Blogger Tuesday is back! It’s more of an occasional feature now than a weekly feature, but it’s back! Most book blogs are quite similar in content and scope, but the blog, That Cover Girl is totally different. Covers of books are covered, including behind the scenes production and the journey from conception to actual production.
I’m really happy that Capillya, the blogger behind That Cover Girl agreed to let me interview her. Without further ado, here’s the interview:
1. Your blog is drastically different from other YA book blogs. What gave you the idea to talk about the covers of books?
I’ve always loved looking at book covers. I’d go into a bookstore and run my hands over the jackets, loving the glossy/matte feel, looking for deckled pages, die-cut covers, you name it. A few years ago I got back into reading for pleasure and I fell in love with the YA genre. And lemme tell ya, the YA genre has some God-awful covers, but they’ve go some pretty fantastic covers too. There were a few cover-based websites out there, but not many, and none that were dedicated just to YA that I could find. After some encouraging convincing from my friend Adele, That Cover Girl was born.
2. We rarely see the behind the scenes actions of the making of a cover. You covered the behind the scenes actions behind Counting Backwards, from conception to the actual shoot. How responsive is the publishing industry to such requests?
The response is incredibly positive, believe it or not. I’ve only had one instance when an author did not respond, which is an incredible success rate! I think all of us want to be recognized for our good work, and I think cover design is one of those categories in YA that when done right, doesn’t get near as much credit as it deserves. This is me being mostly dramatic, but I think it’s pretty heartbreaking when I see all of these Cover Reveals (they are so popular lately) and nary a mention of who even designed the artwork.
3. You spent some time abroad in Japan when you were in high school. What was that like?
Japan was amazing. But because I was in junior high and part of high school at the time, I don’t think I really took advantage as much as I should have at that age. Hanging out with friends was much more important to teen me! Since I grew up as an Air Force brat, we had just moved from Hawaii, and there was some adjustment being in a foreign country where you didn’t understand street signs and drove on the opposite side of the road. But the people and the food, my word, are fabulous. My parents still live there and I got to take my husband to visit for the first time this past Christmas. Everything is much more condensed (and more expensive) in Japan, but it’s one of those countries that everyone should visit if they have a chance to.
4. You started blogging in 2010. What have you learned from blogging and what can readers expect ahead?
My first year of blogging was definitely a flurry of trying to post every day, as often as I could. I had much longer, in-depth posts, because I had more time to write and scour the internet for great art. Currently things have slowed down on the blog front, but I still try to keep informed on the YA cover front as much as I can. And as a sweet little bird (you!) told me, it’s quality over quantity that matters, right? For me, TCG is a therapeutic practice in writing, as well. I used to have a personal blog and a Xanga when I was in college (a Xanga!) so this has been a great substitution for those. This blog is also an outlet for me to connect with bloggers, and a great platform to connect with artists and authors as well, so I still plan on posting when I have the time.
5. What should we see more of in cover design that we don’t ?
I’ve seen a lot more attention given towards type design, which I love. I also think it’s great that the industry is finally showing less and less girls in prom dresses on covers. (A good chunk of those covers had nothing to do with the story, which was the most frustrating part about them.) It’s hard for me to say, “Yes, we need more of this!” to the industry just because each story can be different, resulting in a colorful gamut of interpretations. I do think the YA industry deserves to be taken seriously because its readers are just as important and deserve as much emphasis in good design as any other genre.
Just look at covers like Emond’s Winter Town and Andrews’ Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Ellison’sThe Butterfly Clues. They’re smart, different, and who wouldn’t want those printed at poster size and mounted on their wall? I sure do.
6. What’s your all time favorite book cover?
Dry, hands down. I love Chip Kidd [the designer of the cover]. That man’s a genius.
7. Where do you see yourself five years in the future?
There are so many things I want to do and be in 5 years! I see myself as a mother (either biological or adoptive), a woman who continues to learn and be good at her craft (I’m currently a digital media coordinator), and hopefully not an old cranky spinster. I always have fun little video ideas at the back of my mind as well, so I’d like to make a few of those a reality over the next few years. At some point I’d love to adopt a puppy, visit NYC and run a half-marathon, too. š
8. I heard that you like to eat desserts. What’s your favorite dessert to make?
A better question would be “What dessert do you NOT eat?” I am a dessert-a-holic and I will literally eat any dessert you put in front of my face. I have a sweet potato cupcake recipe that’s a favorite among friends and family, and I love this blueberry crumb cake. AND once my kitchen is done (we’re currently in the throes of a major remodel) I will be making every single dessert (and non-dessert) on this food blog.
9. What book do you find yourself reading over and over again?
How shameful is it that I haven’t re-read anything since I’ve started reading again? Does it count that I like to go and revisit awesome kissing scenes on my Kindle App sometimes? š
10. What question do you want people to ask you but never do?
Ahh, this one’s a really tough one. I often think about the differences in my online life and my IRL life, and so I think it’d be a neat question to answer: “How are they different? How do these relationships balance each other and what are the positive aspects to both?”
No doubt I’ve had a great experience with building relationships online. My IRL friends think it’s cool that I’m getting to finally meet my closest online friend in just a few days. And I think I’m a pretty lucky girl when my friends don’t think I’m just going to get murdered or something, like my sister does. š But online friendships only stretch so far — they’re in 140 characters or less, via bits & bytes, and take far less work than those that we build in real life.
But the online friendships take your circle of colleagues and stretches it out a bit further. I have friends that I’ve met from high school, work, church and local twitter channels IRL. On the flip side, I’ve started relationships with bloggers, authors, designers and illustrators from blogging and Twitter. I think that’s one of the coolest things about the Internet. It’s a different way to learn about people you’re connected with, and an exercise in getting along with people who may not be exactly like you.
So in terms of how these relationships balance out — I love having both spheres because I’m the kind of person who needs both. I love talking books, news, fashion, etc with online friends. But I love my friends IRL who know how to tangibly be there for when things in life get difficult. And I think they balance out pretty darn well.
Thank you Capillya for letting me interview her! You can follow her on Twitter also.
Thank you Capillya for letting me interview her! You can follow her on Twitter also.
