On Classics and Cover Art

I am a firm believer in the old axiom "You can't judge a book by it's cover." I find this to be especially true when it comes to romance, where the covers range from the ridiculous to the sublime. The ridiculous, unfortunately, are too numerous to mention, but the sublime are not so easily come by. The best examples of the sublime that I've seen in quite a while have to be the Sourcebook reprints of Georgette Heyer's work. The late Queen of the Regency Romance is being given her due with beautiful cover art. Every time one of the reprints comes in I think "Whoever is responsible for this is doing a fabulous job!" I had just gotten through admiring the latest arrival when I found an interview over at the SBTB blog that gives the skinny on just what goes into that fabulous job. The SB's had a long chat with Dawn Pope, Assistant Design Manager at Sourcebooks. Ms. Pope talks about the process, the sources she uses for the cover art, and what changes we'll see as new titles are released. Check out the interview, and you'll gain a whole new appreciation for these beatiful books.