Cover Reveal!

Photo above: The cover for my debut novel, The Way of the Wielder. See below for details.

March 12, 2024

Updates

The Way of the Wielder, book three (WIP): I’m really pleased with my progress over the last two weeks. Since February 28, I’ve written three full chapters, equating to about 14,000 words. Those chapters were very plot (rather than world building or character development) heavy, and took a lot of focus. I’m pleased with how they came out, and I’m happy to report that I’m now over the 50% mark!

The Way of the Wielder, book one: I will be getting feedback from my editor this Friday. If all goes well, I should be able to publish in a couple of weeks! Which brings me to the main event…

The Reveal I’ve Been Waiting For

I’m so excited to reveal the cover for my debut novel, The Way of the Wielder! The cover artist did an amazing job capturing the essence of this novel, and I couldn’t be happier.

Allow me to explain how I found my artist, and what I love the most about her work.

Finding an Artist

As a new author, I had no idea how to go about finding a cover artist. The only thing I was certain about was that I wanted it to be made by a person, not AI.

I don’t remember who recommended Reedsy to me, but it has been a game-changer. This website is practically made for authors, and includes professionals who specialize in editing, design, marketing, etc. I went to the tab for “design”, narrowed down the search, and started browsing profiles.

And there are a lot of profiles. Hundreds of them. Some specialize in a few genres, others are more broad. Some cater to novels for young adults, others to a more mature audience. I narrowed it down to a few I liked, sent out requests for quotes, and ultimately chose Kim—the one I wanted from the start.

The Process

If you’ve never commissioned art, you may not be aware that artists are really busy (rightfully so). I booked Kim in October, and she started working on my cover in January, with an early-February deliverable. This fit with my timeline, so I wasn’t worried about it.

Once our collaboration began, the process was straightforward. She sent me a few initial sketches, I provided feedback. She sent an updated design, and I provided more feedback. Over the course of a month, she tweaked and fine-tuned a piece of art that not only captures the essence of the story, but is more stunning than I ever imagined.

I hope you feel the same!

What I Love

Honestly, what’s not to love? (Okay, I’m a little biased.)

Jaslan’s profile is front and center, as is her rightful place—after all, she is the story’s namesake. She’s staring at a glass sphere in one hand, with the other down and behind her. Wysps (pieces of the Elemental Gods) are drifting around her, and in the background is a misty cityscape.

Below the title, and above my name, there’s a vignette of a fox running through a field underneath a crescent moon.

Simple flowers frame the edges of the art, adding a bit of texture and depth to the cover.

If I had to choose my favorite thing about this cover… I couldn’t. Honestly. I truly love everything about it. There’s intrigue, depth, mystery, and even foreshadowing (I’ll never tell). I can’t believe it’s mine at all, actually. To have something this beautiful be the visual representation of my story… I can’t tell you how unbelievable that feels.

I’m so glad I decided to follow my gut and choose Kim to design this cover. In fact, I like her work so much, I’ve already booked her to design the cover for Mysteries of the Material (book two)—starting in August.

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As I mentioned above, I hope to publish The Way of the Wielder later this month. Stay tuned for more details on that announcement. You can also sign up for my newsletter. I’ll send out the very first edition of that when my book is available for preorder on Amazon. (It will also include a sneak peek at chapter one—you won’t want to miss it!)

Thank you for reading! Until next time, be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah