What do they look like?

This blog will be carrying on the last topic about heroes. There, I discussed qualities of heroic men and woman. The code they live by is important in the book. Then, it comes down to what they look like where it comes to sales. Even if you use symbols or scenery, how will those impact the cover. Part of marketing is finding what will be seen. For some authors, covers happen before the book is written, for others, it's when it's finished.

When I began bringing out my romances as an independent author, I had to deal with exactly that since I wanted to make my own cover images for paperbacks and eBooks. I had described these characters in the stories, but hadn't tried to see them. as movie stars or people I knew.

To begin, I thought I could paint the cover images. After all, I was a sculptor and painter. Although I had also earlier written some historical romances, the ones I first put out were contemporary stories. It took time not only to figure out their faces but also their bodies. Sometimes, I wanted settings that fit the stories. Mostly, I did them in digital painting, something I'd been doing for a while. What could go wrong?

 

Turned out, apparently, a lot was wrong for readers. I was at that time in Amazon forum groups and learning more what not to do, than to do. The readers I talked to said they thought these covers looked too amateurish. I figured, since I was new to the game, that they probably knew better. 

 

To fit, what I was being told, was the beginning of my journey into the world of models for stories-- all kinds of characters but especially the main protagonists. It felt strange to be looking at faces and bodies while thinking-- nope not suitable enough or wow, that's the one!  I was rejecting people I would never know. It felt like a beauty contest. To begin, I didn't like it much, but I grew into accepting it.

Some of my characters had problems built into them. I had one heroine where she was no great beauty in the book, didn't care to be, and the images i found did not win favor when I used them. One of my heroes saw himself as ugly and had a very rugged look that the heroine saw as handsome to her. Now, I happen to know that to be true. People who might seem unattractive, based on features, sometimes have something that goes beyond that. Maybe it's charisma, but whatever it is, those kind of model images didn't exist unless they headed into villain territory.

 

Over time, I put together backgrounds with the closest models that worked for me-- kind of. I got better at the search as I went along... kind of.

 

 

How does one find that when what matters most for the readers will be some escapism? Sometimes they were okay with say a plump heroine but even then she had to be pretty. Ugly or plain wasn't good enough. While it works for life, not always for romances.

 

I recently read that Generation X (I think that's the right one), didn't like When Harry Met Sally because the hero wasn't good looking enough to attract the heroine who was more beautiful as a woman. As a much older woman, I have to wonder on that one if they had good eyesight. He was very attractive; but frankly looks aren't the bigger issue for many successful, romantic relationships. 

 

She's too pretty. He's too handsome. Come on, a lot of qualities matter far more in lasting marriages, but then that's not escapism, is it!

 

So,what I came to believe, is that for covers to attract readers, the models had to be ideal as a male or female type or forget the cover working. Interesting conundrum between the text and the images. Meanwhile, keep in mind why the readers need for what they are looking.  

 

When I began, the most difficult to find were blond males, who looked tough even to me. It's not like you can use a real movie star. I think there are more blond men now when I go to the sites, but I eventually found what I needed-- if not wanted.

 

When you write your book, you might create the cover first. It might even help you develop depth with the protagonists. I know those who do it that way as inspiration. 

 

Oh, add to that, getting the right fonts can be as important as the characters. Readers are quick to find something that makes them not bother to even try the book sample.  It has been claimed that potential readers only look for 2 - 4 seconds and go on-- hmmm.

 

Of course, many writers pay someone to do their covers and there are good sources for that. I personally wanted to do mine and still do, even if it loses some readers. To me, the art involved in a cover is part of the whole creative process. It expands the complexity of getting into it all. 

 

The images here are some of my original covers, all for my contemporary novels, which for a long time, have only adorned my computer. You know rules and marketing ideas have changed with time. I am reconsidering if maybe, for my contemporaries, which by the way aren't selling well anyway, these may reappear. For now, the current covers use models, you can find those with a search for Rain Trueax books, from contemporaries, to historicals, to paranormal/fantasies. If I make a change, with my editor's agreement, it will only be to the contemporaries. The others have sold pretty well.. for me. 

 

What got me was when I looked at the current cover for From Here to There, I expected to find a cover I didn't like as much. I liked this one better than what I had created and was considering changing-- which I didn't share above. 

 

This is a bit of a complicated story, with two love stories, one today and one in the past, the bigger one a love of the West. but still, now what to do? Maybe nothing, but this is the nature of writing and then publishing-- when it's all your choice. This one uses a model with a background photograph we took on one of our trips through the mountain west.

 

As a writer, what I like about using covers that I painted is they are not someone else's. They are the imaginary people I created. I like that. I do not want them to be a movie star or model. I want them to be these characters, the ones my imagination brought to reality, the issues they are facing. This one though does not tell you what she looks like, just her life.

 

Here's the big key to writing, in my opinion. Be flexible and aware of what works for your own imagination and muse. Trying to follow someone else is not being creative. It might sell, but it's not the joy of being a writer, not for me at least.