I'll tell ya, that Syneca really puts out some impressive work. The Fantasm Awards finalists for fantasy/paranormal cover art are now posted. It isn't a surprise that my luminous cover for Wing and Tongue (from Ellora's Cave) is one of the nominees. It's already received one award, and deservedly so. I'm still bemoaning the fact Syneca didn't do the covers for the other two books in this fantasy cycle.
And this brings up the interesting point of a cover's role in a book's saleability. There's no doubt in my mind that the quality of cover art makes a difference.
I've posted before about the success of Wing and Tongue in relation to Cauldron of Keridwen and Prince of Glacier Glas. The last of these is, I believe, the best book by far in the Galdeshian fantasy cycle, and I wanted the cover to reflect that.
So I specifically requested art similar to Syneca's. I was presented with a cover that was kinda-sorta like hers but just didn't have the GASP! quality -- the brilliance, the finesse. When I asked the art director for some minor touch-ups and polish, he pretty much blew me off.
It rankles to this day.
Anyway, if you're a fan of Syneca's craftsmanship, please click on the post title and give her work a vote. Not my work, mind you; hers.
