Jezebel 
Enter your username and password.
New York, 10:05 PM
Thu Nov 12
73 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors:
tips@jezebel.com
Editor-in-Chief:
Anna Holmes
Email | Twitter
Deputy Editor:
Dodai Stewart
Email | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor:
Tracie Egan
Email | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Anna North
Email | Twitter
Sadie Stein
Email | Twitter
Reporter:
Irin Carmon
Email
Editorial Assistant:
Margaret Hartmann
Email | Twitter
Contributors:
Jenna Sauers
Email
Rich Juzwiak
Email | Twitter
Lizzie Skurnick
Email
Interns:
Katy Kelleher
Twitter
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
08/11/09
Of course, the fact that the sales and marketing people would feel that a white girl would sell better than a black girl is disturbing. I would imagine that the feeling was that with a black girl on the cover, the book would get segregated into the "African American Literature" section of stores, instead of the much better selling general section. And since this book is by Scott Westerfeld's (of "Uglies" fame) wife, Bloomsbury is probably hoping to break this book out in a big way. So they wanted it to appeal to a mass audience. That says something about our society in general, but is not entirely Bloomsbury's fault.
08/11/09
Do what I have done. Reject the traditionally remote and cloistered model of the "arteeste" and become as well-schooled in business as your co-workers. It ain't that hard. On any given night, I can meet a slew of Wall Street types who aren't half as smart as we are. Talk the talk, back it up, make the decisions, convince the people in your work force (by speaking to them in their terminology) that you are the person to trust. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes proven results, but, in the end, it is so worth it, to have these established relationships in the workplace.
And then the improved artwork and cover designs will follow. Communication is the key. I'm only as good as the others in my workflow, that includes those in the approval process. If I have a shitty sales rep who has cover approval as part of my design process, then guess what I do? Make them a great creative director.
08/11/09
08/11/09
Well, all of this is determined by a lot of factors - how much the house paid for the book, for instance, factors in to how much promotion is put behind it. Other factors, like promoteable authors (ie, Lauren Conrad), newsworthy subjects, etc. all contribute. Publishers know whether they are going to be throwing a lot of support behind something before they are designing the cover. So Larbalestier is not really correct. The fact that the house wanted to break out the book in a big way most likely contributed to the fact that they didn't want a black girl on the cover. The support determines the cover, not the other way around. This even contributes to whether or not a cover has effects on it like foil or embossing.
But I was not trying to take responsibility away from the publishing house in my previous comment. I was just trying to point out that publishing is a business, publishing houses need to make money, and African American literature is, unfortunately, still seen as a niche market. To make big money on this book, they wanted it to get front of store promotion, and be shelved alongside the other YA books.
(And just to be clear, I don't work at Bloomsbury, so this is of course all speculation on my part.)
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
I'm sick of passive-aggressive comments along the lines of "well, I'm sorry you feel that way". Own up to being wrong instead of acting like a 16 year old girl whose parents are making her apologize.
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
That said, I prefer book covers that don't tell me what the character looks like. I like to imagine them myself. Many a book has been ruined by an illustration that was completely different from my imagined ideal.
08/11/09
And what is it exactly that she's supposed to have over her face? Is this seriously the best they could do?
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
And yes, she's unreliable, but is she 30?
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09
08/11/09