A cover should have continuity

Part three in the evolution of a cover: the title

It’s a small thing, and you might not even be consciously aware of it, but most of the Hollows books use the same font for the title and author name. It has to do with name branding, and the first cover image I saw had the title and author in a thin font with swooping, graceful lines–extensions looping down and out along with sharp points sticking out here and there. It was beautiful, especially with the billowing dress blowing up and around to her elbows, but having both swoops and spikes was confusing. It was nothing like the thick, straight up and down, almost columnar font everyone identifies the Hollows with.  I wanted you guys to know it was me so you’d, er, pick it up, so I asked if we could have something more familiar.

It’s not a perfect match, but I wasn’t looking for perfection. I just wanted something harsher with straight lines without the swooping arcs confusing the feel. I got something kind of Gothy with a sword point, and I like it. If you look close in the larger picture, you can see that the author name looks very close to the previous titles. It feels comfortable and recognizable.

Okay, the tag line. “The Hollows Begins with Death.” The original idea was to have a tagline that reassured readers that this was a Hollows book, so I came up with the full line “Even the Hollows has an untold beginning . . . and it begins with death.” I’m glad they shortened it for the cover, but wow, it sounds kind of dramatic for me. Death. Yeah. Swords and pitchforks. (grin) But yes. You don’t kill off a quarter of the world’s population without mentioning death.

Tomorrow, I give you what she’s holding. It was my idea, and I hope it adds to the feeling I was aiming for. Sometimes my ideas don’t come across well, especially to those not already invested in the series. A tomato kills the world. Ah, yes. It could happen. Let me tell you how.