Kimberley Littles Griffith: The Cover Interview (blog tour)

How do you like your cover? (I love it!) 
I love it, too! The style is called graphic illustration and the artist, Marc Tauss, did a spectacular job. A little secret: the purple water hyacinth on the bottom of the cover was put there at my suggestion which was very awesome for the art dept to give it a try. My editor and the design team loved it and said the purple flowers really made the whole cover sparkle! The finished jacket and all that lush green and embossed lettering really jumps out on the bookstore shelves. Here’s ANOTHER secret: Scholastic is completely redoing the cover for the paperback of THE HEALING SPELL for next Fall – and it TOTALLY ROCKS! Girls are gonna LOVE it so stay tuned. It will be up on Amazon and my website in a few months. And it will be in the Book Clubs in 2011. Can’t wait!   

Did you have much input in the cover? 
Um, I guess I answered that in #1. J

When you heard you were having a book published, were you worried about getting a bad cover? 
I think that a terrific - or a good - or a so-so - book cover can really make or break a book’s popular or longevity so it’s something all authors get excited about, but get nervous about, too, especially when we get to see our book jackets for the first time. You really hope it will leap out at potential readers as well as give the flavor and feeling of the story. Designers and artists have a tough job! But they are so talented, too.  I was THRILLED when I first saw the design of the book, front and back. And thrilled all over again to see the new cover for the paperback. Right now, I’m waiting on pins and needles to see what the artist is coming up with for my new book coming out October, 2011, called CIRCLE OF SECRETS.


When you were writing the book, did you have an idea of what you wanted the cover to look like? 
I was always thinking that the book *had* to have the bayou and swamp as a background because the setting of THE HEALING SPELL is like a character in and of itself. At first, I thought it would be great to show Livie standing and poling in her pirogue as she travels through the swamp to Mirage Allemond’s house nestled in the background. My publisher said that showing an actual scene was trickier to execute well, and it was better not to have too many elements on the cover. I’m lucky to have an editor who is also an artist! 




Thanks so much, Kimberley! It was awesome getting to here your take on your covers!

Find more about Kimberley and her book, The Healing Spell at:
Official website
Kimberley's blog
Kimberley's Goodreads
The Healing Spell's Goodreads