It's that time again, dear readers—another publishing update on The Elementalist: Rise of Hara!
An Emotional Journey
Honestly, this whole process has been a complete roller coaster of emotions for me. The map illustration had me elated, but my editing experience started off shaky and really had me worried. The new editor has been wonderful, though, and I'm currently working on her copy edit suggestions, which I'm aiming to finish by this weekend. After that, I'll do another round of my own edits. Then I can send the manuscript in for proofreading.
Yippee!
Cover Design
Meanwhile, my plans for the cover design have taken a turn. A big turn. Originally, I wanted to hire an illustrator, but I wasn't getting timely responses from the people I queried and just wanted to get started on something. Then I approached a conventional designer, but I wasn't liking where the design was going. So...I made the decision to tweak my plans a bit.
Boy, am I glad I did!
I'd been eyeing a particular designer's portfolio on and off again for the past several months. (Actually, it's probably been a lot longer than that. Over six months, I'd say!) Anyway, after all the roadblocks I'd encountered, I decided to give him a try. I was hesitant at first because his style is so different from what I originally had in mind. A complete 180, actually. Very graphic and punchy but with a pulpy, retro look. All I knew is that I kept coming back to it, so it only made sense to let him take a stab at the project.
Well, turns out we jive really well, plus his designs are stellar, and I trust his judgment. Also, his early drafts really grabbed me and made me feel I'd found the right cover designer. He's equally excited and quite proud, even though I still have a few tweaks in mind. 😉
Don't worry, I'll share more about him and the cover soon! Stay tuned.