Alison Schaffir on Judging a Book by Its Cover for "Your Dream for Me"

I love talking to authors. Our experiences are so similar, yet so very different, that every one of us has a new story to share. Everyone says that the moment you get your cover it really hits you – you’re an author. The cover is your story – and you – packaged for the world. So the process of the cover reveal can be slightly panic inducing. Does it fit your story? Is it what you hoped? Will it sell? With this in mind I put together the CRAP (Cover Reveal Anxiety Phase) Interview.

Today’s guest for the CRAP is Alison Schaffir, author of Your Dream for Me, which releases on March 7.

Did you have any pre-conceived notions about what you wanted your cover to look like?

Yes, I wanted to keep an open mind, but I also had an idea of how I hoped my cover would look. As a young adult author, I often see common themes when it comes to other YA books. I envisioned a cover with a playful tone, vibrant colors, and attention-grabbing details. Since my characters also had specific interests, I wanted to incorporate certain elements like a spotlight to represent the theater component and spools of thread to demonstrate my main character’s love of fashion. Overall, I wanted my cover to portray a sweet, heartwarming coming-of-age story.

Did you have any input on your cover?

Yes, I was surprised by how much input I got on the cover. I was asked to fill out a Cover Art Concept Form where I got to share my ideas and inspiration. It was a pretty comprehensive document with questions about design elements, motifs, story locations, and other book cover examples that I liked. Once I filled out the form, the designer sent me back three concepts to choose from. We narrowed it down to our favorite, and then I went through two more rounds of edits before getting to the finished product. I was thrilled when I got to see the final cover design. It was everything I hoped it would be.

How far in advance of the reveal date were you aware of what your cover would look like?

For me, it was about six months in advance of my publishing date (and about four in advance of the cover reveal). With a smaller publisher like mine, timing tends to be a bit closer to the release of a book than for larger publishers, but it still gives you plenty of time to work through cover edits. Regardless of timing, I recommend creating some mood boards or saving examples well in advance, because they’ll come in handy when the time comes. 

Was it hard to keep it to yourself before the official release?

Yes, it took a lot of effort to keep it to myself. I showed my cover to some close friends and family during the design phase, but I didn’t share it with my greater network until the official release. I wanted to get feedback from multiple sources to make sure the cover would appeal to a larger audience and hopefully sell well in the industry. While they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, in the publishing world, the cover is a very important marketing tool and shouldn’t be underestimated.

What surprised you most about the process?

What surprised me most about the process was the level of collaboration. I had this idea in my head that you simply sent your book to the designer, they read it, and then created the final cover from there. Instead, I appreciated the amount of input I was able to give throughout each stage of the process. I was also surprised by the level of detail that the cover required. Even after the first draft, we continued to make little tweaks, like the characters’ outfits, their facial expressions, and where they were standing on the page. It really required a lot of patience and dedication to get to the final version.

Any advice to other debut authors about how to handle cover art anxiety?

Honestly, my best advice would be to not stress too much and just enjoy the experience. I may be biased because I enjoy graphic design, but the cover design process was one of my favorite parts of book publishing. You get to see your story come to life and view your characters through a visual lens. Plus, even if you are nervous about the process, don’t be afraid to overly communicate what you like or don’t like. The more detail I gave to my designer, the more I was able to get back a cover that matched my vision and one that I was proud of. 

Alison Schaffir is a social media strategist and young adult author living in New York City. A lover of contemporary fiction, Alison developed her debut novel, Your Dream for Me, fusing two of her favorite interests, fashion and theater, together. She graduated from University of Richmond with a major in business marketing and a minor in psychology. When she’s not making up stories in her head, she loves indulging in Trader Joe’s lava cakes, belting early 2000s pop hits, and spending time with her friends and family.

The Saturday Slash

Don't be afraid to ask for help with the most critical first step of your writing journey - the query.

I’ve been blogging since 2011 and have critiqued over 200 queries here on the blog using my Hatchet of Death. This is how I edit myself, it is how I edit others. If you think you want to play with me and my hatchet, shoot me an email.

If the Saturday Slash has been helpful to you in the past, or if you’d like for me to take a look at your query please consider making a donation, if you are able.

If you’re ready to take the next step, I also offer editing services.

My thoughts are in blue, words to delete are in red, suggested rephrasing is in orange.

The harsh Nordic land of Skoro doesn’t care about a former slave like Thaya. I think you need a better hook in terms of getting confrontation front and center. A "land" not caring about someone doesn't feel personal, or emotional. Is there a specific person she needs to impress? Ruling power? No matter. Thaya risks everything to become a warrior, selling all her belongings and embarking on a hunt for an honor kill to prove her worth. Prove to who? But her gambit fails when Eldritch horrors infect her, we don't know what this means, or what the consequences are. Is this like zombie rules? What happens to someone who is infected? and Thaya is forced to cut off her hand to escape. From a person? Or a curse? Or what? Crippled and poisoned by a dark entity she doesn’t understand, sorry, but we don't either. I don't know if you mean she's actually crippled, likewise with poisoned. Is there a ticking clock at work here? What's the fallout of the Eldritch thing? Thaya must find new allies to survive, I thought she didn't have any allies at all? And survive... what exactly? Just the rest of her life? Or Eldritch stuff? so she turns to a secret organization called the Conclave of Nine.

The Conclave offers Thaya a chance to become a warrior in their battle against a demonic cult bent on initiating Ragnarök and the destruction of their home. The way this is written it sounds like the Conclave is bent on the destruction of their own home, which I can't imagine is accurate Worse, the cult leader seems to take takes a sadistic interest in Thaya, accelerating the eldritch horror’s infection within her and twisting her memories. Why would her memories matter? Twisting them how? Thaya must stop the cult and find a cure for her eldritch curse before the corruption devours her humanity. So now she wants to stop the cult that was initially her new allies?

For a dark and ancient power awakens, beckoned by its cultists at the end of times. The twilight of the gods approaches, and Thaya will need to find a warrior’s valor in the dark word echo with "dark" days ahead.

VALOR’S LAST BREATH: THE DARKHEART SAGA is a multiple point-of-view 127,000 word fantasy novel inspired by the Viking ages and cosmic horror. This saga mixes Joe Abercrombie’s bloody, grim-dark action and John Gwynne’s historical realism with a diverse cast, adding dashes of Cthulhu terror, fantastical beasts, and witty banter.

Your word count might be a little high. Fantasy gets some wiggle room, but as a debut trying to get attention it might be necessary to get it under 100k. Also - I see no indication whatsoever in this query that it would be a multi POV story. The only person I'm aware of as a named individual is Thaya. Also, I don't have much feel for her as a character. She's a warrior - got it - but, what else? Is she broody, or is she always ready with a good one-liner? Otherwise, this para is great!

I am a current psychology professor and trained psychologist with a PhD in Counseling Psychology, which helps me accurately and sensitively portray the mental health struggles of my characters. That is super cool, but mental health doesn't seem to play into the plot much, based on this query. I'm guessing it's tied to the Eldritch element, but as you can see from my notes above, that's my big hangup - I don't know what it is, so I don't know what's at stake.

M. K. Lobb on The Inspiration for "Seven Faceless Saints"

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is M.K. Lobb, author of Seven Faceless Saints, dark fantasy with a murder-mystery twist, which releases on February 7, 2023

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

It’s funny, because I didn’t have a concrete plan for this book. I knew I wanted it to be a little creepier than my previous stories, and I knew I wanted to write a murder mystery. I actually started by writing a chapter in the middle of the book with absolutely no idea what the context was, and I build the story from there. I’m a big fan of historical fantasy, so initially I decided to create a world based on the 7 major guilds of Florence, Italy. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, guilds essentially controlled much of Florence’s economy. The first drafts of Seven Faceless Saints were heavily based on this, but rather than the guilds being associated with various trades, they each corresponded to a different form of magic. The saints came next, because I can’t resist those cryptic religious vibes. In the end, however, almost all of the historical elements ended up getting cut—my agent and I decided the world building was too dense and confusing. The book became a straight-up fantasy, though I still love to explain the historical inspiration behind the world building choices! 

 Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

Once I had the world building more or less ironed out, I had to set up the mystery. I’m absolutely not an expert on this (though I love reading and watching murder mysteries), so it took some trial and error. I was also juggling two POV characters, so I needed to ensure they both had their own narrative path. I wish I could tell you I used a bunch of fancy plotting tactics, but tragically I am a pantser at heart. I almost always start out with a draft that makes very little sense. It took a lot of editing to make all the pieces fit, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about writing a murder mystery, it’s this: No matter how you resolve things, there will always be some people who a) think the culprit was far too obvious, or b) think the culprit was so obscure as to be unguessable. Once I reached a middle ground I was happy with (thanks beta readers!) I went in on building the characters and their relationships. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

Oh my goodness, yes. Like I said, I’m more of a pantser (when I can get away with it, at least). I mentally plot a couple of chapters ahead at a time, and that tends to shift as I’m writing. With this book, the characters changed almost as much as the plot. I started off with 3 POVs, and only Roz (my female main character) remains in the final version, though her characterization is completely different. I’m very impressed with people who create in-depth outlines for their books and manage to stick to them—that is definitely not me! 

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I wouldn’t say ideas come to me often. Rather, I tend to imagine a certain character or world, and then I have to build a plot around that. For example, Seven Faceless Saints started off as “murder mystery + security guard + rebel” (as you can see, I do my book plotting very efficiently). I also read random historical tidbits to inspire me. Nothing helps me build a world quite like—you know—the actual world. Even if the final product doesn’t end up looking anything like the inspiration, it’s a starting point!  

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

Honestly, once I have an idea I like, I tend to really hone in on it. It’s not as though I have a bunch of ideas kicking around that I need to choose from! That said, I do tend to write the next “logical” thing. For example, I’m currently working on an adult fantasy because I know we can pitch that simultaneously alongside my YA novels. First I decide what makes the most sense to write, and then I come up with the story. 

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

Six cats!? You’re living my dream life. I have two cats, and while both are extremely needy, one in particular seems to have separation anxiety. If she’s not on my lap (or trying to get on my lap), you can assume she’s nearby! In fact, she’s sitting beside me right now, having formed a perfect loaf atop a copy of The Stolen Heir.

M.K. Lobb is a fantasy writer with a love of all things dark—whether literature, humor, or general aesthetic. Seven Faceless Saints is her debut novel. She lives in Ontario with her partner and cats. She invites you to visit her online at mklobb.com and follow her @mk_lobb.