Robin Owens: Funny, Crazy, Upsetting Publishing Stories
I came home from work one evening and waited a while to open my email, until about 8 pm. When I did, I saw a note from my editor that she was going into a cover conference (to discuss the cover art) for the reissue of HeartMate the next morning at 9 and needed ideas before then.
9 am is 7 am my time.
So I spent the evening getting ideas, most particularly heart-shaped amber necklaces. I threw in a silver vase or two, and a few armbands. All of my covers had been "single element" ones with an emerald heart, a sword, a bracelet, a key.
A few months later I opened my snail mail and found the cover for the anthology my novella would be in (What Dreams May Come). I was very familiar with this cover, had seen it before. I took off the top and saw the new one for HeartMate. Breath exploded out of me.
Obviously I was thinking "jewelry" and the art department was brainstorming "gangs." I laughed and laughed.
It's a gorgeous amber and black cover with a man's arm and shoulder -- and tatt -- on the front.
There isn't a tatt in the book.
This is a reissue, I don't get to make changes or write stuff in for the cover (which I've done for most of my books, including the one I'm working on now).
Not only that, but the tatt is a little...odd. It looks like a bald angel with leafy wings holding a heart (or someone said a buttt).
What to do? Not much. Except put up something about the tatt on my website. Now I have a page on my website called "Worlds" where I include things like photos, cut scenes, and character interviews. (http://www.robindowens.com/worlds/worlds_main.htm)
I'd already done a character interview of the hero with the tatt, T'Ash (say that a few times fast). So I went back and asked the guy a few more questions...
Robin: Hey, T'Ash, I didn't know you had a tattoo.
So I spent the evening getting ideas, most particularly heart-shaped amber necklaces. I threw in a silver vase or two, and a few armbands. All of my covers had been "single element" ones with an emerald heart, a sword, a bracelet, a key.
A few months later I opened my snail mail and found the cover for the anthology my novella would be in (What Dreams May Come). I was very familiar with this cover, had seen it before. I took off the top and saw the new one for HeartMate. Breath exploded out of me.
Obviously I was thinking "jewelry" and the art department was brainstorming "gangs." I laughed and laughed.
It's a gorgeous amber and black cover with a man's arm and shoulder -- and tatt -- on the front.
There isn't a tatt in the book.
This is a reissue, I don't get to make changes or write stuff in for the cover (which I've done for most of my books, including the one I'm working on now).
Not only that, but the tatt is a little...odd. It looks like a bald angel with leafy wings holding a heart (or someone said a buttt).
What to do? Not much. Except put up something about the tatt on my website. Now I have a page on my website called "Worlds" where I include things like photos, cut scenes, and character interviews. (http://www.robindowens.com/worlds/worlds_main.htm)
I'd already done a character interview of the hero with the tatt, T'Ash (say that a few times fast). So I went back and asked the guy a few more questions...
Robin: Hey, T'Ash, I didn't know you had a tattoo.
T'Ash: (smirking) You thought you knew everything about me. Ha!
Robin: (in a small voice) ha ha. (clearing her throat) Tell me about your tattoo.
And off we went. (Full interview here: http://www.robindowens.com/worlds/interviewtattoo.htm ) It turned out well.
The time that the tatt actually turns up in the book is during a sword fight (gangs) and in the heroine's POV. She is NOT looking at the man's arm.
That's my story and I'll stick to it.
On Writing & Publishing http://www.robindowens.blogspot.com/
And off we went. (Full interview here: http://www.robindowens.com/worlds/interviewtattoo.htm ) It turned out well.
The time that the tatt actually turns up in the book is during a sword fight (gangs) and in the heroine's POV. She is NOT looking at the man's arm.
That's my story and I'll stick to it.
On Writing & Publishing http://www.robindowens.blogspot.com/
posted by Lynda Hilburn at 10:43 AM
1 Comments:
Oh, we interviewed Ms. Owens, and she was a totally cool. After the interview, I bought her book, the one with the hot cover here, and wow... I loved it. :)
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