Sunshine
I had a terrible time trying to take a photo without the flash reflecting blindingly off the shiny cover, so please don’t point out that it’s not in perfect focus or that it’s at a funny angle: it’s the best I could manage. (And the yellow in the upper lefthand corner is part of the illustration.) And it was supposed to go up yesterday when the book arrived, and I was at the mews for supper . . . and the camera battery died about three dazzle-glare attempts in. ARRRRRRGH. The battery charger being back at the cottage, of course, not to mention that it takes about three hours to recharge and I didn’t have three hours. But that does explain why I was blogging late last night, even for me: I had planned writing a nice little short entry, buttressed by a photograph. But noooooo.
Anyway. Here she is, in her reissued glory, although this is another sneaky advance copy, and she’s not available till September either. This is the UK edition; I assume the US will be identical, barring the odd tag line* and choice of quote.** I like it better than I thought I was going to. In fact it’s pretty cool, in spite of the babe. It’s also–which you can’t see from the photo–a nice trim size and a nice heft in the hand, and it has a good legible typeface. Big hurrah.
* * *
* Can’t remember what the official publishing lingo is for it, but tag line will do. Publishing loves tag lines. I think they’re idiotic, myself, but some of them are more grotesque than others. This one is fairly inoffensive, as these things go, although it still makes me want to say, yeah, yeah, yeah, and you do know that the earth orbits around the sun and allowing for a little seasonal variation it gets dark every night? I was spared a really epicly inappropriate tag line once that I’d even seen in roughs of the jacket–I don’t always see everything: I didn’t see this one for SUNSHINE–and had kicked and screamed, and they just raised their voices and told me they knew best. And then at the last minute someone noticed that Disney had already used it and if they did too they’d get their butts sued off. They were all so demoralised by this that my book and I escaped with no tag line whatsoever. Hee hee hee hee hee hee.
** ‘SF horror romance’?? Okay, we’re going for inclusive here. What about ‘with baked goods’?
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>They were all so demoralised by this that my book and I escaped with no tag line whatsoever. Hee hee hee hee hee hee.
::snork::
So many pretty books… So little money. (Probably because I spent it on roses.) ::sigh::
It’s a nice cover. She doesn’t look *too* impossibly proportioned, which seems to be the trouble with a lot of chicks on covers. Not quite like I imagined her — I don’t think I ever imagine anyone like they should be, no matter how great the author is at describing characters — but she’s pretty and looks rather troubled at her chained-up-ness.
I like the one I have — the original cover? — with the chandelier and all the spooky, ruddy darkness. It sets a nice, moody tone.
So curious about the tagline (that’s the word I always hear for it) they had to take away. If you can’t say it in public, will you email me about it? I’m dying to know!
As far as the blurb…man, it would have been awesome if they’d used the Amber Benson one! But I suspect this one will sell copies to people who look at blurbs.
This one has only four tiny quotes!! I hope the US one will do better.
Yes, the chandelier is the original US cover.
She’s got her head down because I have a BIG THING about NOT having characters on the cover, for exactly that reason.
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The cover of the one I have is the sepia toned “spooky house” one.
One thing I’ve always had a hankering to do is to collect every single different edition with all the different covers. One day. :)
That’s the UK. Gods, it sold three copies and died *and two of them went to Oz.*
You can’t. Lots of them are extremely unavailable.
Four quotes! Crazy UK publishers! ;) Lots of books here have *pages* of quotes. I admit, I don’t read them. Sometimes I skim for names I know or care about, but I know they’re all going to say “this is a great book, buy it now!” sort of things.
She’s got her head down because I have a BIG THING about NOT having characters on the cover, for exactly that reason.
*nod* Makes sense. Was this a “do this special or Robin will get you” thing, or just lucky they were nice to you? :)
They actually let me have quite a lot of input. I was stuck with the babe, but I got to modify her. And the editor involved has known me almost my entire career, and knows about this little quirk of mine. :) The US ed will probably have the pages of quotes.
I’ve got the spooky sepia toned house as well. I liked it because it gave a different tone and was definitely not a “young adult cover”.
Susan from Athens
(not at her computer and can’t sign in as she doesn’t remember her password because she remains permanently logged in at home – Pathetic I know)
I quite liked it too. But I’m told it’s one of the reasons it didn’t sell. I have the feeling my blog may be attracting the same kind of elitists that *I* am, which is why I’m sweating putting in an attic floor (and how many of YOU are millionaires??)
I found my copy of the “spooky house” edition at the local 2nd hand bookstore and I’ll admit that if it hadn’t have had your name on the cover I would not have bought it. As it was I didn’t read it for a couple of months after buying it cuz in the back of the peabrain there was a voice saying vampires! slash! And then one day when I needed a book to read on the train to Melbourne I grabbed it …… and the only thing that interrupted the reading for the rest of the day was going to the *ballet*. And then after the ballet I came back and *finished it*.
There. I have confessed. I feel better now. But I will probably have to buy a new edition as penance. :S
Vampires and ballet. Golly. :)
>That’s the UK. Gods, it sold three copies and died *and two of them went to Oz.*
LOL. I must have the third of the three copies. It’s funny though, I’m so used to seeing the spooky chandelier in the shops that I would have sworn that was the cover that I had.* But then I got caught by the LibraryThing site last week and had to choose a cover and I thought “I’d better check what the cover’s like”.
*And also, the story does tend to sweep me along in baked goods and dark mysteries to the point where I don’t even _think_ about what the cover’s like.
Oh good. :)
Happy to be an elitist alongside you
– Susan from Athens
Ooooh. Makes me want to buy another copy even though my copy is still perfectly decent.
Excellent! :)
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I liked the quote from Neil Gaiman on the old version better. Everybody who’s anybody knows Neil Gaiman.
I want that book so bad. I already have a copy of the old version and it’s been lent out to a friend for the past two months, with no signs of returning. (Although this is partly because my friend loves it. +1 coversion) September (are you sure it’s not October? That’s what Amazon is telling me) can’t come soon enough.
The American version will still have the Gaiman quote. The Gaiman quote is on the *back* of the UK version.
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Yes, I liked that quote. It always struck me as being really sweet for some reason. I’m glad they’re keeping it(:
As long as the new edition comes out in time for Christmas, it’s all good…
I rather like that cover. At least it depicts a scene from the book. I have some books where the picture on the cover bears no resemblance, and having read the story I had no idea who the person on the cover was supposed to be.
It is not unknown that when an attempted cover is a disaster or from some other mishap, unused art is hauled out of a dark cupboard and slapped on a book it was never meant for.
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Another person who is curious about the quote here … can you say? (can you whisper via email? )
I’ve got the giggles and am imagining many things!
Among them the part of “Murder Must Advertise,” where the ad clients have come up with their own artwork to publicize their ad for a product to reserve a railway carriage seat:
A picture of a young woman, bending down to put an inflatable cushion on her seat. The sign on the cushion reads: “Don’t let them pinch your seat.” :D
. . . Oh you people. I’ll have to go *look it up.* I think I’ve still got the cover rough. I may even have it in a box file on a *shelf* instead of in the Third House attic. It’s short and terminally inane and twee. Well . . . Disney. :)
I adored MURDER MUST ADVERTISE the last time I read it but I haven’t reread it in a long time because I began parting company alarmingly with Sayers’ . . . um . . . call it snobbery. And the relationship between Wimsey and his ex-batman valet got on my nerves even when I *liked* them. mmmmrph–Pollyanna nails me.
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What do you think of Gaudy Night then? Mostly Harriet and Peter and not much of Bunter there.
Oh, you really don’t want to get me started! No, I didn’t find Harriet’s finally saying yes–in LATIN–at all persuasive. I know, I know, I’m in a small crabbed minority!
SF/Horror/Romance: This is a double edged blade. On one hand, yes– this book has cross-genre appeal, and that’s one of the best ways to be successful. (No. 1: Get your book on Oprah.) On the other hand– if they slap a “Paranormal Romance” tag on your spine, you’ve suddenly dropped into a scorned (but ironically fast-growing) subgenre and eliminated two thirds of the audience described above. (Note: to the booksellers on the street, it appears that Paranormal Romance and Religious Fiction are the two fastest growing fiction markets. Interestingly, they are also the most openly scorned subgenres.)
On the cover art: At least you can’t see her face. Actually– that cover would be a sure-sell for certain sectors of the Teen market. Hmm. Well, look on the bright side: at least you can tell that the people who designed the cover /read the book/. Or at least the first few chapters. I’m sure we’ve all seen covers (and blurbs!) that make you wonder if the publishers actually read the book before they sent it to press.
Meredith
They didn’t have to read anything–they were CLOSELY INSTRUCTED. You can’t see her face because that was one of *my* stipulations. (And no, I don’t have cover control, but they usually listen to what I feel STRONGLY about. I have just enough sense to keep the list short.) We had a struggle over both the hair and the dress.
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**** ** ‘SF horror romance’?? Okay, we’re going for inclusive here.****
Yup, that’s three sections they can shelve it in–lots of good endcap exposure possibilities! It’s an eyecatching cover so should get some good attention. Your photo came out well.
Your photo came out well.
******** Oh good. Because it’s actually better looking in person.
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It’s beautiful! My mass market paperback copy is a bit worn out…maybe I’ll give it to a friend and buy the new one for myself. :)
Repeat buyers. My fave. :)
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That’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be. It’s actually acceptable. I still like the chandelier one best. :)
“With baked Goods! And motorcycles! SF Horror Romance Fantasy with baked goods, motorcycles, bratty teenagers, and coffee!”
Please. And TEA. Sunshine drinks TEA. (I admit Charlie’s is a coffeehouse, so there is coffee involved. :))
I like the chandelier one best too.
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>(I admit Charlie’s is a coffeehouse, so there is coffee involved. :))
And champagne!
Oh, well, of course! :)
You could put half a dozen recipes in – you’ve already gione public (does this blog count as public when we are all virtual frineds and gossips?) with Butter Bombs and the Pear -Gingerbread. Then you get to shelve it in Cookery and be on a lot of talk shows. I bet Oprah is just dying for a cookery-with-vampires interview, and then 50 million people will buy your book because Oprah said to (I admit, I have never watched the lady or paid attention to her views, but many people do), and you will have money for several attic floors, possibly constructed from the wood of your choice (go read Michael Pollan’s A Place of my own for choosing wood.)
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I bet Oprah is just dying for a cookery-with-vampires interview
******** ROTFL!!!
“It’s also–which you can’t see from the photo–a nice trim size and a nice heft in the hand, and it has a good legible typeface. Big hurrah.”
These are important things I look for. I’ve read editions of books I love in odd-sized or odd-fonted (?word?) format. The enjoyment isn’t the same. (One reason I’m not sure about ebooks,)
Yes. Me too. You CAN read a poor physical product but it will be inclined to get in the way.
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Oh dear. I’m going to have to add this to my collection of Sunshine copies. I threatened death to a friend who visited Europe for a semester if he didn’t return to U.S. soil with some version of the book. He did not disappoint: brought me the paperback with the spooky house on it. And my poor original U.S. hardback is in tatters (the cover is about to fall off) due to the *ahem* numerous readings it has survived. By the way, I’m so thrilled she was depicted as a brunette. Makes me proud of my brown hair!
It should be more mouse than definitely brown–it should also be shorter and fuzzier–the point about Sunshine is how ORDINARY she is. But it’s not a bad cover. And they did change some stuff to make me happy. They tried. :)
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so I realize that what i am going to ask is somewhat taboo but i have to ask. you left many questions unanswered at the end of Sunshine, do we have any hope that they will be answered in the future? i have a difficult time with questions left hanging, my imagination runs wild. every time i read this book, which has been many, i spend a month contemplating what may happen. i am not asking for a time frame or a definite yes or no to a sequel, i would just like to know if there is a possibility. i have read the faq and in one answer you say that you would like to write more on sunshine but in another you say not to hold your breath. just some clarification would be nice.
i like the chandelier cover myself but seeing as my copy is so abused that the pages are falling out i will probably purchase a new one. thank you
there is nothing to clarify. (a) I’d love to write a sequel. (b) It’s not up to me; I can only write what comes.
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I was surprised by the babe – I’ve really liked the reissues of Deerskin, Hero, etc. with the abstract statuary (esp. the Deerskin cover, with the dog!), so I was hoping for that for Sunshine… but you get what you get, I suppose. And heft and readability are key. A friend stole my copy of Sunshine, so I’ll get to see in person what the new US cover looks like.
Well, the first thing I thought when I saw it was “Oh, that’s not too bad.” And it isn’t. On the other hand, I think I still like my paperback-with-chandelier a bit better. If I have money after buying Chalice I’ll consider getting this, though. My copy is aging, and besides it was used. Not that I usually feel guilty about this, but then….