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I just got the cover proof for the UK edition of AN ECHO IN THE BONE. As usual [g], this is Completely Different from the US design--but also different from the most recent UK versions of the series cover, because we have a new UK publisher for ECHO--Orion.
The cover is really striking, and I like it (slight quibble with the typography and balance of the title, but art departments routinely mess with those things; this isn't a finished product, by any means).
Anyway, I asked the editor whether Orion would mind my showing it to you--since y'all were so interested and helpful in the question of the new US cover--and he said that would be great; he'd be very interested to hear your comments.
Only difficulty being that I don't know whether I can insert a .jpg into this blog--or if so, how. Do any of y'all have any good technical advice? (If I can't post it here, I'll put it up on my website, but that takes a bit longer.)
Thanks!
OK, I _think_ I've got it. Let's see now...OK! I think it worked.
Really striking, as I say--the gradations of blue are gorgeous; don't know how well they'll show up here. And the leaf in the center is--they tell me--going to be embossed in gold foil, so will be much more visible. (I was impressed that somebody thought about it enough to come up with the skeletal leaf as a non-bony [g] metaphor for the title.)
Anyway, let me know what you think!
.JPG)
Just upload the .jpg from your hard drive. Go to the edit screen for your post, or make a new entry. It's the little picture thingy button (technical term) on the menu.
ReplyDeleteJanine is right :D
ReplyDeleteI am a visual person so I used this link since it has lots of step by step pictures on how to do it:
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41641&topic=12532
Can't wait for the pic!
Dear Janine and Night--
ReplyDeleteThanks! It actually worked--I'm amazed. [g]
Nice enough, I guess. Agree that the title needs ajusting. Won't get you any new readers, I don't think, but then a) you don't really need to, and b) they would be a bit silly to start by reading this one anyway, eh?
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work,
Chrisx
wow - even though I'm a die-hard fan of the US covers, this one is spectacular. thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Kelly
They will listen if you have quibbles, Diana. At least they always have to me (I just sent you an email about this). I love the deep blue--you could almost drown in it--and the delicacy of that skeletal leaf... a promising start to work on, I reckon. I'm guessing it's got a good texture too, or will have. They're good on texture.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE the rich blue tones. Probably the most striking cover of all. I got chills just looking at it. Can't imagine what will happen when I actually get to read it!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for inspiring us all with your passion and imagination - your books are truly a gift.
Wow, I really like it.
ReplyDeleteIt's very different from the other U.K. covers which I was really fond of, but it's so different and I think it works really well.
I'm sure once you've sorted out the typography you like it will be even better.
Must admit the smaller pic doesn't do it justice, but once I clicked on it and got a HUGE view!, I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth the wait and I know this isn't the finished product but it's gorgeous now!
Personally, I've always been partial to that shade of blue. It's beautiful. To me, it's evocative. I agree with you about the title. It does need to be rebalanced. The center placement of the skeletal leaf and then the surrounding leaves is very pleasing. Overall, I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us. I think it is beautiful and I'm sure any changes you have them make will only improve it.
ReplyDeleteI really like this, as far as overall effect, very haunting IMHO. I'd like to respectfully suggest that, if staying with the "jewel" covers, that the US version be a similar dark blue with the skeletal leaf for it's icon.
ReplyDeleteOoooh, it's so pretty! I love it. I think I'm going to order my copy from the UK. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm no expert, but I'd pick this up if I didn't already read and know about the author. I like it, though the font throws me off a bit from the usual fonts that have been used on the US covers, but I haven't seen the other UK covers and it's certainly not a bad font... just different. All in all, I like it. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI love the blue! The blue/black combination is visually catchy (I'm an artist, that's another technical term...), but something in the composition bothers me. Maybe the font, but I'm not sure. I love the simplicity of the U.S. covers.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a silly question, but will the UK edition be different from the US edition (a la Cross Stitch/Outlander), or could we Yanks order the UK (and are the release dates the same?)
ReplyDeleteBedelia
Well I really like it. The deep blue and the graduations thereof are attractive (to me). Plus I have a thing about botanical stuff so leaves and trees are all good....
ReplyDeleteIf the leaf is embossed then that just adds to the effect - fondle factor is important to this book reader. (And smell too, but maybe that is just too wierd).
Oh, wow! I love it. It's really, really beautiful and would make a great christmas present next year (if it's out by that time)
ReplyDeleteSimply beautiful! The deep blue and black just pulls you into the cover and it evokes a very somber and troubled emotional response... just what you want to sink your teeth into. The skeletal leaf adds to the intensity. Very different, but very striking. I can't wait!
ReplyDeletePretty shade of blue. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there's something not quite right about the balance of the words (I would think either Echo and Bone should be bigger, or all the words should be the same size, but then what do I know? <g>)
And I'm wondering about the symbolism of that leaf, naturally. (Jamie and Claire in the autumn of their lives? Not a thought I want to dwell on.)
BTW, here's another blogger tip for you: you can use < and > for < and > instead of the square brackets, if you prefer. <g>
Karen
I like it!
ReplyDeleteI really love the blue and black combination with the gold tone text -- very striking. It actually reminds me of a beautiful leaf rubbing. It may not be the intention, but the texture of the background almost looks like a piece of paper that had been uncrumpled. The veins of the delicate leaves appear due to placing the paper on top of the leaf and rubbing a gold crayon or colored pencil on top of the paper where the leaf is. I really like it and it makes me wonder how that artistic choice could relate to the story!
ReplyDeleteI hope that "rubbings" would not be considered an insult to the artist. Please be assured that there was no disrespect intended. Just my take on the cover.
Lovely colors!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the text looks unbalanced; individually, the fonts are great; together, they're too much.
I love the hits of leaf and plant; very Claire.
Penny! A person who shares my idea. Fondle factor is extremely important to me as well. I've been known to buy a book simply because of the way the paper used feels under my hand.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll ever really be an ebook reader. I can see the desire for one when you travel a lot and don't want to pack a dozen books. I'm just not big on reading them like that all the time.
I guess I'll always be a dinosaur in that respect.
I'm quite fond of it. I agree with you that the font needs to be fiddled with a bit, but I really like the colour blue, and love the leave. The skeletal outline of the leave, really 'echoes' the title (haha - guess that's what they're going for).
ReplyDeleteGive them your opinion and why your hesitant about it, and see what else they come up with :)
It’s gorgeous and I hope the US version is just as beautiful. But knowing the Brits, they’ll end up with the better cover. :P
ReplyDeleteDear Jaxon--
ReplyDeleteOh, you wouldn't say that, had you seen the whole range of UK covers I've had! < rof,l > Most of them were Just Awful, up until the last iteration, when they finally got a really nice run.
Beautiful! I've always wondered when they print the "New York Times Best Selling Author of..." how do they choose which title to put in? I noticed this publisher chose to use "Drums of Autumn." I'm curious why that instead of any other one?
ReplyDeleteDiana:
ReplyDeleteThat trick with the ampersand for the < and > only works if you remember the semicolon afterward, like this:
<like this>
comes out
<like this>
but without the semicolons, what you get is
< like this >
which doesn't quite work.
See the difference?
Karen
Dec.3/08.
ReplyDeleteThis cover is really a striking graphic but I found that there was something jangling/off balance about it... then I realized that the type face of the title is different from that used as the author type face, and I believe it's a convention for printers to not want to mix up type faces in a project/page. Otherwise, I think it's a VERY attractive and evocative cover. And, I betcha when it's lined up on the bookshelves it will seem to glow![g]
CalgaryKim
I really like it. It would catch my eye if I were just wondering the bookstore which is always good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us and I am so anxious to read it!
I really like the colors, they just pop the leaf and the title right out. Thanks for sharing Diana!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Blues and gold always go well together.
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous. If I didn't already know your books, I would pick it up off the book store shelf just to see what it was about, the colours and "simplicity" appeal very strongly.
ReplyDeleteOooh... I really like it!! It's striking, and would certainly draw me in even if I was not familiar with the series of the author. :) Very nice start to the process - and I agree w/ one of the previous posts: the US cover would be awesome in a rich blue with the skeletal leaf as the symbol. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat Color and Texture, it is an Eye Catcher! I like the placement of the title - it makes you look twice and presses the point of the title so that the pondering of what is inside starts on the cover. Two Thumbs Up!! I am very excited for you Diana, it has to be a great thrill no matter how many books you have published. Thank You for Sharing. Bravo..
ReplyDeleteMaybe the skeleton leaf means something to you, but it doesn't to me. I just don't see any relationship to the picture and what I think I know about the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe title should be in what we would assume to be 18th century type, and a little larger.
Looking at it without your name or title I would assume it's a suspense novel, maybe even with a vampire, or at least a skeleton dug out of the ground.
Sorry to be negative, but you asked.
On the positive, Diana, I love the blue. That would be excellent to carry over to the US edition.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I don't like the skeletal leaf. It looks too much like a heart as well and that gives the cover a romance novel effect. (I miss the Celtic symbol's influence.) And I'm thinking of the guys who want to buy it.
Plus, I just don't understand why there's a leaf there.
But I do love the gradiant blue color.
I love the blue and gold. I would definitley pick it up even if I wasn't already totally and completely in love with the books. The leaf was an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteRenee, I don't understand why the leaf is there either...right now, but then, I didn't know what the pearls were for on the cover of the first book until I'd read it. And pearls remind me much more of a straight romance novel than the leaf does.
ReplyDeleteAlready knowing Diana is, sometimes you still have to trust that the author is better than the cover art would lead you to believe.
But I do like this one and really, if it was the same texture and size as the American covers, it would fit in perfectly.
Looks great :) Love that pretty blue also. xoxo melzie
ReplyDeleteI like it very much.
ReplyDeleteIf I knew nothing about the series though, looking at this cover would make me think I was picking up a horror novel or a murder mystery (a straight murder mystery that is, of course, rather than a...whatever genre Outlanders are...with murder mysteries hidden within them), it's a little spooky.
I love the shade of blue and the skeletal leaf is a perfect emblem.
Still, I'd buy the book whether it was wrapped in fish paper or bound in human skin if it meant I could get my hands on it any sooner.
I like it alot Diana, the Blue anedgold mix is great and the leaf is perfect.
ReplyDeleteTrina
That's beautiful. It would definitely catch my eye on the shelf.
ReplyDeleteWow! I love the colours!
ReplyDeleteNina
I think it's gorgeous, although the "purist" in me would prefer the Title at the top, and "Diana Gabaldon" in slightly smaller type [but hey, even though they're good books which should sell themselves, it's your name which draws, in the real world]
ReplyDeleteMetpatpetet, a.k.a. Antigonos
I think the cover is stunning. it is a great metaphor just as a leaf skeleton is the echo of what had been
ReplyDeleteIt's really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love the color and the gold; I also like the "web-like" texture of the blue; it looks like "connections" like echoes.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the leaf but it is a beautiful cover. I agree with the the off-balance of the title. Thanks for letting us take a keek.
Saundra
Oh bugger. The UK covers are changing? I just bought the whole series in the new covers so they would match!!! Oh well, it looks like I'll need to start the collection again.
ReplyDeleteLove the color and leaf design. Very classy. Don't care for the typography. Also I would like to see it say "bestselling author of the Outlander series" instead of Drums of Autumn. All your novels need represented in one line. Of course by now I would read AEOTB even if it had a hunky man and busty woman on the front.
ReplyDeleteI love the blue! And the gold leaf design will be quite striking. The only thing that doesn't quite sit with me is the fact that your name and the title are in 2 different fonts. But other than that - it looks great!
ReplyDeleteI really like it, love the blue. I agree about the font on the title it could use some work.
ReplyDeleteLauren
Pretty! I love the blues and the leaves!
ReplyDeleteThe more I look at it, the more I like it. Pretty :)
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing! I love the blues and the leaf. But since it is the UK version is there anyway for us to get a copy? I think it is striking.
ReplyDeleteElise
Well, I love it, but I can't tell if that is because I am very eagerly awaiting this book, or if it is because I genuinely like the cover. I am not one to judge a book by the cover so anything would be fine.
ReplyDeleteI do like the color and the antique font especially.
Taking the suggestion to blow it up, I really like the cover. The leaf is a great idea. It's less creepy than actual bones would be but still evocative of the fragility of life. It also reminds the viewer that "bones" are necessarily hard things that only come from people or animals. It also functions as a kind of web reference hinting at the interconnectedness of things. What type of leaf is it? (It's been a long time since sophomore biology tree identification). I'm thinking an ash or birch? It does make you want to trace the lines with your finger, embossing would enhance this.
ReplyDeleteI like the color of the text, it's very evocative of aging bones and paper. Though the text balance is weird. It makes your name look harsh. The use of plant matter also reminds me of the smell Brianna gets when they open Jemmy's box. The delicate leaf visually whispers.
As for making it appeal more to men I suppose you could use an oak leaf (maple is too over done). It has its own associations with strength and endurance and celtic history as well but I like the leaf used. Sure it looks like a heart but love is the thing that binds them. It fits. Also if it's an ash/aspen leaf you get the images of quaking with a wind comes through and the rustle which really the point in history where they are poised is very apt. The winds of revolution are blowing and the whispers are everywhere, even in the trees.
I did not intend to get into such an analysis, wow! To reiterate, I really enjoy it and can only hope something as nice will be on the US covers.
~Michelle (from Maine)
Oh I like it a lot! I love the blues, it would make a good bookmark! *g*
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I love the look of the cover. The blues are rich and intense. Is that supposed to be stone in the background? I can't tell, but I like the texture of it. The gold leaf is beautiful, too. The only thing I don't like is the typeface for the title. I think it could be more refined and less chunky looking.
ReplyDeletePam, daughter of a printer
diana,
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing this with us. it is beautiful and mysterious at the same time.
i love the details & colour.
j
m&m - haha you crack me up
its very striking. Intense. Cant wait to see/read all of the inside!!
ReplyDeleteDear Diana:
ReplyDeleteWhen your blog page opened on my computer, the cover art was smack-dab in the center of my screen and I was overcome with gooseflesh! So beautiful and the blue is such a deep, rich color. Love the gradations of it. I do agree that the title needs to be balanced, but all in all, it's lovely. This is so tantalizing -- I can't wait much longer for "Echo" to be in my hands.
Midge
Diana,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Janie! It is very beautiful! I love the blue shade here. And leaf skeletons... well, being a former forester and park naturalist, I love leaf skeletons!
Thanks for sharing!
Vicki
I love the blue and the idea of the embossed leaf skeleton, but I agree with Renee that this particular leaf looks like a heart. Maybe there is another specific type of leaf (maybe one that is particular to the region around Fraser's Ridge) that might look less heart-like?
ReplyDeleteI really like it all except for the font they used for the title. Kinda hokey! :P
ReplyDeleteDana
http://charmeddesigns.blogspot.com/
Nightsmusic, Yes, but it has nothing of the Celtic in it. I confess to loving the Celtic symbols. They bring Jamie, where he and Claire began, and the original stones to mind.
ReplyDeleteStill don't care for the heart leaf. Sorry. :)
Hi Diana
ReplyDeleteI'm a long-time fan ... perhaps you might remember me from Compuserve days, but I've been reading (and loving) your blog quietly to date. I really like the new cover. It's rich and evocative. I don't particularly like the font for the title or the mixture of upper and lower case (but then again I simply prefer lower case titles). I think the title is unusual enough to speak for itself and doesn't need any adornment. Less (i.e a simpler font) would be more in this case. Either way I'm just soooo happy to see that a new novel in my favourite series is 'en route'.
p.s I wandered into a new book store down the road from me (in Dublin) and was delighted to see that they had selected Cross stitch as one of their 'staff picks' ... good taste eh. Just looking at the novel reminded me of when I picked it up first (as far back as 1992) and was hypnotised by the contents. What a book. Keep up the good work.
all the best
Siobhan
Renee, no argument there. I much prefer the Celtic symbols. I just meant that sometimes, with a more abstract cover, the symbol often ties to something specific. In Cross Stitch, Claire went through the stones so those are the perfect choice for that cover.
ReplyDeleteABOSAA had a giant snowflake on the cover, but that too was apropos to the story...
What happened to the idea of the caltrop? I was hoping that would be the cover art? The colors of this cover however are beautiful. If you decide on a leaf, could it be something herbal and healing that would be part of Claire's arsenal?? I agree that Diana should be identified as the "author of the Outlander series" not the author of DOA..........
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the idea of the caltrop? I was hoping that would be the cover art? The colors however are beautiful. If you decide on a leaf, could it be something herbal and healing that would be part of Claire's arsenal?? I agree that Diana should be identified as the "author of the Outlander series" not the author of DOA..........
ReplyDeleteDear Arcana--
ReplyDeleteThe caltrop (assuming it works out aesthetically) is for the US cover (which will be a deep wine color). This is the UK one.
Dear Michelle--
ReplyDeleteI like the symbolism of an oak leaf, too--but the difficulty is that oak leaves don't really skeletonize; they're very tough and leathery, and when they fall off the tree, they go stiff, and then eventually get fragile enough to crumble into bits--but they don't lose their soft tissue easily to reveal the interior "veins". I've spent a _lot_ of time out in forests with oak trees, and don't think I've ever seen a skeletonized oak leaf. Not saying it can't happen, mind < g >--just that I haven't ever noticed one.
Dear Alissa--
ReplyDeleteWell, you can always order a book published in the UK from amazon.co.uk - though I don't have any idea how much the shipping would be.
You might, though, check with The Poisoned Pen bookstore; they routinely import books from the UK, and often will carry or get on request one of mine in a UK cover. (Extra added advanage: they're my local independent bookstore, so I stop by there once a week or so to sign orders for them! So if you want any of the books, in any format, signed any way you want... go to www.poisonedpen.com .)
Dear Jess--
ReplyDeleteNo, the series covers aren't changing. The _publisher_ is changing. (We were with Random House, but AN ECHO IN THE BONE will be published by Orion.) Random House will likely keep the same covers for the earlier books of the series--I certainly don't think they'd try to change them to match ECHO.
For Those Who Don't "Get" the Leaf--
ReplyDelete<g>
OK, look. We got "echo," and we got "bone." The veins of the leaf are its skeleton ("bones," geddit?), and the skeletonized leaf is an "echo" of its original form.
It's a visual metaphor of the title. Very subtle and clever of whoever thought it up.
Dear Met--
ReplyDeleteWell, I'd agree with you. The relative sizing of author name and title is a publishing convention that reflects sales, though; the title is routinely larger than the author name to begin with, but the author name gets bigger with subsequent books (assuming said books sell decently), and when your name is bigger than the title, you have sort of "Arrived," in terms of sales. <cough>
At that point, the publisher is more or less stating that they think your books will sell mostly because you wrote them, rather than because of anything specific about That Book.
Its beautiful!! I wish we had the American covers like tht!
ReplyDeleteYes, I really did get the possibility of the skeletonized leaf as bone.
ReplyDeleteSomeone suggested using a leaf of a tree native to NC. They did! This could well be a redbud leaf. Redbuds are also known as Judas trees. And we know there will be betrayal. There always is.
Here's a link to some redbud pics:
http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/redbud/redbud.html
The font chosen for the title goes well with the time period in which the book is (largely) set. I like it!
ReplyDeleteLove it!! The colors are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry for my confusion about the caltrop (USA) and the leaf (UK). Just a thick heided newcomer here, still catching on, thanks for the enlightening symbolism 101 explanation too!! We get it! and really like it!!! Good thing for us you not only are a wonderful writer, but patient with the fans too!!
ReplyDelete:) Hahaha, I got what the leaf is supposed to represent.
ReplyDeleteI just feel a little like Jamie, scratching my head and maybe giving a little shrug. "Oh aye? Well, if ye say so.".
Are we really getting the caltrop on the US version? You've decided?
Dear Renee--
ReplyDeleteWell, I said that's what _I'd_ like <g>--and my editor asked me to send him some images for the art department to play with, which I did.
I did--after seeing the UK cover--email him to say that IF the caltrop can't be made to look aesthetically pleasing or doesn't work for some reason...I'd be amenable to a skeleton leaf. <g>
I think it's beautiful. Very exciting to see what the UK cover will look like. I will be more excited to see what the US cover will be. The blue is pretty and I like the skeletal leaf. No rubber duckies though hmmmm? I was almost looking forward to that...heh :)
ReplyDeleteGator:
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, it could very well be a redbud leaf. I have a small redbud tree in front of my house (in North Carolina) and the leaves look very much like that. I don't know if they "skeletonize", though, as I didn't think to save one from this year's batch to study. <g>
Karen
Jen:
ReplyDeleteEvery time the "rubber ducky" thing is mentioned around here, I get a mental picture of Jamie, looking bewildered as Claire tries to explain to him what a rubber ducky is for. <g>
Considering how time-consuming and labor-intensive it was in those days just to heat enough water for a bath, I would think the concept of a toy designed specifically for children to play with in the bathtub would have seemed pretty bizarre to someone from the 18th century. <g>
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist...)
Karen
Gorgeous, Diana. I like this better than the US covers. Except for the title font. That does need some tweaking.
ReplyDeleteOverall is has a nice sense of depth.
I love the cover. I hope the US version is as nice. The blue is striking and the skeletal leaf design is perfect. Can't wait to read it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDiana-- There speaks a woman who knows she's got her readers hooked. :)
ReplyDeleteCaltrop, skeletal leaf...I'm anxiously waiting to see what's in store this time for the Frasers, assorted adopted Frasers, illegitimate Frasers, MacKenzies, Murrays and whoever else enters their lives to wreak havoc.
I understand what you mean about the title font. It is OK, but not great. It would be fine if left that way, but I think it would look better if it was tweaked a bit. But, I LOVE the cover!! I have been waiting for a blue cover, since it is my favorite color! I hope it turns out looking like that when it comes out in the US! Is there a set release date yet? Last I heard it was Fall '09.
ReplyDeleteDear Diana,
ReplyDeleteThe cover is striking. My first impressions are: (1) the depth of the blue suggests a rich, full story; (2) the skeletal leaf is a nice play on the title; and (3) the font of the title evokes 'historical' rather than 'murder mystery.' I agree that the title needs to be rebalanced. And your name should be set in a cleaner serif font.
If I wasn't already waiting impatiently...er...on the lookout for _Echo,_ this cover would draw my attention.
Shirley Williams
Diana,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cover, but the first impression I got was that it is going to be a dark story within those pages. OK, so you don't judge a book by its cover, but...
It looks awesome.. :)
ReplyDeleteDear PowerSamurai--
ReplyDeleteWell, it _is_ set in the middle of the American Revolution. <g> Not all fun and games, I mean, though I imagine there will be a few giggle-worthy spots.
It's absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of cover I'd pick up in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the leaf looks to me like an aspen leaf, which I'm not sure grow in the Blue Ridge. But it might also be a redbud, which are distinctly heart-shaped and native to the region.
ReplyDeleteOh Diana! It's beautiful! This is a cover that would catch your eye from across the room! The colour is perfect, don't change a thing. The richness of the blue is truly stunning.
ReplyDeletePersonally I like the font - very 'stone' like - but perhaps not as crisp as some people would like.
The only artistic quibble I have is the balance [esp. between title and author, popularity of author notwithstanding!!;)]
I so hope the north american version is similar/same!
Dear nessvet--
ReplyDeleteOh, I can pretty much guarantee that the US version will be different--they always are--but I think it will be beautiful and striking, too. (See further down the blog for the long discussion on _that_ cover.)
Hi Diana,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the leaf. It is a beautiful image and beautiful imagery. I'm not so sure about the foliage around the border of the cover though. I think a plain blue cover would be more effective. I like the font that your name is in, but not the title font. For some reason the 'A' at the beginning makes me think of Casper the Friendly Ghost [vbg].
To be honest though, I think your books mainly sell by word of mouth and you could put a plain brown cardboard cover on and still have a bestseller! And I am a bit sorry to see the end of the beautiful evocative landscapes on the UK covers. But I do love the leaf [g].
I love the cover - I would buy the book just because of it...but in this case I'd buy the book with a brown paper wrapper! Can't wait! :-)
ReplyDeleteDear Diana:
ReplyDeleteIt's been haunting me for some while as to why the leaf on the book's cover seemed so familiar. It was just as I was finishing decorating our Christmas tree today (very behind schedule!) that I found a package I had stowed in the box our of most precious decorations..... on our vacation to Yosemite this spring, I bought several types of gold and copper plated skeletonized leaves: ash, aspen, cottonwood, sugar maple, oak and one fern that, sadly, cracked. It's the gold plated aspen that looks so very much like the leaf on your book. I loved it then and I love it now.
Midge
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS NEXT YEAR IS A COPY OF "AN ECHO IN THE BONE".
ReplyDeleteMERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Love the cover, it grabs the attention, and looks classy.
ReplyDeleteIt's very beautiful cover, I can't wait to have this precious and expected novel. Thank you for this preview and I give you salutations from Quebec, Canada
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know I'm way behind the times (and this is way off-topic), but by a caltrop, do you mean what we locals refer to as a puncture vine thorn (or if you're REALLY local, a goat's head)? If so, that kinda makes me sad. I love these books, don't get me wrong, and I'll stick with them through thick and thin, but to know that the bane of my western Nebraskan's existence is going to be on the cover? Ouch.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, I think this cover is absolutely stunning! Major props to all involved in the creation of it. I think the coloring is extremely evocative, and the leaf thing is a perfect (and much more picturesque) way to show the title.
Dear Irish--
ReplyDeleteNo, caltrop as in military gizmo. [g]
Diana,
ReplyDeleteI love the cover. I'm very interested to see the U.S. version. Personally, I think they should be the same.
Jeanie a.k.a rufusomalley06
Testing...testing...lol...I just found your blog (not sure why i didnt notice it sooner, since I am a night-shifter and generally come to your sight every weekend or so) and am a newbie-blogger. Just wanted to say that the cover looks GREAT and your blog has me helped through two nights of staying awake at work by reading through the archives. The little snippets of ECHO have been great but also getting to know you through the blog has been even better. So thank you and I hope you had a wonderful Holiday with you and yours.
ReplyDeleteUmmm.. after I posted the last blog I found that I had more to say. I would like to weigh in on some of the past blogs and throw my opinion into the ring.
ReplyDeleteI personally have not seen an actor yet who I thought could portray Jamie (although i have found since reading your books I am crazy for any actor with a Scottish brogue). And I do think that it would be nice for any casting director to find someone new and fresh to portray Jamie and Claire should the movie possibility progress that far.
I find myself and any other person I know that has read your books always tossing around the possibilities of who could play Jamie or Claire or any other of the characters for that matter. It's so much fun to talk about and I have noticed how when we talk about the characters in your book they are so alive for us. We talk about them like they are real people.
In my line of work when your busy your busy and when your not...well then you read (or for lack of anything to read you read online). So my co-workers and I are always asking each other about authors and books. And thats how i found Outlander. Thanks for the many wonderful hours of entertainment (your books are my #1 series) and i have read them many times.
I love the blue, and the shadowy look of the leaf but the type is wrong. Not by much but this is a little spooky. I of course don't know the story but if is set more in America, it needs to be... a little more "American". Does that make sense.
ReplyDeleteClaudia
Dear Diana,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the lovely Christmas treat!
I was wonderfully surprised today when I checked your site to see a page of the graphic novel. While always trusting your judgement, I haven't been able to really picture the graphic novel - that is until today. It is nothing short of beautiful. A work of art in two mediums. Count me as one of the hooked and anxious!!!!
Wishing you and your family a very happy New Year.
Jewell
The UK cover is beautiful! Very striking, especially imagining the gold embossing. Brianna's paper-making thought in ABOSAA (& I paraphrase) about bugs dissolving in the pulp except for the lacy, skeletal wing structures was my immediate association...apt; yet another link between so many characters, plots, images and so forth in the series. It reminds me of the the US cover of TFC with the gold-embossed stag brooch on deep red, and how striking it was & still
ReplyDeleteis. To be more concise, (g)---I love it & can't wait to see what the US cover will be!
BrighidLady
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:){Sorry, my name is in 'the Gaelic', lol, spelled "Brighid" but pronounced "breed")
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To Diana---Certainly edit this out for the blog, but may I tell you briefly about the day I bought The Fiery Cross? I was working for Hospice at Charlotte & got paid only monthly so payday was treat day(translate "bookstore day"!).I walked into Barnes & Noble, and a large display of the books were held perfectly in two cross-beams of dazzling sunlight---a glorious heap of rubies and gold; even better, the next Outlanderbook with a Celtic stag(my spirit animal) on the cover! I consider all of your books treasure, but that day, they literally appeared so! Thank you for many hours of enjoyable time spent in another world, one you made possible. I appreciate every moment you have put into your work, in creating that world for myself & others to enjoy. Thank you!
Brighid/Beth
I just love it. It is stricking. I found your blog a week ago or so and had trouble posting a comment. As my techy skills are very low on the scale.
ReplyDeleteI just finished A Breath of Snow and Ashes for the second time and I believe I enjoyed it more than I did the first time. I think I must have rushed through it the first time out of excitment. As I read it again I realized I had missed some parts.
I am loving your blog and am looking forward to visiting often to catch up on all of your new updates.
I forgot to put my blogs in my comment :)
ReplyDeletehttp://sprucehill.typepad.com/
My day to day life while kicking cancer's butt
http://sprucehill.typepad.com/spruce_hills_daily_photo/
Images from my everyday life
http://motherswithcancer.wordpress.com./
Hallo Diana! The composition, and graphics (speaking as an artist and designer myself) are striking, as you yourself have said. The image is intriguing and also mysterious. All good. I'd be drawn to the book in a book store by the cover alone; by it's arresting visual statement, and luminous presence if I weren't already a reader of your novels. Go with it and well done to the designer!
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