A Spoilers page wherein we can safely discuss my books, if you’d like.
Among other things I’d like to see there: I’d love input on what would make fun interior illos, for Carolyn’s books as well as my own. Only those books we’ll be publishing in e-book, please, which, one is sad to report, does not include the Foreigner series! And for my ego’s sake, can we keep it to at least a 2:1 ratio?
I’m curious how people feel about interior illos. I can think of pros and cons, but I’d love your input. Of course, with ebooks we can make it available both ways, with and without, so it’s not really an issue, but …curious minds (and artist/author with limited time) would like to know.
I’ve always wanted to do illos for my books, but NY insisted it was old fashioned and/or YA. I guess that makes me a serious antique, because personally, I love them, if they’re thoughtfully done and not just slipshod throwaways.
I want to encourage everybody to respond. I suspect there are people who find them too restrictive to their own internal image of the characters, or disruptive to the flow…I imagine some people get wrapped up in the words and find the sudden visual input disconcerting and confusing. Believe me, I take no offense at that! I’m also interested in other reasons. I think the way people … absorb the written word is fascinating.
So…whatcha think? Should I pursue this possibility?
Ja ne!
Definitely :
I love all types of illustrations : inside front cover, start and end of book, over chapter 1, first letter of first word of first sentence of chapter 1.
Or just throughout a book wherever author thinks appropriate.
For me it adds to the charm of entering the universe of the book.
Oh, boy…you just made me think of another possibility…Wheee…
Yes, I like them too, and I find them particularly nice in ebook formats, for some reason. Maybe because it is such a surprise to come upon them on the Kindle?
It’s good to know Kindle can handle them within the text. I’ve wondered with the scalable text, if it would show as, like, a partial page. But I’m assuming you can put in hard page breaks, which should handle that problem. As you can tell, I haven’t really investigated the possibilities, yet.
I love interior illos in books. And of course, the real reason publishers don’t want to include them is that they’d cost money :^( I’d love to see it again become common practice to illustrate books, in whatever format.
I think having an author who is also an artist, and can thus give readers the author’s view of the characters, is a super bonus.
I have to admit, the computer is helping me do that better than I ever could with pencil and paper. It’s so easy to kind of squidge the “almost right” lines and shapes about until you get it right. It’s the coolest combination of drawing and sculpting!
I asked a fellow professional about this and got a really great answer–but that was days ago and now I’m having trouble remembering–Jane, it was pure genius–I’m crushed I’ve forgotten!
It was something like good interior illustrations should:
1. Reaffirm what we already know about the characters and the story.
2. Hint at something that’s just about to happen.
3. Give the reader something to consider that may not be apparent in the text–but exists in the careful consideration of it.
Its that last point that was so well said and I can’t say it the right way…rats!
Anyway, a book was recommended:
Truth Until Paradox (short story collection) edited by Staley Krause and Stewart Wieck
Illustrated by Mark A.W. Jackson
ISBN 1-56504-088-0