What's in a cover?

Hi Everyone! Danica Favorite here, and today I'm talking about covers, and what's in a cover. I always have people ask if I get to design my covers, or how that happens, and today I want to share a little about that with you as I share the cover for my April release. :)

When it comes time to put together a cover, our editors ask us to fill out an Art Fact Sheet. In my opinion, it's just a few notches shy of torture, but it's necessary for the artists to come up with the concept. I give them three scenes that happened in the book, sending example pictures of what the area might look like, what the characters look like, and even the poses the characters might be in. I share a summary of the story and important themes. Then, the cover artists get together and look at what other books they have coming out that month, and they put it all together into the cover. Months later, they give me a peek, and I have the opportunity to tell them if there's something they need to change. However, at that point, it's really hard to get too much changed.

I've always been really pleased at how my covers come out. And, to be honest, the characters are always much better looking than I envisioned them. I'm really terrible about picking out people, what they look like, and deciding what they're going to wear. So I love that the art department does such a great job!

A reader commented that she thought it strange that it's a shotgun wedding, but they look so happy in the picture. Here's a little secret for you: they're happy in the end! That's what I love about writing for Love Inspired Historical. I hate sad endings, so I love that I know what I'm going to get!

Do you have more questions about the cover process? What do you find appealing about my latest cover? Share your thoughts in the comments to be entered to win a copy of Shotgun Marriage.

Here's a little more about the book:
 

Conveniently Wed 
Forced to wed to protect their reputations after being trapped overnight in a mine, Emma Jane and Jasper Jackson's marriage is one in name only. Resenting the choices taken from him, Jasper's determined not to lose his heart. But it's not so easy to stay distanced from his new bride when a gang of bandits abducts them both.

Other young women might be ecstatic to land Leadville's wealthiest bachelor. But Emma Jane would rather have Jasper's love than his family's money. A true bond with her handsome husband seems impossible…until their ordeal leaves Emma Jane caring for an orphaned baby. In reach now is the one thing neither expected—the chance to turn a convenient marriage into a forever family.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor