Putting the Art Before the Horse

Teal Deer (TL; DR)

Putting the Art Before the Horse

You know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, sometimes the thousand words aren’t worth the picture.

The pressure to pre-market and market books falling on the shoulders of both trad and indie authors is immense. They’re told that preorders matter, that Kindle Unlimited page views are everything, that promotion is the primary way to be a successful writer. Newbie authors just coming up are constantly being bombarded by these “tips.” Be on Bookstagram, be on BookTok, list all the tropes, make the book visible, sell it any way you can! So we’re seeing a corresponding rise in companion art being commissioned before the book is even out—and, sometimes, before the book is even complete.

Yeah. You read that right. Art for books that aren’t done, that are in the process of being written. That people have perhaps seen snippets of in some 30-second reel. Maybe there’s a small critique group who’s looped in. But, really, no one has seen this writer’s literary masterpiece in its full form. By and large, the promotional art is getting more focus than the text itself. I can’t decide if that’s ballsy, arrogant, or woefully misguided. Maybe a combination of all three. Because the thing is, exquisite character art or cover art is a reflection of the artist’s talent, not the writer’s. An author still has to put out a good story.

Promotional art for an established author’s upcoming books makes sense to me. It’s hyping up someone who already has fans salivating for their next title. But someone just starting out? Someone who isn’t a known quantity? Obviously, a great cover can and should help sell a new author’s book. A marketing push from a traditional publisher is even better. But an indie author is pretty much on their own. So, going overboard with promotion, adding bells and whistles, can set them up for failure and set readers up for a big disappointment. (I’m not getting into the whole Audra Winter/Age of Scorpius debacle, but you can go look up the mess.) Imagine being lured in by an Instagram ad for a cute dress—and then, when the order arrives, you find out it’s Shein or Temu quality. That’s what a fledgling author is courting when they take this kind of risk—and, without an existing consumer base, it’s harder for them to bounce back when they fail. Build a presence, work on craft, get a book out there and then worry about companion art featuring the characters.

There’s another uncomfortable aspect that comes into play—when an author is basically taking credit for someone else’s work. Sure, they may cite the artist’s name in a post or two, but it’s paired with “These are my characters! Aren’t they great?” No, they are a gorgeous rendering of the characters, created by someone with a spectacular skill. For all we know, the actual characters are cardboard-flat, problematic shitweasels—and the person who created the part that’s actually brilliant is often relegated to the shadows, an afterthought. And let’s say the book still succeeds. Let’s say it makes a crap-ton of money, based on the strength of that cover or a postcard used as preorder incentive. Who reaps the benefits of that? Not the artist and designer. (Personally, I’d be embarrassed to take credit if my words weren’t as memorable as the cover.)  

What it comes down to is that we, as authors, still have to write. That is our actual job. Marketing can be a priority, but it’s not the priority. There is no shortcut to success. No secret to unlock. No action that will magically guarantee a ride to the top. The one thing we can control, that’s solely in our power? The writing. As genre romance legend Beverly Jenkins and many others in the industry have often said, “Finish the damn book.” Finish the book, write the best story possible, and get some keen eyes on it before releasing it into the world. (A bestie who only says nice things will not suffice.) It doesn’t matter how pretty the image is if the story doesn’t match it. Make the words worth the picture. And, even more important than that, make the words worth the ride.