Mindy Starns Clark: Fun with Book Covers (and a Book Cover Reveal!)

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but we do it all the time–or at least I do. Whenever I browse for something new to read, I'm always drawn toward the books that are the most visually appealing.

Cover Appeal

Did you know, however, that traditionally-published authors don't design or choose their own book covers? That job is handled by the publishing houses–which is probably a good thing, considering the amount of expertise and experience they have. We authors do provide some input, especially in the beginning of the process, when we supply them with all sorts of visual details to work with, but then the cover creation is outside of our hands. Of course, a kind publisher will keep their authors in the loop along the way and even work with them to try and correct any serious objections, but that's just a courtesy. Ultimately, cover decisions lie solely with the publisher.

My New Cover

Now that I've been given a peek at the cover for my next novel, The Amish Quilter (coming 2018), I'm relieved to say that I'm pleased with it. Yay! Keep reading to the end of this blog and you'll get to see it as well.

Fortunately, I have liked most of my publishers' final cover choices for my books, though I do have a few favorites. Which got me thinking...

Time for a Vote

What book covers of mine are your favorites? I'd really love to know! That's why I've decided to take a poll and give away one free copy of whichever book wins as the reader favorite. Sounds like fun?

To participate, simply check out all of the images below, and then fill in the simple form at the end. Poll closes at midnight on Oct. 31st, after which I'll determine two winners:

• the winning cover, based on the number of votes, and

• the winning person, based on a random drawing from those who participated.

Then, the winning person will get a free copy of the winning book. Guess you could call that a real win-win situation!

For Your Consideration

So let's get started. Look through the covers below, decide on your favorite book cover, your favorite overall series "look", and your least favorite book cover, then click on the button to place your votes today!