Steps to Publication #2

Got the first proof of the cover for WATERSPELL Book 2: The Wysard from the production team at the Accurance Group. It's pretty awful! Some of the problems are my fault—I specified a blue background "in a shade to complement the Book 1" cover, but after seeing them side by side, I think the deep-blue-sea of the Book 1 cover is the way to go for all three volumes. To distinguish one from another, we'll change the background colors of the title "ribbons" on the front cover and the spine.

These are my instructions for cover edits:

• Use the same "deep blue sea" background—and dark-blue spine—as for #8916.
• On the front cover, give the title "ribbon" a vivid green background to match the green of the water-lily leaf.
• No italics for the word WYSARD. (Italics look odd in that particular font.)
• Within the frame, put touches of moderately dark (but fiery) sunset-red in the clouds to suggest a storm or the coming of dusk. (And to provide a contrast for the white water lily in the foreground.)
• Match the flower's relative size and perspective (its relative position or angle) within its frame to that of the red-and-gold book within its frame (on #8916).
• On the spine, change the number 1 to 2.
• No italics for the word WYSARD.
• Use the same vivid green background for the spine's central title block as for the title ribbon on the front cover.

I'll shoot these instructions back to the Production Team today. It'll be interesting to see how close (or not) they come in the second proof.

I'm sharing the step-by-step process with everybody so you can decide for yourself whether you want to use the services of the Accurance Group. So far, so good, from my point of view. I thought the designer could have shown a little more initiative with my Book 2 cover, and seen for herself/himself that the angle or perspective of the water-lily blossom does not match the angle/perspective of the red-and-gold book on the cover of WATERSPELL Book 1: The Warlock.

But then again, I've worked with art departments, on mainstream projects, that didn't get anywhere near this close on the first try, when working from written instructions. So really, Accurance's team has made a respectable first try on this cover.

Stay tuned—my indie publishing adventure continues!