Designing Book Covers: An Author’s Perspective

When we developed the book cover for Ravens Cove, I hoped to capture the readers’ curiosity and interest, in addition to instilling a sense of foreboding and/or danger. After all, it is a supernatural thriller, and it is creepy. Haha.

I wanted a cover that said, “Come on in, if you dare!”

The cover needed to project a visual picture of the story. In order to meet the criteria, I was faced with writing a short paragraph for my publisher’s graphic artist. At first, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know if I could explain what was in my head well enough for it to be put in picture format. After the initial self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, I pretended I was looking at a piece of artwork and wrote what I saw. (Below is the description I sent to my publisher. Until now, it has not been seen by anyone but my publisher and the graphic artist.)

The object who lures people to destruction is Pet, a shapeshifter. In Ravens Cove he is a sharp rock and/or arrowhead. The focal point is a black rock, emanating a yellow and purple light sitting on or close to a path that drops off into a ravine. There is vegetation on either side of the path and a large dirt mound to the right of the path (called Corpse Mound in the book). Black quickly envelopes the path. A dead tree stands off to one side of the path. It has ghostly limbs and moss (or something that looks like hair) hanging from its top (the old hag tree mentioned in the book).”

Most of this description was used by the graphic artist. The rock, the pathway, and his rendition of the tree are all on the cover.

The artist and my publisher made a critical addition — the raven sitting in the tree above the pathway. It tied the book art to the title, and the addition of the raven tells a reader, consciously or subconsciously, this is an ominous place.

When I saw the raven, the hair on my arms stood up. I was surprised by my reaction. I couldn’t understand why the raven added dramatically to the creepy feeling we were trying to project. So, I did some research. And recently my publisher sent me some examples of why a raven evokes such dark feelings. In addition to my earlier research, these examples helped solve this mystery:

1 In some cultures, the raven is seen as a bad sign. In others it is described as a trickster and deceiver. Both descriptions of the raven ring true in Ravens Cove. The raven is a symbol of the darkness within.

2) Edgar Allan Poe is a great example of using a raven to create an ominous, almost frightening, ambiance in his work, The Raven. Poe was the master of using symbols in his writings. The symbols always represented something else. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of the raven is very emblematic. A raven is midnight black. His story does take place at midnight. The darkness of the bird is the perfect, sinister symbol for the man. Poe’s spooky raven enters the narrator’s house, perches on a bust above his chamber door, and repeats only one word, “Nevermore.” The narrator soon learns the raven has come to stay, and he’ll never be free of longing for his lost love, Lenore. In The Raven, Poe could have certainly used another animal, but the effect wouldn’t have had the same impact. He could have used a parrot, for example. But not only can a parrot speak many words, they are brightly colored. And there is not much threat in a parrot. There is something menacing about a midnight-black raven repeating only one word, “Nevermore.”

3) In Greek mythology, ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy. They are said to be a symbol of bad luck, and were the god’s messengers in the mortal world. According to the mythological narration, Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions, to spy on his lover, Coronis.

These are just a few examples of the mystery and foreboding ravens can impart, and have imparted, over the centuries.

Creating this book cover took many hours and careful thought. What is odd is I didn’t realize how much thought we all put into the cover until I wrote this post. I loved the process of creating the cover. I cried when I held the first edition in my hands. Now, I know why I am always excited to create and see the book cover when we release a new novel. They are a part of me as much as the book inside.

Thank you for the opportunity to tell you a part of my story.