• “The smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting 'Scrooge McDuck' comics.”—Salon.com
  • A time-hopping, continent-spanning salmagundi of genres.”
    —ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
  • “These books have to be word-of-mouth books because they're too weird to describe to anybody.”
    —Jackie Cantor, Diana's first editor

UK Cover Proof for ECHO

I just got the cover proof for the UK edition of AN ECHO IN THE BONE. As usual [g], this is Completely Different from the US design–but also different from the most recent UK versions of the series cover, because we have a new UK publisher for ECHO–Orion.

The cover is really striking, and I like it (slight quibble with the typography and balance of the title, but art departments routinely mess with those things; this isn’t a finished product, by any means).

Anyway, I asked the editor whether Orion would mind my showing it to you–since y’all were so interested and helpful in the question of the new US cover–and he said that would be great; he’d be very interested to hear your comments.

Only difficulty being that I don’t know whether I can insert a .jpg into this blog–or if so, how. Do any of y’all have any good technical advice? (If I can’t post it here, I’ll put it up on my website, but that takes a bit longer.)

Thanks!

OK, I _think_ I’ve got it. Let’s see now…OK! I think it worked.

Really striking, as I say–the gradations of blue are gorgeous; don’t know how well they’ll show up here. And the leaf in the center is–they tell me–going to be embossed in gold foil, so will be much more visible. (I was impressed that somebody thought about it enough to come up with the skeletal leaf as a non-bony [g] metaphor for the title.)

Anyway, let me know what you think!

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118 Responses »

  1. Looks great :) Love that pretty blue also. xoxo melzie

  2. I like it very much.
    If I knew nothing about the series though, looking at this cover would make me think I was picking up a horror novel or a murder mystery (a straight murder mystery that is, of course, rather than a…whatever genre Outlanders are…with murder mysteries hidden within them), it’s a little spooky.
    I love the shade of blue and the skeletal leaf is a perfect emblem.
    Still, I’d buy the book whether it was wrapped in fish paper or bound in human skin if it meant I could get my hands on it any sooner.

  3. I like it alot Diana, the Blue anedgold mix is great and the leaf is perfect.
    Trina

  4. That’s beautiful. It would definitely catch my eye on the shelf.

  5. Wow! I love the colours!

    Nina

  6. I think it’s gorgeous, although the “purist” in me would prefer the Title at the top, and “Diana Gabaldon” in slightly smaller type [but hey, even though they're good books which should sell themselves, it's your name which draws, in the real world]

    Metpatpetet, a.k.a. Antigonos

  7. I think the cover is stunning. it is a great metaphor just as a leaf skeleton is the echo of what had been

  8. It’s really beautiful.

  9. I love the color and the gold; I also like the “web-like” texture of the blue; it looks like “connections” like echoes.
    I don’t get the leaf but it is a beautiful cover. I agree with the the off-balance of the title. Thanks for letting us take a keek.

    Saundra

  10. Oh bugger. The UK covers are changing? I just bought the whole series in the new covers so they would match!!! Oh well, it looks like I’ll need to start the collection again.

  11. Love the color and leaf design. Very classy. Don’t care for the typography. Also I would like to see it say “bestselling author of the Outlander series” instead of Drums of Autumn. All your novels need represented in one line. Of course by now I would read AEOTB even if it had a hunky man and busty woman on the front.

  12. I love the blue! And the gold leaf design will be quite striking. The only thing that doesn’t quite sit with me is the fact that your name and the title are in 2 different fonts. But other than that – it looks great!

  13. I really like it, love the blue. I agree about the font on the title it could use some work.

    Lauren

  14. Pretty! I love the blues and the leaves!

  15. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Pretty :)

  16. It’s amazing! I love the blues and the leaf. But since it is the UK version is there anyway for us to get a copy? I think it is striking.
    Elise

  17. Well, I love it, but I can’t tell if that is because I am very eagerly awaiting this book, or if it is because I genuinely like the cover. I am not one to judge a book by the cover so anything would be fine.

    I do like the color and the antique font especially.

  18. Taking the suggestion to blow it up, I really like the cover. The leaf is a great idea. It’s less creepy than actual bones would be but still evocative of the fragility of life. It also reminds the viewer that “bones” are necessarily hard things that only come from people or animals. It also functions as a kind of web reference hinting at the interconnectedness of things. What type of leaf is it? (It’s been a long time since sophomore biology tree identification). I’m thinking an ash or birch? It does make you want to trace the lines with your finger, embossing would enhance this.
    I like the color of the text, it’s very evocative of aging bones and paper. Though the text balance is weird. It makes your name look harsh. The use of plant matter also reminds me of the smell Brianna gets when they open Jemmy’s box. The delicate leaf visually whispers.

    As for making it appeal more to men I suppose you could use an oak leaf (maple is too over done). It has its own associations with strength and endurance and celtic history as well but I like the leaf used. Sure it looks like a heart but love is the thing that binds them. It fits. Also if it’s an ash/aspen leaf you get the images of quaking with a wind comes through and the rustle which really the point in history where they are poised is very apt. The winds of revolution are blowing and the whispers are everywhere, even in the trees.

    I did not intend to get into such an analysis, wow! To reiterate, I really enjoy it and can only hope something as nice will be on the US covers.

    ~Michelle (from Maine)

  19. Oh I like it a lot! I love the blues, it would make a good bookmark! *g*

    Michelle

  20. Oh I like it a lot! I love the blues, it would make a good bookmark! *g*

    Michelle

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