My personal frustration with novels of historical fiction is when the
publishers take a piece of real art work from a period, and use it for the
another, completely wrong period.
This happened to some extent with the recent reissue of Georgette
Heyer's Georgian and Regency novels. The publishers used actual
paintings for the covers, and some of them were fine, but others had a
Georgian gentleman in a powdered wig on the cover of a Regency-set book,
or a lady in an Empire dress on a book set a couple of decades earlier.
One of my pet peeves is when a mass-market Regency romance cover
includes children - the adults' costumes are usually at least passable,
but the little girls tend to be dressed in party frocks and Mary Janes.
Emily
On 9/26/2011 7:36 AM, Monica Spence wrote:
Sometimes covers are even reused. Sometimes a certain model is popular (aka:
Fabio). Romance novel covers go through phases. Right now there is a trend
for headless women (what does THAT say?). Other covers feature a shirtless
man-- with or without tattoos.
The frustrating thing for an author is the cover. She tell the publisher how
she envisions a cover, and gets the exact opposite. My friend got a
contract for a book and sent exact ideas (man: James bond type, in a good
suit and tie). What she got was a skinny, shirtless, guy with a medallion
around his neck. Let's say she was not happy. My personal frustration
with novels of historical fiction is when the publishers take a piece of
real art work from a period, and use it for the another, completely wrong
period.
Monica Spence
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Bambi TBNL
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 7:51 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [h-cost] costume on book covers, argh
Often times the costume is orderd in a certain " artist model" size, color
optional. Who designs it is between the writer , the artist and the
publisher, the costumes ia not seen as a designer/historian but as " the
seamstress" who almost never has any more info than an artist sketch which
they expect precise compliance with. The suggestion tha alteration in this
might provide something more *..historically accurate, pleasing, tasteful,
is at best met with " we are not flexible on this matter" and at worst with
the business being conducted elsewhere , ( where their order is filled no
questions asked, -----Original Message-----
Date: Monday, September 26, 2011 2:27:20 am
To: "'Historical Costume'"<[email protected]>
From: "Sharon Collier"<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [h-cost] costume on book covers, argh
I'm curious--does anyone know the answer to this question? Do the artists
who draw the covers of romance novels just come up with a costume out of
their head, or do they pose the models in a costume from a costume warehouse
or something? Some novels' covers look almost like photos; the costumes are
horrible, but very detailed.
Sharon C.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Patricia Dunham
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 6:13 PM
To: Historical Costume
Subject: [h-cost] costume on book covers, argh
Just ran across, by accident, 2 new CECELIA HOLLAND's -- hooray. THEN I
looked them up online and the covers -- argh! Obviously art-directed at the
bodice ripper set!
The King's Witch is a Richard II period piece with a not-very-good Ren-faire
wench in green, @
http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Witch-Cecelia-Holland/dp/0425241300/ref=ntt_at_e
p_dpt_2.
And The Secret Eleanor [of Acquitaine], which cover is better but
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