Thursday, March 11, 2010

Behind the Cover: WE HEAR THE DEAD

Today we'd like to welcome the fabulous Dianne Salerni whose debut novel WE HEAR THE DEAD will be published by Sourcebooks Fire this May.

And based on this blurb it's clear why the book is generating so much buzz:

Maggie & Kate Fox didn’t mean to create a new religion. It started out as a harmless prank. But soon enough, spiritualism was the fastest growing movement of the nineteenth century, and they were trapped in a life of deceit.

Lucky for us, Dianne agreed to write a guest blog about what it was like to see the cover for WE HEAR THE DEAD for the first time. Join us as we live vicariously through her.

***

So … Lisa and Laura asked me: “What did it feel like to finally see your book cover from Sourcebooks?” I had to cast my mind back to my original reaction when I saw the cover last summer. As near as I can recall, I jumped up and ran excited circles around the living room – kind of like our dog. Embarrassing, huh?

I’d envisioned various covers, of course. Who wouldn’t? But I have to say this cover was unlike anything I’d ever imagined. I was struck by the bright colors and the confident, perky stance of the girl in the illustration, which contrasted sharply with the title “We Hear the Dead” and the creepy font chosen by the designers. Sourcebooks selected a title that hinted at spooks and horror, but coupled it with a cover which emphasized the performance aspect of the whole story. Looking at this cover, I think readers will know immediately that Maggie Fox is bamboozling her audience. And because the viewer is positioned behind her on the stage, readers will expect to be “in on the secret.”

Seeing the cover for the first time was awesome. The only thing better than that first glimpse of the cover was seeing it on an actual ARC. And the only thing better than seeing the ARC … will be seeing a stack of them at a book store!

I should mention that credit for the title goes to one of my fifth grade students. My editor and I were bouncing around various ideas for a title (and the design crew kept throwing them back). I mentioned the problem to my class, and one student, Emma, suggested “We Can Hear the Dead.” I threw that one into the mix in the next batch of titles I sent to my editor, and wouldn’t you know – they loved it! Not only is Emma getting a free, signed copy of the book (as soon as I get some), but I think she might just have a future in publishing!

***

Total author porn, right? Follow Dianne on her journey to superstardom on her blog, Twitter or friend her on the Teen Fire Ning. Thanks for a great post, Dianne!

25 comments:

Loretta Nyhan said...

Beautiful! The color really pops. I'd pick it up at Borders, and that is really the test of a good cover, no?

Congrats, Diane! I'll be looking for your book come May!

MeganRebekah said...

Love it! I've actually read an earlier edition of the book (self-published I think) and am very curious to see what's it like now.
Thanks for sharing the author porn :)

Unknown said...

I LOVE this cover and the book sounds very cool. Thanks for sharing!

Alissa Grosso said...

Love the cover, and love that one of her students came up with the title. It sounds like a great story. Can't wait to read it!

Kerri Cuev said...

The color is great and I love her dress and the way her hair is done! Great cover! I'm guilty, covers draw me in.

Candyland said...

LOVE the book cover and LOVE Dianne!!!

Stina said...

Love the cover!

LiLa: Have you seen the trailer for Rules for Attraction (Simone Elkeles) yet? It's on my blog. I'm not into book trailers but this one's amazing!

Tere Kirkland said...

Gorgeous cover, and the story sounds like something I'd love. Congrats!

Thanks for telling us all about it!

Patti said...

Love the hook...didn't mean to create a religion.

Sounds very intersting

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I love that cover - it's gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, LiLa. :-)

Shawntelle Madison said...

That cover is pretty!

Lisa Desrochers said...

I LOVE THAT COVER! I must have cover ennvy. Everyone's covers that I see evoke this visceral avarice which I seem completely unable to control. And I become more and more sure that the hold up with mine is that it's really bad and they can't figure out how to fix it. (I wake screaming from the nightmares.) O.O

Sarah Wylie said...

Love the cover, and I love that one of Dianne's students came up with the title!

Marsha Sigman said...

The whole premise of the story is what grabs me. I think I would read anything with that title.lol

Carolyn V. said...

I love the cover. The colors make it pop. Plus the title is amazing too!

Elana Johnson said...

Oh my gosh, my cover is the one thing I'm dying -- DYING -- to see. I just know it can make or break a book, and well, I'm DYING to see mine! And not that I even have that much to look forward to, but still.

Great guest post! I'm adding this book to my list and checking out the blog...

Lori W. said...

Love this cover. This book sounds really interesting. We have to wait until May? Sigh.

K. M. Walton said...

Amazing cover!! Uber exciting stuff.

p.s. How cool is it that Diane commented on my writing over at Teen Fire?!?!?

JEM said...

This is a great example of a situation in which the cover alone makes me want to read the book.

Jemi Fraser said...

I love that one of the students is responsible for the title - awesome :)

Love the cover - great vibes!

Unknown said...

very cool! great question - very consistent with your recent blogs!
SB

Michelle McLean said...

Gorgeous cover! Can't wait to read the book...I'd pick it up based on the cover alone :)

Kim said...

Great cover. Great story behind the title. Wishing you great luck when that stack hits the bookstores.

Congratulations!

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

I am in awe of this cover!! I love it!

Unknown said...

Oooooh, lovely cover! Sounds interesting. My list grows and grows... :)

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