Jennifer Parker is the in-house cover designer for Bethany House, and so I didn't find a website since, I think, she works exclusively for that publisher. In any casy, I think her work is wonderful and I have found an interview where she explains how a cover is born.




Cover Model Carissa













Walking through the making of a cover, what is the first step and the next, etc.?

First, the art director and project editor fill me in on the story and characters to give me a direction. Next the art director, project editor, and I have a conference call with the author brainstorming ideas. Normally, we don’t meet with the author but the editor will present either the author’s ideas or scenes from the book as possibilities and we brainstorm from there. For the historical books, I then do a ton of research into the time period or place to determine the kind of dress that would have been worn. Then I present sketches to a Creative Team who approves the final poses to be shot considering what is most appropriate for the story and the book’s audience. Then we pick a model, a dress, etc, all subject to approval. From there, I hire a professional photographer to shoot it. Finally I mock up 3-5 of the best shots and present them to the Creative Team who chooses the final look. From there I just put the finishing touches on.






Cover Model Lauren Carter



How do you find/decide on a dress?

I call up our costume source that rents out high quality costumes from several professional theaters in town. Usually I have to make an appointment to look through the racks myself. It can take quite a while to look through the hundreds of costumes they have but it’s worth it because we usually can find something that works very well.













Where did you find the old fashioned bicycle for Deep In The Heart Of Trouble by Deeanne Gist? How did you make it look like “Essie” was in motion?

That was a huge problem – where do you find an old-fashioned bike locally? I called museums, looked at the internet, called up different bicycle clubs and shops. Finally, I talked to our photographer, and he had one of his assistants follow some leads and we got the perfect bike from a collector of antique bicycles. (It was a decoration in his dining room!) We made it look like it was in motion by using fish wire to hold up the veil off camera, someone was holding the back of the dress, and then we put a big fan on Carissa, the model, to blow her hair. By the way, Carissa did a great job of acting like she was riding the bike instead of just sitting on it while another person held it up off camera.















How many covers do you work on at once?

In a season (Spring, Summer, and Fall) I usually have between three and six covers but the seasons overlap so I could be working on the mockups of one season and the final covers of another one at the same time making a grand total of between 6 and 12 covers I could be working on at once.











Do you go to the photo shoots? If yes, how involved with them are you?

Yes, I’m very involved because I need to make sure I get what I need to design the cover. I hire the photographer and show him sketches or sample photographs of the kind of mood I’m looking for. I help to choose the model, clothes, props, background, and lighting. I bring the stylist photos of period hairstyles. And then I oversee the photo shoot and make sure we’re getting the shots and the facial expressions we want (and staying on schedule). I always like to include the editor and the photographer (and art director when he can make it) in on the decision-making process during the shoot. Always trust the experts!  (originally posted at Deanna Gist's website - http://www.deeannegist.com/blog/blog_sub.php?blogid=000115)