When I began writing my first novel, Leaving Oxford, I wanted to make the main character look different from me. I didn’t want people to the think the story was about me. Despite the fact that both my heroine and I suffer from panic attacks, she had her own story.
My inner emotions, thoughts, and personality quirks would be displayed through my writing voice in each of the characters. That was scary as a new author, and it couldn’t be helped, but I could control how my characters looked. I’m a frizzy-haired blonde, so I created my main character, Sarah Beth LeClair, to have dark hair, dark eyes, and a nice tan.
The first cover for Leaving Oxford didn’t show a full person, bare feet walking on a path, using a stock photo, like many books do. I liked that cover. The thing is, other authors liked that particular stock photo, too, and it seemed to appear more and more on the covers of other books.
Last year I began changing out my covers because of that issue. I found a redhead first for my fourth book, Blown Together, then light brown hair for book three, Tackling the Fields. I needed another redhead for book two, Going Up South, and I needed someone for my dark-haired Sarah Beth LeClair of Leaving Oxford. Then I realized, Sarah Beth of my imagination basically had features like my own daughter! (We don’t share the same coloring.)
She agreed to model for me. Isn’t she pretty?
She’s grown up and lives the life of a big-city girl six hours away in Atlanta, so we had to coordinate time for her to drive over to Mississippi to meet with my photographer. The day we chose for the shoot ended up being so cold here, and I wanted her to have bare feet for the pic. She was a trooper! I had bought a white skirt and top off the rack just guessing the size. It fit! And we froze out on a shady path in the woods for about thirty minutes in November and took a lot of pics.
My cover artist worked her miracles and voilà! We had a beautiful new cover for Leaving Oxford created by Carpe Librum Book Design staring my daughter.
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Thank you for hanging out with me today! What kind of covers do you like?
Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian so she could be around them all day. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after. Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space. Connect with her at http://www.janetfergusonauthor.com/
That is a neat story. The book was already special but having her daughter on the cover just made it priceless for her. Very cool.
Thanks, Amber! It was special! I’ve had a number of young friends model, but having my daughter was especially sweet!
Hi Janet, your daughter is beautiful, how cool that you could have her as your model:) I like the cover- the muted/foggy light through the autumn colours, your daughter’s bare feet on the path create a feeling of discovery about to happen.
I like a range of covers- so long as they reflect the mood of the story. Until reading this blog, I was unaware of the use of stock photos to create covers- makes sense though after learning about the time/costs involved in designing a cover from beginning to end.
Blessings:)
Hi Wemble! Thank you! I think she is beautiful, too! I love what the artist, Evelyn, did with the path! Yes, many covers, at even big traditional houses, use models from stock photos. I do like the cover to reflect the mood, too. It’s sometimes hard to define.
Blessings :)
How very special for you both.
Thanks! It was fun, too , other than the cold weather :)
Hi Janet! Beautiful, uplifting cover. Great lightening. Autumn is my favorite season. My kind of book cover. A light cover with mystery – making me, the reader, want to discover who the girl is and why she is barefoot on the path in autumn. Thank for sharing. Enjoy your weekend. Best wishes.
Thanks, Renate! The leaves are splendid in fall! We are all on a path with a little bit of mystery, aren’t we! :)
I do hope to enjoy the weekend! I hope the same for you!
Blessings
That’s so awesome!
Thanks! I was excited at how it turned out! See you at CFRR!
How special to have your daughter on the cover.
Hi Lucy! It was! And she did a great job modeling barefoot in the cold, ha!
How lovely that your daughter is now a forever part of your first book, gives me goosebumps! I love the cover, and absolutely adored the story and series. Blessings to you!
Isn’t that neat! I love the way you worded that! You’ve been a great support reviewing the series! Thank you!
It has been an honor for me!
:)
I love the cover and the story of how it came together. Will read your book . Have a blessed day.
Thank you, Brenda! I hope you enjoy it!
Blessings,
Janet
This is a very cool story. How wonderful that your beautiful daughter could be your model. Something you will both remember for a long time. The cover turned out lovely. Makes one want to follow along the path with this lovely young lady.
Thanks, Lori! I thought it turned out well too!
Lovely model and cover! She’s not even shivering. Hopefully she warmed up quickly. I like covers of all types but avoid “steamy” and scary ones.
Thanks, Diana! I avoid those too! :)
I really liked the book, and it’s fun finding out it’s your daughter on cover!
I find it interesting that often the font of the title attracts me even more than the photo…
Thanks! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the novel! I didn’t realize the font was so important!
That’s so special that your daughter could be on the cover of one of your books!
Ellie, I thought so too! It was special! :)
Beautiful girl! Beautiful cover!
Sweet, Pam :) Thank you! I’m so glad you like it!
Wonderful new cover. I enjoyed the book, too.
Thank you so much, Merrillee! I’m honored that you read it!
What a fun mother-daughter project, very memorable!
Hi, Dianna! I didn’t think of that! It was kind a mother-daughter project to remember :)
What a beautiful picture and story. She sure was a trooper to do it on a cold day.
It looks great and it will be unique.
Thanks! She was a trooper! Yes, I’m glad it is unique :)
Beautiful! What a special mother-daughter moment.
Thanks, Stacy! It was :)
A beautiful cover and a beautiful daughter!!!
Thank you, Tina! I also appreciate your opinion and help!! You’ve been so good about that since forever ago!
Cute story. I like the new cover :) I also discovered that the stock photo on my cover is being utilized elsewhere, which is annoying. I won’t be able to change it for quite a while though. It is what it is. The other cover that uses the photo has a much different coloring.
Btw one reason I enjoyed your book was because I have the same name as your character :) I don’t spell mine with an h but FREQUENTLY people do add an h in there. :D
Sara Beth, I do love your name! I have been very gradually changing my covers on the first 4 books. I have one more to go. No rush to get yours changed. It’s a fun project when you get to it. Leaving Oxford came out three years ago. My new novels, I’m trying to make original as I go along. Hope to have a new one soon!