While our Art Editor, Christina, can often create a cover design that is so perfect from the get-go that it requires not even the tiniest of tweaks (that’s how brilliant she is), the process of creating a cover can often be a more collaborative process. Designs can change to accommodate a new quote for the book, colours may be altered so that the text of the blurb stands out more, or the entire design can be changed from the first brief, simply because we realise our initial concept for the cover may not have been correct.

In the case of The Lavender Keeper, by Fiona McIntosh, Christina found a lovely image of a house amongst lavender fields. We all loved the deep maroon-purple shade of the lavender and thought it rather striking on screen.

However, when we printed it out, something was lacking – the colours didn’t stand out as much, it seemed flatter, and it lacked a certain warmth that we felt was necessary. But we liked the image so much that we were relunctant to change anything. Even when we realised a wrap-around effect (so the image would be mirrored on back of the book) wouldn’t work as the text didn’t sit well over it, we still stuck to this cover image.  We suggested a lighter and even white background for the back cover, but it jarred too much with the front. We suggested playing with the positioning of the text, and added bits of lavender to the back too, but that didn’t help. Finally, we gave Christina the freedom to tweak the front cover image, and lo and behold she produced a wonderful new version. Keeping the initial image, she created a much warmer and stunningly beautiful alternative.

And the design worked wonderfully well, continuing along the back too.

The final books have just been delivered and look positively gorgeous. You can almost feel the warmth and lavender-scented breeze eminating from the cover when you look at it!

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity & Online Marketing Manager