Writing the story is just one part of a whole lot of things that need to happen before a book can be published and some of those things are quite mysterious for anyone not 'in the know'. There's the question of title, of format (book size, font, font size, etc.), of chapter headings, of cover art, of back-cover blurb. In a fantasy novel there is also the question of whether to include maps, a glossary, family trees, a chronology of background events, etc., etc.
As I write this, Silvana is being proof-read and over the next few days I shall do a final read through myself. I only realised (after it was pointed out to me) that I had put 'breath' for 'breathe' somewhere and, while I was reading through checking Point of View breaks were in the right places, I found another, identical, mistake. A 'find' check revealed that I had actually done it five times. In fact, I don't think I'd spelt it correctly once!
That's the mundane stuff. Far more exciting for me at the moment is the cover design. There are sketches of Casandrina, Fabiom, longbows, ash trees and amber necklaces appearing in my email inbox on an almost daily basis. Which ones we use and how they go together is in no way decided but I thought it would be fun to share the process here.
The wind moaned rather than sang in the branches as he struggled to drape the garland around some of the lower boughs of the huge tree. He found it hard to think of anything except how hungry he felt. With an effort he put such thoughts aside as he lay down in the hollow that had once sheltered him in his childhood. Then he had been smaller, now he was just uncomfortable, cold, hungry . . . and asleep.
He thought she came to him, or that he heard her voice, yet when he awoke he had no memory of the night, no memory of her presence or her voice. Maybe it had only been a dream and she had changed her mind, had not come to him. Something brushed against his neck, it was the fern garland and it was draped about his shoulders. He replaced it among the branches, almost laughing with relief. She had not deserted him.
From Silvana - Book 1 - The Greening
I love this
This is the first composite picture. We decided it needed an arrow and the leaves beneath Casandrina's face don't really work. Then we thought to flip it, in order to position the title differently (you have to imagine that bit)
Still no arrow
