Decadent Divas: The Evolution of a Book Cover

Monday, June 6, 2016

The Evolution of a Book Cover

Several years ago I found a photo taken by the amazing Jenn LeBlanc I knew would be perfect for the cover of Sweetest Kisses. The composition, the hero, it was as if it was taken straight from the book. However, my heroine is a baker by trade, and the six-pack abs on the model in the photo didn't fit.

Original Photo

We all know that the modeling industry hires a certain body type. Fortunately, independent publishers are asking for more diversity in their photos. This means a rise in models of ethnicity and shape. Yay! But usually this also means a higher cost as these photos are still hard to come by.

Of course, the question then becomes how much do we, or should we, alter the photo. Below are a few of the examples. We played with bust size, belly rolls, and hips. In the end, proportion won out. There was only so much we could add without making her head, neck, and jawline appear too small in comparison.