What makes a good book cover?
Plus latest 2025 signing - Donna Moore's fourth crime fiction novel, "The Devil's Draper," sequel to the acclaimed "The Unpicking"!
A very happy Friday Scribblers,
If you love an audiobook, you'll be delighted to know that the gorgeous northern vocal tones of SJ Bradley are now available in book form! Maps of Imaginary Towns is available on Audible here!
Plus allow us to introduce you to our latest 2025 signing - Donna Moore's fourth crime fiction novel, "The Devil's Draper," a historical crime novel which is the sequel to the acclaimed "The Unpicking." Set for publication on May 1, 2025, this 1920s historical crime novel continues the story of Mabel, Glasgow's first policewoman, as she investigates abuse claims at Arrol's department store with the help of Johnnie, a cunning thief, and Beatrice, a savvy businesswoman.
"The Devil's Draper" explores themes of justice and resilience in a world where women's voices are often silenced. As the trio uncovers a scandalous truth, they find their own lives at risk.
Author Donna Moore said: "I'm delighted that Fly on the Wall Press will be publishing the follow-up to The Unpicking. It was originally conceived as a stand-alone novel, but I found that I couldn't get the character of Mabel or her story out of my head and wanted to continue exploring her life in Glasgow's police force in the 1920s.”
It is of course a GREAT time to read The Unpicking and fall in love with the first policewoman in Scotland, Mabel, so that you can continue to read her story in ‘The Devil’s Draper’ next May…
Not long now! Our performance edition of the Northern Publishers’ Fair comes to Manchester Central Library on the 5th of October - see you there?! In love with the new tote bag designs - pre-order those here (with two free mystery FOTW books!)
Today I’ll be looking at cover design art for you - a requested post! I’ve decided to look at a short story collection, which are often the most challenging.
Unlike novels or poetry collections, short story anthologies present unique challenges for cover designers:
Novels: Often feature a central character or adhere to genre conventions. For instance, thrillers typically use yellow and blue color schemes with bold fonts.
Poetry Collections: Can often be represented by a single motif or theme that captures the overall mood.
Short Story Collections: More complex due to the variety of characters and narratives within a single volume.
Case Study: "Your Sons and Your Daughters are Beyond" by Rosie Garland
Let's examine the design process for Rosie Garland's upcoming short story collection, "Your Sons and Your Daughters are Beyond."
Initial Concept
Our first approach aimed to:
Suggest the magical realism elements within the stories
Appeal to both short story and fantasy readers
Use colours associated with the fantasy genre (orange and yellow gradient)
We initially focused on an illustration inspired by one of the stories, featuring a young girl who discovers she can produce fire from her fingertips at puberty. This concept aligned well with the collection's feminist themes and the idea of female power.
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