This is how shallow I really am...
There is a contest. Dorchester Publishing has a relatively new imprint called SHOMI, and they're sponsoring one of those "send us your manuscript and if you win, we'll publish your book!" deals. So curious, I checked it out.
Here's their pitch:
Are you an unpublished author who is constantly pushing the boundaries of Fiction by asking "What if?"
Does your writing combine elements of the Romance, Thriller, Science Fiction, and Fantasy genres?
Do you question pre-existing feminine stereotypes and believe that a heroine can achieve her goals without sacrificing her femininity?
And, perhaps most importantly, do you feel that your needs are not being met in the literary marketplace?
If your answer is yes to any--or all--of the above questions, here's your chance to change all that!
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc. is offering you the chance to win a guaranteed publishing contract with distribution throughout the U.S. and Canada!
The more I read this, the more I think, Holy shit, this could be it! My novel just might be a perfect fit! The deadline's April 30th, 2008, plenty of time to finish my second draft and get corrections done. The stars, it seems, are lining up just right.
But there's a problem. Have you clicked on the website yet? If not, do it now.
If you know me, you know how picky and anal I am about cover art. I tend to like the more abstract covers, more artistic/semi-realist covers, the latter being kind of silly, considering my genre, but hey, we all have our tastes.
I refused to pick up George R.R. Martin's work until the paperbacks were released and looked like this. I can't stand the Brothers Hildebrandt art, not even the stuff they do for Middle Earth. Robert Jordan's covers? GIVE ME HIVES. As do all the covers that aren't for Robert Jordan books but look like them ANYWAY.
And just so I'm not simply picking on my own genre, don't get me started on the lovely bodice-rippers that feature fainting women and their Fabios on the covers of various romances. I don't even like covers that have normal people looking all romantic-y at each other.
In short, all of this, it embarrasses me. Am I passing up perfectly good fiction? Certainly. But I am a cover-art whore, and I want to LIKE the covers of the books I read. Not be embarrassed.
Part of it's the fact I think above-mentioned art looks dated in some ways. It represents a decade that's long gone, with styles that are long gone. Okay, maybe not LONG GONE, but close enough. I want my books to look new, modern, shiny, or classic.
So if you've gotten this far, you're probably wondering what the hell I'm babbling about, right? The covers on the SHOMI site do not match any of the eye-sores I've listed previously, do they? So what's my problem?
I can't STAND Japanese animation or anything that remotely resembles it. AND TO BE FAIR: I've seen a couple really good anime movies I've liked: Vampire Hunter D and The Ghost in the Shell. I admire the art, respect the art, even if I don't like the style overall.
These covers, they all use that kind of art. And that makes my eyes hurt. I'm not trying to insult those artists or those people who like that thing, but it just doesn't appeal to me, just like the Hildebrandt art doesn't appeal to me, or those romance covers.
I know that, as authors, we have little to no control of the cover art that gets slapped on our books. Hell, we should be happy that we're published, right? I can accept that. However, SHOMI is a new imprint, and their published works so far all feature the same kind of art. To my untrained eye, there's no variety.
On one hand, that's going to bring in a different crowd of readers to the genre. That's a very good thing. On the other hand, people who don't like that art aren't going to look twice. Worse, I can't help but wonder (and I could be wrong) if that kind of art is so synomynous with existing worlds that outside the anime/manga genre, readers won't know it's original fiction. And what happens when those silly booksellers mis-shelve it?
Let's make one thing clear: I'm not saying I'd win the contest. All this ranting and raving most likely is for NOTHING. But my grandfather taught me something important back in the days when we showed horses: if you don't enter to win, don't enter at all. In other words, why enter a contest if you didn't think you had a chance of winning?
That's my philosophy. And here's another: cover art should represent the book itself, all the while catering to a target audience. Let's face it: Carrie Vaughn's covers are great, but are they really going to appeal to anyone who isn't interested in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre? No. Are they going to appeal to male readers, even though the fiction itself does? I'm guessing no.
Cover art is the Russian Roulette of the publishing business. I get that. Whenever I get published, I'm going to pray to the cover-art-gods-that-be that I don't want to cry--save for tears of joy--when the magical cover unveiled.
Which brings me back to this contest. I don't know how SHOMI's covers are going to work out. It may be marketing gold. It may flop. By April 2008, I might have a better idea if I keep up with the imprint. And who knows, maybe they'll branch out. But right now, they're a new imprint with a handful of titles. There's no need for cover variety, not yet.
The thesis will be finished for final approval by the contest due date. Getting published is hard. This could be a fantastic opportunity.
But can I get over the cover art? I know I should, but there's a difference between what people should do and what they actually can do.
By the way, for all my bitching and ranting, this looks like a great contest. Enter, if it fits, and pass the word around to those you think it might. :)
Here's their pitch:
Are you an unpublished author who is constantly pushing the boundaries of Fiction by asking "What if?"
Does your writing combine elements of the Romance, Thriller, Science Fiction, and Fantasy genres?
Do you question pre-existing feminine stereotypes and believe that a heroine can achieve her goals without sacrificing her femininity?
And, perhaps most importantly, do you feel that your needs are not being met in the literary marketplace?
If your answer is yes to any--or all--of the above questions, here's your chance to change all that!
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc. is offering you the chance to win a guaranteed publishing contract with distribution throughout the U.S. and Canada!
The more I read this, the more I think, Holy shit, this could be it! My novel just might be a perfect fit! The deadline's April 30th, 2008, plenty of time to finish my second draft and get corrections done. The stars, it seems, are lining up just right.
But there's a problem. Have you clicked on the website yet? If not, do it now.
If you know me, you know how picky and anal I am about cover art. I tend to like the more abstract covers, more artistic/semi-realist covers, the latter being kind of silly, considering my genre, but hey, we all have our tastes.
I refused to pick up George R.R. Martin's work until the paperbacks were released and looked like this. I can't stand the Brothers Hildebrandt art, not even the stuff they do for Middle Earth. Robert Jordan's covers? GIVE ME HIVES. As do all the covers that aren't for Robert Jordan books but look like them ANYWAY.
And just so I'm not simply picking on my own genre, don't get me started on the lovely bodice-rippers that feature fainting women and their Fabios on the covers of various romances. I don't even like covers that have normal people looking all romantic-y at each other.
In short, all of this, it embarrasses me. Am I passing up perfectly good fiction? Certainly. But I am a cover-art whore, and I want to LIKE the covers of the books I read. Not be embarrassed.
Part of it's the fact I think above-mentioned art looks dated in some ways. It represents a decade that's long gone, with styles that are long gone. Okay, maybe not LONG GONE, but close enough. I want my books to look new, modern, shiny, or classic.
So if you've gotten this far, you're probably wondering what the hell I'm babbling about, right? The covers on the SHOMI site do not match any of the eye-sores I've listed previously, do they? So what's my problem?
I can't STAND Japanese animation or anything that remotely resembles it. AND TO BE FAIR: I've seen a couple really good anime movies I've liked: Vampire Hunter D and The Ghost in the Shell. I admire the art, respect the art, even if I don't like the style overall.
These covers, they all use that kind of art. And that makes my eyes hurt. I'm not trying to insult those artists or those people who like that thing, but it just doesn't appeal to me, just like the Hildebrandt art doesn't appeal to me, or those romance covers.
I know that, as authors, we have little to no control of the cover art that gets slapped on our books. Hell, we should be happy that we're published, right? I can accept that. However, SHOMI is a new imprint, and their published works so far all feature the same kind of art. To my untrained eye, there's no variety.
On one hand, that's going to bring in a different crowd of readers to the genre. That's a very good thing. On the other hand, people who don't like that art aren't going to look twice. Worse, I can't help but wonder (and I could be wrong) if that kind of art is so synomynous with existing worlds that outside the anime/manga genre, readers won't know it's original fiction. And what happens when those silly booksellers mis-shelve it?
Let's make one thing clear: I'm not saying I'd win the contest. All this ranting and raving most likely is for NOTHING. But my grandfather taught me something important back in the days when we showed horses: if you don't enter to win, don't enter at all. In other words, why enter a contest if you didn't think you had a chance of winning?
That's my philosophy. And here's another: cover art should represent the book itself, all the while catering to a target audience. Let's face it: Carrie Vaughn's covers are great, but are they really going to appeal to anyone who isn't interested in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre? No. Are they going to appeal to male readers, even though the fiction itself does? I'm guessing no.
Cover art is the Russian Roulette of the publishing business. I get that. Whenever I get published, I'm going to pray to the cover-art-gods-that-be that I don't want to cry--save for tears of joy--when the magical cover unveiled.
Which brings me back to this contest. I don't know how SHOMI's covers are going to work out. It may be marketing gold. It may flop. By April 2008, I might have a better idea if I keep up with the imprint. And who knows, maybe they'll branch out. But right now, they're a new imprint with a handful of titles. There's no need for cover variety, not yet.
The thesis will be finished for final approval by the contest due date. Getting published is hard. This could be a fantastic opportunity.
But can I get over the cover art? I know I should, but there's a difference between what people should do and what they actually can do.
By the way, for all my bitching and ranting, this looks like a great contest. Enter, if it fits, and pass the word around to those you think it might. :)