didn't care for theirs. I made a few modifications and sent it back. They didn't like it. I did another. They didn't care for that one either.

Here I will interject that this is what making a book is all about--lots of back and forth... lots of compromise. You don't always get what you want!

This time, however, I wanted to get what I wanted. I was SURE I was right. I thought my design was better. My publisher thought theirs was.

This is when I decided to do something bold and new--post the covers on the net and let people vote. The votes came in. The top cover is the one my publisher wants to use. The 2nd one is the image I want most. The 3rd is my 2nd favorite (also created by yours truly).

As of now my publisher will be printing image number one with a few changes. I asked for the bird to be moved more over the type (so that it doesn't look like a huge accident) and that will happen. None of my other requests will most likely occur. Does this make me sad? Sure. But this is what happens. This is what publishing is all about. I must say that all of the interiors are the way I wanted them... so right there, I can't complain. For the most part I got what I wanted. Do I still think I'm right about the cover? You betcha!

Perhaps some of you are wondering why I decided to become the BIGGEST PAIN IN THE BUTT AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR EVER. (I'm sure no editor, designer, publisher likes their author posting images to vote on, on a blog)

Here's why--
1) When everyone at a publishing co. is SO SURE that my design isn't right I start to question my skills as an artist. Thoughts run through my mind--am I losing "the touch"? Am I not in line with the way most people see things visually? Was all my artistic training for nothing?

2) Perhaps, I thought, a vote in favor of mine would change some minds.

3) Perhaps, I thought, a vote against mine would change MY mind.

4) I wanted to learn more about why my publisher wanted cover #1. I honestly couldn't understand it. I still don't... but I'm a little closer and that's a help!

5) I get too close to things. When ALL I DO is work on a book I lose sight of what's important. I start to think that whatever I'm knee-deep in is THE MOST important thing. Perhaps the cover type and color the way it is in #1 isn't going to ruin the book as I'd convinced myself it would.

So there's my confession. I thank you all for taking the time to participate. I hope you learned something! I know I did.

Meghan