*laughs out loud*
Discussing cover art for an upcoming book, I asked my editor, “Oooh, ooh, can she have a head?”
The response: “We don’t promise to give her a head. The model for the photo shoot will have a head, but we may decapitate her. Logic being that readers can identify better with women they can kinda sorta imagine themselves to look like, at least on their best day, back in high school, while wearing an unnoticeable all-body girdle and just having come from the best hairdresser and colorist in town. Yeah.”
To which I said, “I believe women also identify with women who have heads… :)” and my editor said, “Perhaps she has just decapitated herself and that’s what we’re showing on the cover.”
*laughs and laughs and laughs*
(N.B. I’d rather this didn’t turn into any kind of slamming on cover art. My editors/marketing people/art departments have really genuinely been extremely responsive when I’ve made cover art suggestions, and since they are in no way required to listen to me, this is highly awesome of them. I’ve made my case for the cover image having a head, if they decide otherwise, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. It’s the current popular style in marketing’s mind, and that means it’s the current popular style on the shelves. So be it.)
(x-posted from the essential kit)