It's true. People really do judge books by their covers, and appealing covers can make or break book sales. But don't just take my word for it.
In a May 30, 2013 online article in the
Huffington Post titled “Yes, We Really Do Judge Books by Their Covers,” Terri
Giuliano writes, “A book’s cover is the first thing a potential reader sees and
it can make a lasting impression.”
Later in the article, Giuliano states, “If a
great cover has gut-level emotional appeal and the power to entice readers, a
poorly designed cover can be a real turn-off.”
Designing eye-catching covers at High Hill
Press is takes hard work, imagination, and a touch of magic to create images that
capture the author’s vision while enticing readers to turn the pages.
Here is a sampling of some of our notable
book covers, along with a peek behind the curtain at the wizardry that goes
into our cover designs.
Ring of Fire by Cotton Smith
In creating the cover for Ring of Fire, I included
a stark landscape, smoke-tinged storm clouds, and a looming mountain in the
distance to convey the hardships ahead for protagonist Ring McCollum, a former
captain in the Union Army.
With his cherished three-legged dog at his side
and his heirloom family ring in his possession, battle-weary McCollum travels
across desolate terrain searching for meaning after the Civil War. To enhance
the cover’s impact, I inserted a small ring of fire in the sky and reworked the
photo of a four-legged dog to appear that the animal on the cover had only
three legs.
Baker Mountain by Doyle Suit
Baker Mountain is a young adult novel set in
the heart of the Ozarks area called Baker Mountain during America’s Great
Depression. Thereisa Housely did the art work as an oil painting of a simple
homestead in the shadow of a mountain. To create the cover, the image of the mountain peak was moved to the
background to dovetail with the story. The cover depicts an era where courageous people relied on grit
and the bare necessities to scrape by. The images of light shining from the
windows, woodsmoke coming out of the chimney, and flowers decorating the garden
portray an impression of welcome, comfort, and hope. 
Brackeen's Law by Dusty Richards
Thereisa Housley also created the cover for the
western novel, Brackeen’s Law. This novel is book three of the Frank Brother
series, and it is the story of a man starting a ranch with a heard of longhorn
cattle. The images of hardy longhorns and uneven landscape, along with the
Texas flag imbedded behind the title, create an impression of strength and rugged
individualism and give a hint of a dangerous cattle drive, which is a major
scene in the novel.
Cactus Country Anthology Volume III
This is one of my favorite covers. The anthology
is a collection of western stories, and like western writers, their visions of
cowboys differ from story to story. The graceful cover wraps around to the back
in one continuous picture, with the lively cowboys creating a captivating scene.
I designed the cover image so readers would wonder what each cowboy is doing while
hinting at the variety of stories within the anthology.
Echoes of the Ozarks, Volume IX
For the cover of Echoes of the Ozarks Volume IX,
celebrated Ozark photographer and journalist, Brenda Brinkley, shot a photo
that ultimately captured a realistic representation of the Ozarks. Out of nine
anthologies in this popular western-themed series, Brinkley shot seven covers
with photos capturing images of Missouri Mules, brilliant red Cardinals, and picturesque
Ozark landscapes.
House on Prytania by Pat Carr
This is a splendid collection of southern
gothic short stories, with a cover depicting the mood, feeling, and atmosphere of
the Deep South. Moss-draped majestic trees, dappled sidewalks, and stately old
mansions are complemented by a dark green background. These images mirror the dark
theme of the stories in this impressive collection by renowned writer Pat Carr.
