This is a topic many writers don't understand. In an ideal world, the cover you see on any book is the result of a collaboration between the author and the publisher. Most contracts have language suggesting that the author has input into the final design but that language is generally vague. As with every contract, good will and a spirit of cooperation are what drive the discussions over color and design and typeface, recognizing that the jacket artist is skilled and his/her/their vision for the book may differ dramatically from the author's or the editor's vision.

The cover is so very important, as well as the title, and most people at this stage of a book's publication want a say in it. I'm looking very much forward to seeing what the final cover will look like for Augusta Hawke. Again, it will be revealed in my Winter Solstice newsletter so please sign up for it today using the form at the bottom of each page of this website.

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At last! Amazon.com is displaying the new cover for "Death and the Lit Chick (A St. Just Mystery) by G. M. Malliet" http://amzn.com/0738712477
No change elsewhere online yet. According to my publicist, the online sites update according to their own schedules.