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Exciting news!!! We’ve long adored Kate Baer’s funny, moving poems about marriage, motherhood, friendship and being a woman, and her first book is now available for pre-order (Amazon, Books Are Magic). How gorgeous is the cover? I’m always interested in what cover ideas almost made the cut, so here are a few of the alternates…
Says Kate:
“The process didn’t go how I expected it to go — I think I expected to not be picky, which sounds dumb. But I don’t go into a room and visualize how it could be better; instead, I go into a Pottery Barn and I’m like, I like that. So, I thought I’d get the cover and just love it right away.
“Harper Collins gave me this first one, and it felt pretty but forgettable. It was hard at first because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I lost sleep because I thought, someone worked hard on this and I don’t want to say I don’t like it. I had to channel some boss energy.”
“Then they sent me the next one; I had asked for something bolder, and it was too far a swing in that direction.”
“That’s when I started doodling covers myself. I had to think, what DO I want? If I don’t like these first two, then it’s on me. For a while, I thought, maybe we should have a picture of a woman, but then I thought, the title really speaks for itself.”
“I thought this was such a cool image. I looked up the artist — Amy Ross. She does really beautiful work. I’d love for her to illustrate my next book!”
“Then I was spitballing with friends. My friend Candis Jones and I had been talking about bad behavior of men, and five minutes later she sent me this and I just died. Sometimes you’re just in that mood.” (The background image is ‘Medusa’ by Luciano Garbati)
“My other favorite was drawn by my friend Mo’s six-year-old daughter. I literally almost sent it to my editor. Everything about it, it’s just perfect. I’m going to have it framed.”
“When Harper Collins sent me the final one — by designer Joanne O’Neill with a painting by Johan Johnsen — I immediately started crying. It was exactly what I’d pictured. They reached into my brain! It spoke to the tone of the poems and it was feminine without being weak, which I really liked. It was so beautiful.”
Huge congratulations to Kate on her fantastic book! Follow her on Instagram here, if you’d like. xoxo
P.S. The making of magazine covers, and U.S. book covers vs. U.K. book covers.
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