It’s almost impossible for an author to negotiate a contract that allows for control over cover treatment. But it is quite normal for an author to be allowed a voice. They can quite reasonably ask that a cover be run by them for feedback. (If this isn’t a part of the initial contract, you should ask for it during negotiations. The publisher will almost always grant the author the right to make non-binding suggestions.)

A recent website passed along to me by friends — The Book Cover Archive — provides an invaluable tool for new authors. You can browse books by genre, publisher, designer, etc., finding those titles that are most like the book you’re publishing (or maybe they just have drop-dead covers that you especially appreciate). It always helps the dialogue if authors can approach their publishers with examples, in hand, of what they would like to see in their book. That sort of feedback, so long as it is done politely and without ultimatum is always appreciated.

Always be aware, however, that there will always be internal company politics of which you aren’t aware. If the editor has a rocky relationship with the art director or designer, or if the designer has recently gained favor with the publisher and can do no wrong, or if the art director is especially intractable (and on, and on), there may not be much you can do. Best to offer your suggestions, with appropriate caveats, and then step back to let the process run its course. No one ever, ever, ever wants to be labeled a “difficult” author.

Art directors and designers are the (mostly) unsung heroes of book publishing. Their work populates our homes and covers our walls. Some of their covers are as familiar to us as the photos in our albums. Yet very few of us know more than a name or two. Of the designers represented in the Book Cover Archive, I particularly appreciate the work of rockstar designer Chip Kidd, as well as Henry Sene Yee and Darren Haggar.