Well, it’s happened. I got my book cover. It’s gorgeous, but (yes, there is a but), the coloring is wrong! Apparently this happens often. My hero is supposed to be blond with shoulder length hair. My heroine has brown hair.
On the cover, well, you can see below. It’s too late to change it. So my questions is, do I leave it as is, or change the hair color in my book? Should I at least change the hero’s hair color to a darker shade? As much as my hero is a blond to me (think Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall), I just don’t feel right promoting him as having black hair.
My question is, what do you think? Would you be annoyed if you picked up a book that said the hero/heroine had certain hair color yet on the cover the coloring was completely different?
And remember to leave a comment on Polly’s blog below! Tomorrow I’ll announce the winner of her book!
Frankly, I think they’ll be too busy noticing her hand on his crotch to tell the difference in their hair color. 🙂
LOL!
You know he likes it.
It wouldn’t bother me…but knowing you as I do…I know you’re going to change it. But yeah, her hand on his crotch is distracting! And yeah, you know he likes it…a lot!
It’s a beautiful cover and your name looks awesome!
OMG! Aaron, I was thinking the exact same thing.
Lori, super congratulations on you book cover. It is gorgeous.
Renee
You guys are so funny, I want to slap you. Seriously, I want to slap you.
jk!
Well, If i do change the coloring in the book (which is probably going to happen, and yes, Harris, you know me too well), then I will have to add a scene in which the heroine wears a purple dress and cups the hero’s manhood. 😉
Well, you know, minus the clothing, I serious thought they could be at a night club. She looks like she might be grinding there. 😉
Seriously though, I love the cover. It is beautiful. And thinking on this, I will always see Leo with blond hair too. I think you need to go with your gut here. When I first began reading romance though, I’d always look at the cover to get a better image of what the h and h looked like.
Renee
Soooooo exciting! It looks great.
IMHO, the cover rarely looks like the h + h. They always have the wrong hair color or something. Plus- Joanna Bourne’s title was ‘My Lord and Spymaster’ and the hero wasn’t even a lord. These things don’t bother me, personally. I rarely use the cover models as an image in my head. Oh- another funny cover was a book by Pamela Clare where there were Native Americans in the background- the book took place in Scotland.
You guys are too funny.
native americans in scotland? lol.
My husband just looked at it. His comment: “It looks like he’s attacking her, like she’s trying to get away.”
I think she’s trying to get something, but it’s not away!
I joke. In all honesty, I think its a beautiful cover and I can’t wait until i get the actual book! I was so nervous when I opened it, but its lovely!
I’m the type that doesn’t get distracted by incorrect coloring. I’m the type that get’s distracted by sillier things. Take a pirate book I came across. The heroine (the pirate) was holding a gun with a perfect set of french tips. If the pirate life is like that, please sign me up!
Oh, and I was also distracted by the crotch grab. 🙂
Lori, as far as the haircolor, I think its fine. Your bookcover is beautiful, very sexy. For me I have always perferred a dark haired hero, if I had one.
Alison
I think the guy is hot–I wouldn’t worry about it! 🙂
It’s beautiful, but it does look like she’s getting intimate with him. Too funny.
I might not notice the color of his hair on the cover once I’m reading. The cover is gorgeous!
I like the cover, I don’t think I would notice the hair color at all, but I would notice the grabbing going on, which would definately get me to buy the book. But seriously I like his hair color brown, the darker look is mysterious and exciting but if it were my book I would change it. I am really happy for you and love the cover of your book.
Lori, it’s a lovely cover! Congratulations! I think I’d feel like you, though, and want to change my hero’s hair color, but I think you are probably bothered by it much more than the reader will be. Any romance reader knows how frequently the cover art is off. Oh, and nice grab!
Beautiful cover!! I love it.
I don’t think it will matter. I’ve seen this happen on other covers and it never ruined the story for me. 🙂
Congrats on your first cover!! WOOT!
Thanks everyone! I had no idea how common it was until I talked to other people.
The heroine’s hair doesn’t bother me so much, but the hero’s does. Its just too different so I’m going to make his hair darker in the book to put my mind at ease.
I really do love the cover though, the colors and the detail are beautiful.
You know, I don’t really see his hand as a crotch grab. More like a covert touch of her breasts- looks like his thumb is resting on her, um, fleshy mounds. lol. I love the colors of the cover and I think his hair looks better with the theme of the cover.
oh, no, Leigh, we’re talking about her hand! lol.
Well, you could blame the coloring on odd lighting in an old castle ballroom 😉 pesky light and shadow! Seriously, light can change anyone’s coloring, and i dont think it will bother readers too much, they’ll just say ‘gee, didnt the illustrator read the discription?’
that said, its very well painted, you should be so proud to have your book coming out!!
And surely we can win signed copies, right??? 😉
I love the cover! As for the man’s hair color…. he looks sexy to me!!!! 🙂 Dark hair = dark thoughts…. hmmmmmm