As a debut author, I’m discovering that there are pivotal moments in the pre-publication process that simply take your breath away.
The arrival of the contract. The first letter from your very own editor. (That first advance check!!!)
But nothing has affected me quite as much as seeing my cover for INTO THE DIM for the first time. It’s beyond surreal, opening that email and viewing someone else’s artistic interpretation of a moment in your story.
I don’t even know how to describe the feeling. For someone like me, who’s been dreaming of this for so long, it was pretty much system overload.
Up until I saw the cover, even though the manuscript had passed among a dozen hands, it still felt personal, somehow. Private. But the moment I saw the cover, it felt as if someone had rooted around in my brain and painted what they pulled out.
I just happen to be so fortunate that my ‘rooter’ is a genius. He gets it, you know? And the fact that he’s also created some of the most beautiful and popular YA covers out today, is beyond cool.
While my cover won’t be revealed for a while, (that’s something the publisher’s marketing and publicity folks will decide), I can’t help but take a little peek at it from time to time, and marvel at the gift these artists have.
I could never, ever do that. But I am so thankful there are brilliant people out there who can.
