Yay, the cover is done!
Let’s talk about it.
I wanted the book to look like other Cozy Mysteries. Generally the genre has bright colors (which I understand is a cover trend now, even for things like Thrillers). I wanted the title to stand out. I wanted my author name a bit visible, but since I’m new I didn’t want it taking up half the page.
They created a good font for the title, which I’m quite proud of. It’s bold, readable even on thumbnails, and I like the hint of pink. The pink gives it a hint of gay without making it too over-the-top.
Most cozies with gay characters tend to feature hunky muscle men on the front. I didn’t want that. My sleuth is a bear, a bit out of shape, and a bit erudite. I think the image captures him well. I had them change the design so he isn’t looking front-on, but a little to the side. I think it gives it a casual feel.
So let’s talk about the hole. If you have ever been to a gay bathhouse, or other cruising spaces, you might recognize it as a gloryhole. I wanted it there on the cover, but not too graphic. I mean, this is a story about a bathhouse, so no need to sugar-coat the more sexual elements. That said, I think it’s subtle enough that “if you know, you know”, otherwise it’s just a face in a wall.
Speaking of the face, I think they really got my main character right. Damonza, the cover designers, sent me a few other faces, but when I saw that one, I know it was the right one.
Even though the cover looks like it’s already printed on a book, it isn’t. Page count matters for hardback and paperback design, and those can’t be finalized until that count is known. I’m still in second draft, so when I know that I’ll just email them and let them know, and they’ll update it.
In summary, I think the cover matches what I had in mind. It’s colorful, bold, and distinctive without being too far outside the genre. I hope you’re as pleased with it as you are the story, whenever I get it finished.
Speaking of editing, I want to start enlisting Beta Readers. For those who don’t know, Beta Readers work with the author during the drafting phase, reading a chapter or two at a time. They give feedback on what works in the chapter, and make suggestions. An author can’t incorporate all suggestions, but often they help identify areas where pacing is slow, or something doesn’t make sense.
If you’d like to help me out as a Beta Reader, feel free to sign up here. I expect to put out one or two chapters per month during editing, and if you get busy and can’t offer feedback for a chapter, that’s fine. But I would like people who can generally make time to help me perfect the book. I’ll be using Google Drive for the edits, so if you have a Gmail account that would work best for the signup.
I’m excited about this book. Time to get to editing!