This past week, many news outlets were writing about JD Vance’s latest memoir. But it wasn’t the kind of attention most authors want. Why? Well, in case you missed it, his book, which focuses on his return to faith and conversion to Catholicism, featured a Methodist church on the cover. And people (and People, the magazine) took note!
Of course, book cover blunders happen (and quite often) but they don’t usually get the kind of press coverage and scrutiny that a book authored by a sitting vice president might.
It was also noteworthy because this particular mistake was easily avoidable. So, how did an imprint of a major publishing house, publishing a book by a highly public figure, manage to overlook this detail ?
An Easily Avoidable Mistake
So, who’s at fault here? The book cover design process doesn’t happen within a vacuum and there are several phases before final approval. During that process, the designer could have questioned their choice. The publisher could have researched and caught the mistake. Finally, JD Vance(assuming he went through the normal design process) could have caught it, or at least questioned it, himself.
Now, Harper is justifying the use of the stock image of the Methodist church, located in Elk Creek, Virginia by saying it’s near where Vance grew up and the church essentially, vaguely represents the Christian religion. But others are pointing out that Vance’s past church-going experience was in the Evangelical church and he grew up hundreds of miles from where that Methodist church in the stock photo is located. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Of course, the publisher doesn’t have to justify the reasoning behind their design choices, but in this particular instance, the choices were questionable enough to grab media attention. Yet we don’t know if it was a genuine mistake, or simply a lack of effort and inspiration.
What we can assume, is that the cover will likely not be redesigned before the book’s planned June 16th release date. Why? Because that would be a costly process that the publisher likely can’t justify simply for a less-than-ideal book cover. JD Vance may be stuck with it.
So, What Can We Take from This?
Generally, the goal is to prevent these book cover blunders from happening in the first place. Because even if Harper’s defense of their cover choice is valid, and it wasn’t truly a mistake, then it would seem there wasn’t much thought put into the process.
So, how did this not get scrutinized a bit more closely when a book cover can make or break book sales? If it was on the designer, the publisher should have caught this. If the publisher failed to catch it, then the author should have. Because there is a process, and all these individuals were involved in that process on some level.
So, what do we take from this? Mostly, that a book’s cover should not be an afterthought, and that someone along the line is going to notice if something is off. Unfortunately, in this case, it wasn’t noticed until it was too late. This is why it is important to trust your cover designer, but to also give feedback or speak up if something seems wrong. If you’re not working with a traditional publisher, its especially crucial to participate in this quality control.
But How Much Control Does the Author Have Over the End Product?
We’ll be honest here and tell you that if you’re working with a traditional publisher, you’ll likely have little control over the end product. But, you are offered the opportunity to participate in the process and even provide feedback. Ultimately, though, the publisher is the expert and they’re going to go with the book cover that sells. Of course, if during the process you notice any book cover blunders, like what happened with Vance’s memoir, you should definitely speak up!
There’s a Difference Between a Blunder and an Unexpected Outcome
Now, book cover blunders are not the same as a difference in expectations over the design. For instance, in the latest episode of The Premise, our founders Jenffier and Chad spoke with author Annabelle Gurwitch about the unexpected outcome of the cover for her latest book, The End Of My Life Is Killing Me.
In her mind, Annabelle was imagining a sort of Daphne and Apollo theme, yet she ended up with what she describes as a baby chicken doing yoga. Although she was a bit taken aback at first, she came to love the cover design choice and saw how it more clearly fit the theme and tone of her book. This cover wasn’t a mistake, it just wasn’t expected.
As a self-published author, you’ll have more control over the finished product. But it’s still always best to trust the experts. They’ll just be more likely to accommodate and work with your particular vision than a traditional publishing house will, but if they present something you’re not expecting, you can have them justify their reasoning.
These Book Cover Blunders Can Be Prevented with a Little Research
Unlike with Annabelle, who ultimately decided she loved her cover (and it definitely captures the spirit of the book) we don’t know what JD Vance thinks. But you have to wonder if he had any input. Did he not notice this stock photo of a Methodist church was not a Catholic church? Did he even see the cover before it was approved? Does he know the difference between a Catholic and Methodist church? Why didn’t the cover designer know? What got lost in the process?
Our point? You should take your part in the cover design process seriously.
Many authors have very clear ideas of what their book covers should look like. But this doesn’t mean your input will be considered by a traditional publisher. As they should, most designers, marketers and publishers know what works and what sells. This is why you leave it to the professionals, and hopefully, you trust that they’re making the right decisions. Of course, we see with Vance’s book cover, something along the line led to a pretty big book cover blunder. Enough of one that it got media attention.
As a self-published author, there are a few things you can do to prevent book cover blunders:
- Vet your cover designer
- Trust the process
- Be involved, do the research, double check
- Take the time to make the right decisions about your cover
The Design Process is Meant to Prevent These Book Cover Blunders
Because mistakes and reprints can be costly, both traditional and nontraditional publishers do everything they can to avoid them. This is why there is a process! But mistakes still happen.
But as a self-published author, you’ll be more directly involved when working with a designer than a traditionally published author will. It’s your book and you’re paying for it, so you have the final say. You’re also the one taking the risk.
As with all self-publishing assistance though, you need to first make sure your cover designer is a skilled professional who has your best interests in mind. Then, the work will begin with your ideas. This is to give your designer a baseline.
They’ll ask you to provide them with comparable covers. They’ll want to know what you like or dislike about the covers. Of course, they’ll also make sure your vision is in line with genre conventions and professional cover standards. Psst: A cover that doesn’t fit the genre is one of the biggest book cover blunders you can commit.
All this happens before you ever get your first cover mock up to review. From there, the process continues until everything is just right. This takes time, but it also ensures you’ll avoid any book cover blunders.
Want to read more on the topic? The blogs below will start you off on the right foot.
Here’s our blog on the book cover design process.
This blog lists the biggest book cover mistakes to avoid.
What if it’s Too Late? Did Your Cover Already Go to Print?
Have you realized that you’ve got a book cover blunder on your hands but the book has already been published? Maybe you’re thinking back on an older book cover with regret? Perhaps you didn’t work with the best designer? The good news is, if you’re a self-published author, no one is stopping you from redesigning your cover. Will it mean spending more money? Yes. But oftentimes it’s totally worth the cost of getting it right. Mistakes and regret aside, there are many reasons to redesign a book cover. You can read about them in this blog.
Remember, a bad cover isn’t the end of the world and it’s never too late to make it better.
Getting Your Book Cover Right
Ideally, you’ll work with a skilled designer, do your research, ask questions and bring up concerns if something is really off. Of course, there’s always the chance that the cover is just not what you expected, but maybe it’s the one best for your book. This will take time to consider, and a good designer should be able to convince you why their ideas are the better choice.
If all else fails, and you already have a book cover blunder on your hands, or you’re just not loving it for any reason, you can redesign it! It’s never too late. But now we’re left wondering, will this media attention over the cover mean a redesign for Vance’s book? What do you think?
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