3 Ways Your Cover Sells Your Novel

by Emilie Hendryx, @eacreativephoto

May name is Emilie and I judge books by their covers.

There. I’ve said it!

I know we’re all told not to, but I do and I’d wager you do as well. We’re told it’s what’s on the inside that matters, and in a way that’s true, but most of the time we won’t make it past a bad cover to see the inside.

I recently wrote a post on my blog titled The Truth About Book Cover Design. In it, I laid out specifics on what makes a book cover “bad” and why you shouldn’t try and design your cover yourself. In this post, I’d like to focus more specifically on why having a good book cover matters.

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Designing a Killer Cover

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children, a Maltese Menace, and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. She can be found at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction), Twitter (@roniekendig), Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK), and Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/)!

Ronie's upcoming release, Falcon, received 4.5 stars from RT Book Reviews: Kendig blows away fans...Falcon is a must-read! 

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As an author, one of my favorite parts of the publication process is seeing my cover for the first time. And it's a new thrill with each cover! You've no doubt seen interviews with cover models (in fact, I did one here with the models for Hawk and Falcon right here on NovelRocket!). I've also seen other authors like Becky Wade post the entire process through pictures, showing makeup, costume, the photo shoot, and the final cover.

Anyone who has seen the covers for my Quiet Professionals series no doubt is drooling over the men who posed as the heroes of the series, Watterboy,  Hawk, and Falcon. The drool is amplified when readers learn all the models are the real deal--they've been there, done that. They are real military veterans.

It's been amazing to watch cover designer extraordinaire, Kirk DouPonce (who is up for a Hugo Award!!) of DogEared Design take these humble veterans, photograph them, then take those photos with blue screens to transform them into amazing covers!! I really hope Kirk can do the covers for every book I write, because he has nailed every one so far!

So, I asked Kirk if he'd let me interview him...but he said he had something better--a time-lapsed video of him creating Falcon! Watch as Kirk transforms Purple Heart Recipient Gabriel Martinez from a Marine into Special Forces hero, Salvatore "Falcon" Russo, from the third book in the series, Falcon.

Enjoy!!

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"Kendig blows fans away...Falcon is a must read!" - RT Book Reviews! 

BUY NOW! 

Special Forces operator Salvatore “Falcon” Russo vowed to never again speak to or trust Lieutenant Cassandra Walker after a tragedy four years ago. But as Raptor closes in on the cyber terrorists responsible for killing two of their own, Sal must put his life—and the lives of his teammates—in her hands. Despite his anger, Cassie is ill-prepared for his resistance and the fallout when she must protect the one asset who can end the attacks. As allies become enemies and hostiles become unlikely partners, Raptor fights for its very existence.

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