[In the interest of
full disclosure, I, Heather Massey, run this blog and I’m also the author of
IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS]
I’ve blogged many
times about science
fiction romance covers from a variety
of angles. As a community, we’ve explored not only the obstacles
facing SFR covers, but also the potential for creating quality ones that
represent this subgenre effectively.
So when I had a chance to put my money where my mouth is, I
decided that now was the time to act.
I contracted IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS, a Western steampunk
romance, with Lyrical Press in March
2012. Once I learned that there’d be lots of lead time prior to the release
date, I began thinking about how to offer readers an entertaining and visually
stimulating cover that places them right in the middle of the action.
My story has strong action-adventure elements and ideally
the cover would reflect that (and serve double duty as a tag for readers).
Plus, I was smitten with the cover
of Angelia Sparrow’s SKY RAT. I knew that style would be a great fit for
Iron Guns.
Therefore, I came up with a plan and pitched the idea to my
publisher.
I can’t even begin to describe how momentous it is that
Lyrical Press had the guts to embark on this risk-taking journey with me. The
willingness of Lyrical’s team to try something new was especially significant
given that *quality* digitally illustrated covers are a rarity for ebooks.
I decided to shoulder this risk as an author because 1) I
love science fiction romance and want it to succeed 2) I have a predilection
for risk-taking and experimentation, and 3) the timing was right.
The awesomesauce artist who executed the cover is Christine Griffin. It was
such a pleasure to work with her and I gained fascinating insights into the
process of digitally illustrated covers. The experience of seeing the artist
bring the subgenre, setting, and characters come to life was amazing.
Much work went into the cover for IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS.
Here’s a taste of the behind-the-scenes action:
* Strategy: “What kind of image would create a visually
appealing experience for customers visiting the Lyrical press Web site?” is the
question that this cover had to answer, and answer well.
* Development: There
were many details to consider, such as color scheme, composition, fonts, and
genre choices (i.e., creating a successful blend of romance, steampun, and
Western elements).
* Collaboration: there was a whole lot of collaboration
between Ms. Griffin, the Lyrical team, and me.
* Cover design: I depended on Ms. Griffin to deliver the
artistic know-how, but designing the cover involved significant creative
direction on my part. And by direction I also mean knowing when to listen,
incorporate feedback, and adapt in the presence of new information. As
marketing tools, covers serve several different needs—and the needs of
different parties—simultaneously.
* Time: The process
from initial concept to completion took over four months.
So now that you’ve seen the cover, here’s the unofficial
blurb for IRON GUNS, BLAZING HEARTS:
A woman on a mission…
The
year is 1875. Violet Whitcomb is the hardworking assistant of her scientist
father. But even his greatest invention, the world’s most advanced automaton,
can’t compensate for the adventure and love she craves. Her only excitement
comes from her favorite penny dreadful, The Lady’s Fireside Collection.
But all
of that changes during a fateful trip through the wild American frontier. A
villain known as the Iron Scorpion kidnaps Violet’s
father to further his plan of world domination.
A man with a secret…
Violet
convinces Logan McCoy, an irresistibly dangerous gunman, to join her rescue
mission. Their attraction to one another is undeniable, and Violet is convinced
Logan is the man of her dreams.
However, their alliance turns contentious when she insists on including a third
partner on the mission: Arthur the automaton.
What will be the outcome of this perilous quest? Will Violet
and Logan ever find true love? What
is Logan’s deep, dark secret?
Discover the Thrilling and Explosive answers to these questions and more in Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts!
***
Thanks for reading! Now, you tell me: what are your thoughts
about digitally illustrated covers for sci-fi romance—and/or this one in
particular? Would you like to see more or is the current style of covers
serving this subgenre well?
Joyfully yours,
Heather