Cover Wars: When Cover Art Goes Wrong

This week, I was shocked to read a post over at author Justine Larbalestier's blog ( http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/07/23/aint-that-a-shame/ ) about the problems the cover art for her novel LIAR has created.

Not only has the American cover art caused people to stop and go "hang on, this doesn't look like your main character," but has actually made legions of readers question her story itself.

The story is about a young black women with short hair who is a compulsive liar. Because of the white lady used in the cover art, readers have been asking Justine if her character was lying to them about her appearance throughout the story, changing its meaning and destracting them from what she intended.

Some have also written to say they find it offensive.

The reason given for the decision? BLACK COVERS DON'T SELL.

My question is.... what the Hell?! This is 2009. People actually say out loud to other people that they aren't going to put a black girl on a book cover because no one will read it?

I started thinking back on the books I've read that have black protagonists, and realized that almost none of them had a picture of the character on the cover. For example, Neil Gaiman's ANANSI BOYS features a sillouhette of the main character instead of showing him in the light.

This is so strange to me, it literally blew my mind this week.

How can publishers make a call about cover art that casts doubt on the intent of the author and puts her in a negative light?

I'm sure this wasn't anyone's intention, and that the publishing house wasn't intending to cause any harm. However, now that there are complaints and others besides the author are speaking out, it will be interesting to see what the response is.

What do you guys think about this?

What do you think the publisher's response should be?

Am I totally overreacting?

All I have to say is:

Have a great weekend!

Life In Progress Thursday: Pics!

Happy Thursday! Sorry I wasn't able to post these sooner (busy week with my inlaws visiting), but here by popular demand are my pictures from Maui.

I figure since I couldn't put you all into suitcases and smuggle you there, this is the next best thing. Especially since airport security tends to get suspicious when your bags are breathing heavily.

Here's the view from our room. One word: Craigslist! We rented a condo over craigslist, and it was better than a hotel and much, much less expensive. Hooray!



Here are some of the crazy lava formations we saw when we were there. It was like being on an asteroid. Bizarre, no?

Here is the cove where my husband and I saw some huge freaking morey eels while snorkling. They were about 5 feet long, a half foot thick, and reminded me of flotsam and jetsam from The Little Mermaid :). I wanted to take them home and have them do my evil bidding.

Hana Highway made me wonder if dinosaurs might live there. It was prehistoric rainforest beauty nonstop. Plus, I had the best, freshest, warmest banana bread of my life at a little town along the way. Mmmm, banana breaaaad...

Speaking of food, this was my last breakfast in Maui, courtesy of McDonalds. Spam, eggs, and white rice w/ soy sauce. Local-tastic! (Seriously, though, the Spam was surprisingly good.)

I'm pretty sure pirates stop here on their way to Tortuga.

Here I am tired but happy on the way to the airport.

I'll miss it, but I'm glad to be home. My last day there some poisonous seaweed stung me in... let's just say my "swimsuit area." That doesn't happen here, so there's something to be said for the Pacific Northwest ;).

Have you guys done anything fun this summer? Any blog pics you'd like to link to and share?

Lay 'em on me!

Connections

Writers live isolated lives.

We spend hours with our noses in books, shut in dark rooms with our laptops, staring off into space "researching."

We can be lonely. Cut off.

I'm an extrovert, and I love people, but for some unfortunate reason, I'm also very shy. I was never the type of person who has tons of friends or makes them everywhere she goes. I've always had one, maybe two friends if I'm lucky at any given moment, and it's difficult for me to meet new people. I long for friendships, but my shyness makes it hard for me to go out there and find people with interests like mine. I'm baffled how those non-shy people do it, and usually stand around, desperately hoping one of them will find me and introduce me to everyone else at a party.

Things rarely happen to you when you sit there waiting for them.

When I started writing, I finally realized "I shouldn't be doing this alone." Every site and blog I read was talking about critique groups and writer buddies who lift you up when you are buried under the Rejection Pile. So, I pulled up my bootstraps, and said "I'm going to be social, dammit!"

I didn't know where to start. I wanted to chime in on forums and blogs, but I had all of these worries, these doubts constantly swirling through my mind.

I'm not fun to talk to.

If I'm not interesting enough, no one will notice me.

If I'm too forward, people will think I'm psycho.

I'm too boring.

I'm too weird.

I'm smiling like a Killer Klown from Outer Space in my profile pic.

Someone will think I'm internet stalking them if I comment too much.

I'm not part of the group. I'm intruding on the others.

So now you know: I'm a little nutty.

However, here's the secret I learned from manning up and getting myself out there: Everyone else is nutty too. And it's okay :)!

We're all obsessive and hermity and strange, and we are all one big community of people who are following the same dream.

The second I realized that I was not alone was the second I realized that I loved getting to know other writers like nothing else. I've met some amazing people who have not only helped me shape my novel, but have just made me feel like, well, part of the gang in this secret world of writers.

The connections that bring us together as a community are the greatest thing that social networking/blogging has given me these past few months. I have friends with the same goals who help support me, and I them. If you're not trying to connect with other writers, I strongly encourage you to be bold and reach out. No one will bite you. I've discovered that fellow writers are some of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met :).

(Just make sure you're balancing your networking time with you know... actual writing time. Heheh.)

So, to wrap up this rambling, thank you, all of you for making me feel so welcome. Thank you for sharing your knowledge for me. Thanks for just being funny and sharing your opinions, and making me feel like I'm not the only crazy person out there.

Also, if you feel unconnected and wandered here checking things out, feel free to email me any time at legacyoftheempress(at)gmail(dot)com. If I can help you get connected with some other writers, or be that connection for you myself, I'm happy to know you :).

For the rest of you, I'd love to hear your stories and about your road to getting connected.

How do other writers play a role in your life?

Are you shy like me?

Have insecurities?

Do you have beta readers or critique buddies that have changed you for the better?

What's your story?

I'm Back and Possibly Better than Ever

Possibly ;).

I'm officially back from my vacation in Maui, and I have to say... even though being unplugged for a full week was relaxing, I missed you guys!

I had lots of awesome adventures, came home with only a mild sunburn (a miracle for me, Miss Whitey McSPF), and am now happily and thoroughly exhausted.

Tonight my only plan is to catch up on my emails, drink some beers, and launder all of the sand out of my underpants.

Tomorrow, I will definitely work on getting my pics off the camera and onto this blog. Sharing is caring!

On a side note, I live in Vancouver, WA, home of rain, clouds and temperate summers. Today my first day back? Yeah. It's 110. A HUNDRED AND TEN DEGREES. Sweat is literally pouring off me and onto my keyboard tray as I'm typing. Ew. Hence the cool, cool beers.

I'm not made for this kind of heat. I think I may actually sweat into a puddle and die. God, thank you for creating air conditioning units! I owe You one!

How are you guys doing? Did you have fun weeks? Productive weeks? Anything huge happen in publishing that I completely missed out on? :) I'd love to hear how you're doing!

It's good to be back.

Blog Party: Luau Edition

Come on in, grab a drink, and mingle!

We're having a BLOG PARTY: Luau Style!

While I'm gone, please come on in, have a good time, and feel free to discuss whatever strikes your fancy among yourselves.

Making awesome progress with your WIP?

Need an answer to a writing question?

Having a crappy week (heaven forbid) and need a mai tai and a chat with some friends?

Do what you will. Enjoy the party!

I cooked up some kalua pork in my internet sand pit, blended up a pitcher of margaritas for Scott, and set up a full bar complete with pepsi products for the minors.

Have fun, and I'll see you next week!

Aloha!

Building a Platform & Other Fun Things

Who doesn't love platforms? They're sexy, fun, and.... oh, wait. Wrong kind of platform.

We've all been hearing a lot about platform building recently from agent blogs and writer blogs alike. However, I feel that it's been a bit heavy-handed about getting known online and not so much about working on publishing credentials. Sara Tribble (of "I Am Write") had a great post about this and will be hosting interviews with editors to help us learn how to get started.

She's also challenging us to write a short story or piece of flash fiction for each interview she posts :D. I'm game! Who's with me? Let's get on this bandwagon and try to build up our platforms (or at least writing skills.)

Something else going on soon is Book Blogger Appreciation Week, which you can read about here read about here. It's coming up in September, and there will be fabulous prizes and fun for those of you with blogs discussing books. Stop on over and check it out.

Lastly, I wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving you guys this upcoming week. I'm going to MAUI (SQUEEEE!!!!) and won't be back until next Sunday, 7/26/09. I promise to bring back pictures and to tell you all about it. I haven't gone anywhere since my honeymoon four years ago, and am so excited I'm literally vibrating with anticipation in my office chair. Is this day over yet?

Here's a pic for you, and have a wonderful weekend/week without me!

Work In Progress Wednesday!

Okay, okay. You got me. It's Thursday :).

I got distracted yesterday by my shiny award and had to share the love, but now it's back to work!

I'm excited to say that I've made progress this past week (yaaay!) and not only edited about 200 pages of my 323 page novel, but actually wrote 700 new words to beef up my Big Ending Conflict! It is going to rock about five times as hard now, at least in theory. This excites me!

One of the issues I've been overcoming in my writing is that I have a gift for understatement. Well, newsflash, Me: It's actually a curse! I used to underact in high school play auditions, and now I actually give my reader too little to go on in places where they could really use some assistance.

(More? You want mooore? None for you, Oliver Twist! Oh... wait...yeah, you're right. Thanks, Oliver... Dammit.)

That's what I've been battling during this last final major edit/rewrite. I need more Oomph Factor in my climax, and to flesh out a couple of my Important Subplots. It's all coming together nicely now. I have hope.

Thank you to all of the wonderful people who read my book and helped me come to these conclusions :D. Abby, Tere, Steph, John, Husband, Mom--I love you guys!

How have your weeks been, my friends? Any good news to report?

Anything you need some support with?

I'd love to hear how you're doing!