A Novel Cover Up is a semi-regular feature that looks at how covers are made. Thanks to Vertebrate Publishing, I have been fortunate enough to interview Creative Director Nathan Ryder on how he designed the cover for Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi. All images in this post are copyrighted to Nathan and used with permission. They can be clicked to be enlarged.
Can you tell us about the cover for Here Be Dragons? What do you hope it tells readers about the story?I knew from an early stage that I wanted to have something abstract as the basis for the cover (the dragon skin) and then build on it. I hope it signals to the reader that this is fantasy fiction and of course, the dragon skin is red, matching that of the Red Dragon of Wales, which is central to the plot. The white text, in contrast, represents the White Dragon – which also plays a major role in the book. There is also a little motif in the design – the footprints with a swirl in the heel. Whilst a potential reader won’t know the significance of these initially, once they’re into the book, hopefully, they’ll have another look at the cover and make the connections. This is also a love story – hence the love heart in the word dragon. The descender of the ‘g’ (the curly bit) is a stylistic dragon tail. I have deliberately avoided making the cover too ‘signposted’; this is a book about myths and legends after all. Ultimately, I hope the cover intrigues a reader and makes them want to read the book.
Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi - Ellie Morgan wants a boy who’s all hers. Just for once, it would be nice to meet someone that Sheila (the cow) hadn’t got her claws in to.
