Monday, October 17, 2011

Lights, Camera, Editorial Feedback


A few weeks ago I had a great and new experience as part of my role as an editorial assistant. I got to go to a photo shoot for the cover of a teen novel, Valkyrie Rising. I already had a soft spot in my heart for this book: not only is the author repped by one of my former internship bosses, but I’ve worked very closely on this manuscript, proving editorial feedback on three rounds of revisions. I know this book very well! So, going to the photo shoot (along with my boss, the art director, and cover designer) and seeing another step of the book making process was a fantastic experience.

The photographer for this cover is Michael Frost—you may not recognize his name, but you know his work:

A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy)

Yes, him! The photographer of one of my favorite jackets ever. Just meeting him would have been enough…but then I got to see him in action, too! Our model was perfect to portray the main character, Ellie, a sweet girl who finds out she’s a Valkyrie—an ancient warrior from Norwegian myth! The model was tall, gorgeous, blond, and, believe it or not—also Scandinavian! The actual day was just like America’s Next Top Model: the photographer shot the photos while suggesting positions, the wardrobe stylist and makeup artist touched up the model’s hair, our designer chose the outfits. And then there was my boss offering editorial feedback: “look strong, but sweet”…“determined, but tentative”… “brave, but unsure”. My goodness, it isn’t easy to be a model! But she, and everyone else, was fantastic and I know we’ve got a great photo for the jacket of Valkyrie Rising! I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

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