Grant Schnarr's The Guardian Angel Diary is about a teenage girl who has just lost her mother and is facing a life-threatening illness. She starts a journal to communicate with her guardian angel. The cover combines photography and illustration, and a killer quote from Dr. Mehmet Oz. Here's Grant to tell us how it all came to be:
"I had an entirely different picture of what the cover might be. Since it was a story of a girl and her angel, and their growing relationship, I thought it might be great to have that typical 'couple looking into the sun cover' you see on romance novels, with some spiritual twist. But I was glad the publisher didn’t go that way because what they came up with was way more subtle, not so trite, and everyone loves it!
"The publisher wasn’t opposed to my ideas, but they launched into covers without asking for my input. I think that’s their right. What do I know? As long as they allowed me input before press I was OK with them taking the lead and using their artistic team.
"Truthfully, I didn’t like the cover when I first saw it, and it did go through some changes eventually. I wanted more of a Romance theme, and here they put a picture of a girl’s legs on the cover with some angel’s wings scribbled on the bottom – well that was my impression. When I started showing it around to my artistic friends, fellow authors, everyone, every single one of them fell in love with it instantly. I started to figure out maybe the publishers knew what they were doing, and the cover grew on me. I love it today! And it seems everyone else does too. So, what do I know? I’m only the author!
"I am so glad the publisher let me have input. I had the wonderful blessing of Dr. Mehmet Oz reading and endorsing my book, but when I got their first draft of the cover, no Oz quote on the front! I panicked, and got on the phone saying, 'What’s up with that, you have this big white dress on the cover, and there’s where the Oz endorsement should be!' The publisher told me to relax, and it was part of the plan, but then we had this back and forth when they went from no quote to a full quote covering her dress and looking like, well, bad. Finally we settled on just the right part of his endorsement, and it’s on the final cover and looks perfect.
"However, they did release the earlier draft without the endorsement on the front, and as the author, I wasn’t happy about that. Some online stores still display the cover without Dr. Oz’s endorsement. But at least they worked with me, and didn’t tell me to take a hike. Collaboration won out in the end, and it’s great.
"I never asked, like, 'By the way, who’s legs are those?' I just figured it was a stock photo jazzed up with the angel wings and such.
"I have found that the blend of the girl holding her diary on the soft grass, and the hint of those angel wings does say it all. When you pick up that book, you know something really special is happening there, and it’s done with such class that you take it seriously and want to find out more. If people turn to the back cover and read the endorsements and the description of the story of Nicole and her guardian angel I’m sure they’ll buy the book. And I have no doubt once they begin reading it they won’t be able to put it down. That’s what I’m hearing every day from people, and as an author, it doesn’t get any better than that!"
Thanks, Grant! I think the cover conveys a softness and strength -- plus a sense of hope -- all at once. And that Dr. Oz quote doesn't hurt!
What do you guys think?
