It took only five years and six artists, but I finally found someone willing to actually, y’know, do the cover.
My concept was much more dramatic—that definition of “dramatic” that means “cluttered”—but I’ve discovered that, the way people discover books these days, you have to kind of make your cover look like everyone else’s, but also different.
I couldn’t have the snake winding up the tower because that would create another focus and also suggest “creature feature,” which isn’t a gothic horror. I couldn’t have Arabella’s eyes glowing because that would suggest “evil sorceress,” which is part of the … IDK … “dark fantasy” genre.
Arabella’s a bit more…developed…than I envision her, and while I didn’t envision her white gown quite looking like this, I kind of like the way the pattern suggests (gently) scales or something organic.
Let’s check back with Pamela Colman Smith!
Yeah, okay, I think mine works.
Lair Of The White Wyrm 