What factors decide a book's cover art?

There's so many types of cover arts in SW books over the years, each with varying degrees of quality and format.

All nine of the X-wing novels were specifically made differently, and I'm wondering why? The quality, sharpness and resolution are far above standard covers, back then and now. Why was it decided to make them that way?

Then you have covers like those of the Bounty Hunters Trilogy. The picture quality was also pretty sharp there, but why were things put on there that never appeared in their respective books? For example, the R5 droid which, I'm told, was not in that book.

And then you have stuff like the Black Fleet and Corellian Trilogy. Yeah, I know . . . different artists will render the cover fronts differently; yet some are undeniably of superior quality, while others leave you guessing.

So are there any particular reasons why?

 

Good questions, hopefully someone knows.

 

As far as I know it's the choice of the art direction, who grabs an artist, who basically creates under his/her direction. Then some other dudes snag the painting and decide where to put the text and borders, and sometimes that person does an idiotic job with the borders (*ahem*ie: final proph's slanted text)

 

I think I recall it was once said on here that the cover artist is told what is supposed to appear in a book while it's still being written so that they can come up with an idea for what the cover should look like and then create the cover. Of course, things could change from the time the artist is told what to expect to the time the story actually is finished. Which would mean that a cover artist could have elements in their cover art that don't appear in the finished story. But then that's all dependent on if I am remembering things correctly or not.

 

Ah, my beloved thread! Where have you been? I couldn't find you . . .

Reason I made it, see, was from noticing how many other writers have had their books made trashy by cover graphics that have nothing to do with their story. So I was curious as to what happens behind the scenes.

I've found that even the best authors don't have a say what their covers should be like---heck, not even the back synopsis.

One writer from another site made a romance book. Nothing sleazy in any way, yet the publisher insisted on blazing a sleazy babe (all but naked, of course) to sell the book that much better.

Thanks, Knight, for resurrecting it. I'd forgotten all 'bout it.

 

Well, the book's events certainly play a role in the cover. Take shatterpoint for example: it's a dark book and gets a dark cover, with the people's faces done really well, but obscured, some of them.
They usually stick other important things on the back cover, like minor characters or hints, (take the NJO books for example)

 

Yeah I just noticed the flames over the Jedi Temple on the spine of Star by Star. Nice little bit of foreshadowing.

 

Actually, a lot of books duplicate their front covers at the back. Vector Prime and the Force Heretic trilogy are some examples.

 

Thanks, Knight, for resurrecting it.

No sweat. It was only on page nine, so it really hadn't been banned to the Lit Forum File Cabinet Limbo just yet. Just to the LFFC.

 

I still think Drew Struzan does the best cover art. Clean, realistic and traditional. What was the last book cover he designed anyway?

 

Vision of the Future, I believe. I don't think Del Rey has even used him since they got the license, which is a real shame. He's the best! He's like the John Williams of SW cover art. I guess it's a way for DR to seperate their books from the Bantam stuff.

There's still a few Clone Wars paperbacks and that post-NJO trilogy on the way. Maybe there is hope yet.

 

Hopefully. The new covers are just a bit too... complex and cluttered for my taste.

 

He's like the John Williams of SW cover art.

!!!

I've said this before, I'm so glad to hear that others think like that.

I believe that Drew's art is so realistic and magnificent. Not just the SW books, but the Special Edition posters he designed for the re-release of the OT. I wish he would have come back for the NJO. I don't particularly like the impressionistic, vague art displayed on the current books.

That, and I don't like that on the cover of Reunion, Jacen has his lgithsaber out to save Danni. Did that bother others?

 

I thought the Refugee cover was ridiculous. The way the "Jaina"'s body was twisted at that angle. She looked masculine! I'd never have guessed that was a woman.

Remnant was okay. Weird, but not overly so. But Reunion was just too easy to do, so bland. Not much effort.

But nothing beats those Tales of the Jedi covers. Now, those were photorealistically good.