This week's Cover Story comes from Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite Series. I remember first seeing her cover on myspace and thinking it was really eye-catching. That beaded curtain adds something I've never really seen on a book cover--it's all sparkle and mystery. Now, Jennifer herself reveals the drama behind the scenes:"I didn't have a specific idea in mind--all I knew was that I wanted the cover image to reflect the glamorous world of the book, and to somehow convey the elitism of the Upper East Side itself--which, I'll admit, was a pretty tall order. My editor was very receptive to my ideas--I basically told her what I wanted the image itself to convey-- wealth, power, prestige, excitement, glamour--and then left it up to her to pass along my ideas to the art department over at Berkley Jam.
"When I saw the original cover, I cried. It was so far from what I had been expecting that I was devastated. The original cover image was not at all what I had in mind for the the first cover in the series-not by a long shot. It was basically a girl with a no head in a clothing store.
"Thank god, my editor was sympathetic when I called her up and basically declared that I'd kill myself if the book went to press with that original cover design LOL! Without batting so much as an eyelash, she related my concerns to the art department, went to bat for me, and got the book cover a complete redesign. Without her getting on board, it just wouldn't have happened.
"The next cover I saw was the image that became the final cover. So they definitely took my suggestions to heart! I love the final cover--I think it says everything that I wanted to get across about the series in one sexy, powerful, glamorous image. I was very lucky that I had an editor who really cared when I wasn't happy about things--many authors don't have that luxury, so I feel very fortunate."
Thanks, Jennifer! I actually had the same editor at Berkley Jam for the Violet books, and it's definitely cool that she was so responsive. I'd love to see that first rejected cover, but I can imagine that it wasn't nearly as fabulous as the final product, and the sequel cover for In Too Deep is amazing too (get the countdown widget below). It makes me want to wear false lashes to parties. Seriously, I thought about this cover while getting ready for an event recently. But I'm not sure I can pull that off!
What do you guys think of this series' covers?