How does Artwork Work?

[Cli-Fi]

The only thing I know about artwork is from my uncle who tried to get a children's book published. He is an OCD ADD type person and did not like the feel the illustrators were going with so he never got it published. I can't really imagine why, but he's picky. I guess.

I have noticed that even regular TV Shows, get great artwork done. So does the agent find you an illustrator to ask you for your input or does a publisher just work with the illustrator without your input? I'm sure it's different from children's books to scifi novels. But I could be wrong.

If you've had any first hand experience with this part of the industry. I'd love to get some inside info hehe

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For children's picture books the writer and the illustrator may collaborate before submitting the book. If a book is submitted without pictures, the publisher chooses the illustrator. I have never heard of an agent finding an illustrator for a book, probably because literary agents rarely represent artists as well.

When it comes to book covers for novels, I do have experience there. The art department at the publisher chooses an artist, and the art director, editor, and the artist work together to come up with an idea for what the cover will look like. Sometimes the writer will be asked for ideas -- which may or may not be used -- sometimes not. At large publishers, that preliminary input -- if any -- is almost always the last of the writer's involvement. The artist usually presents a preliminary sketch to the art department and editor. If approved, he or she goes ahead and produces the cover art based on the sketch. If the completed artwork is not quite right, the artist may be asked to make small changes, but I don't think this happens often. A book designer working for the publisher usually comes up with the design for the title, etc.

 

[Cli-Fi]

When it comes to book covers for novels, I do have experience there. The art department at the publisher chooses an artist, and the art director, editor, and the artist work together to come up with an idea for what the cover will look like. Sometimes the writer will be asked for ideas -- which may or may not be used -- sometimes not. At large publishers, that preliminary input -- if any -- is almost always the last of the writer's involvement. The artist usually presents a preliminary sketch to the art department and editor. If approved, he or she goes ahead and produces the cover art based on the sketch. If the completed artwork is not quite right, the artist may be asked to make small changes, but I don't think this happens often. A book designer working for the publisher usually comes up with the design for the title, etc.

Thank you for pointing out the differences between the two genres. I thought it might have been something like that. How do you think the artist comes up with the book cover? I have seen some really amazing cover art done and some viral images from books that have been superb! However, I have always wondered if the authors of said books were indeed happy with these. I don't recall hearing any complaints about them...ever. Are new authors generally just willing to let anything go and well known authors just too greedy to care? Do well known authors get input?

Unless the industry standard might be that the agent aligns the author with a publisher that will understand the theme or vision of the story so the author should trust the publisher to pick the right artist? Book covers can grab my attention, but I'm usually not so interested in the story.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

The artists get the basic idea from the art department, but of course they will interpret it in their own style, and perhaps add some of their own subtle flourishes in the background. Cover art is not like other art in that there have to be large relatively neutrals spaces for the title and the author's name to go.

And writers complain a lot, although not necessarily in public forums.

 

[Cli-Fi]

The artists get the basic idea from the art department, but of course they will interpret it in their own style, and perhaps add some of their own subtle flourishes in the background. Cover art is not like other art in that there have to be large relatively neutrals spaces for the title and the author's name to go.

And writers complain a lot, although not necessarily in public forums.

Well I hope the artists read the books that they work on, but something tells me they may just get the sparknotes version. If that... I understand time constraints.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

something tells me they may just get the sparknotes version

Sometimes all they have to go on is what they are told at the cover conference, and often that is more about what the publisher would like to see on the cover than it is about anything that is actually in the book, which the artist may know nothing about. They might not even know if the scene is something that happens in the book or is meant to be representative in some way of the book as a whole (which, as it often turns out, may mean that the cover has little or no relationship to the book after all).

But some of the big-time artists may insist on reading the book. With a Michael Whelan cover, for instance, you can see that he knows the book and the characters.

Unfortunately, few of us are lucky enough to get a Whelan cover. But some of the artists who have done cover art for my books have gone above and beyond the cover conference. For one book I was asked to send a description of one of the main elements that was to appear on the cover, and once a cover artist called me up to ask about some of the details in the scene he was doing (that was a pleasant surprise!).

Small presses, on the other hand, sometimes allow the writer a much greater involvement. (I should say, some small presses some of the time.)

 

[Cli-Fi]

Sometimes all they have to go on is what they are told at the cover conference, and often that is more about what the publisher would like to see on the cover than it is about anything that is actually in the book, which the artist may know nothing about. They might not even know if the scene is something that happens in the book or is meant to be representative in some way of the book as a whole (which, as it often turns out, may mean that the cover has little or no relationship to the book after all).

But some of the big-time artists may insist on reading the book. With a Michael Whelan cover, for instance, you can see that he knows the book and the characters.

Unfortunately, few of us are lucky enough to get a Whelan cover. But some of the artists who have done cover art for my books have gone above and beyond the cover conference. For one book I was asked to send a description of one of the main elements that was to appear on the cover, and once a cover artist called me up to ask about some of the details in the scene he was doing (that was a pleasant surprise!).

Small presses, on the other hand, sometimes allow the writer a much greater involvement. (I should say, some small presses some of the time.)

Happy new year!
Huh, I had no idea that there was this cover conference. Very interesting. There is so much I don't know about the industry, though I have a good handle on agents.

I guess the only way to do something that I had in mind--with viral images--I was thinking something along those lines. Is through self-publishing which is a HUGE NO-NO in my book. I prefer the traditional route. Even though there are some things I'd like to change about it.

I know some of the most well known writers Stephen King for one routinely plays commercials and book trailers. Is that part of the same group? I think a good marketing idea is more viral images like JJ Abrams does with his crazy movie ideas. Unfortunately I think a lot of JJ's stories are only sub-par compared to it's marketing/hype. But I always find his concepts intriguing, he could work on story lines and character drama, a little better. To make things live up to the hype.

I think maybe this part of the industry is probably still stuck in the 19th century and that if more books had some type of pushed out viral marketing campaign that wasn't so News Anchor-y pushed by late night talk shows, we'd have more books going viral. I'm guessing that for King, the artists draw up the stuff that should be included in the trailer, but they are really crappy trailers and almost makes me not want to read the books. Same goes with some late night talk show host telling me I have to read this book.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

So called "Viral Marketing" is mostly a despicable attempt to deceive and exploit. Very little of it succeeds. By definition you only hear of the successes. Related to but not the same as trying to exploit Facebook and Twitter or other sites rather than becoming part of a particular online community.

 

[Gary Compton]

If you want a top class cover then try https://www.facebook.com/ticketyboocovers

I would recommend because I am them

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I had recent dealings re picture books and can confirm what Teresa said - the publisher teams the illustrator with the writer, unless already an established partnership.

Actually book trailers are becoming more popular and may be part of the way forward in terms of marketing.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

A good cover is essential, and always has been. One of the very few good things about how the biz has changed in recent years is that authors get a lot more input into their cover designs.

 

[tinkerdan]

Here are some interesting if not thoughtful insight from Tara K. Harper on covers for her books

http://www.tarakharper.com/gen_covr.htm

 

[ralphkern]

For bespoke art, there is a website called devient art (not dodgy I promise). It's a bit of a Chrons for artists and some of their stuff is mind blowing. Commission prices vary massively.

For myself, I originally bought some from Istockphoto (I think it was something like £20 for 5 pics but memory could be hazy, either way, not a huge sum) and then ran it through the Amazon cover art creator which churned out a reasonable cover. The downside of that is the fact the art can be used by others and you do sometimes see the same covers repeated several times:-

eg:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RS8FT2G/?tag=brite-21

and

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYALTWY/?tag=brite-21

(One of them turned the spaceship upside down and then copy and pasted it onto a different backdrop)

Once I went with TBP, Gary got his mits on my cover and put some icing on the cake. To use an analogy, he did some panel beating and turned my rather nice Audi S5 into an even nicer Aston Martin Vanquish.