Behind the Scenes: Deadly Decaf's Cover

The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" ironically doesn't apply to books. The cover is a book's first impression. It's what people see scrolling online or walking past a bookstore display.

A book's cover sets an expectation and conveys a lot of information, like genre and key elements. I knew that I wanted to establish a visual identity for the series, but I also wanted to represent this first book well. I'm very happy with the results from GetCovers, and this is how we got there.

Like many things, the cover started as an image in my head, and like nearly everything, that image wasn't exactly the same as the result. It included the stage with red curtains and coffee cup, and that's where I went first.

I started by looking at stock photos, but I couldn't find anything that matched what I was looking for. I was also nervous about using a stock photo for something that might be central to the book series, not just one book.

So, I began playing around with ideas on a small scale. I had a red velvet table runner, so I decided to see what it would look like as theater curtains. I grabbed a spare curtain rod and picked up a tri-fold black foam core board. I love foam core board. It's flexible and easy to use, easy to cut down to whatever size and shape is needed.

But in this case, no cutting was necessary. I propped the curtain rod on top of the tri-fold and safety pinned the table runner to it. The result was promising, but I needed additional table runners for the side curtains, so I added those and more foam core board for the stage floor.

The setup for the stage in the Deadly Decaf cover, with Apollo checking it out in the foreground.

Anyone in theater, film, or photography knows that lighting is everything. In the daylight, my little theater setup looked like exactly what it was: a cheap tablecloth. However, I had a couple of miniature spotlights in my closet from another project, and they were a perfect size for my fake stage. A couple of cut-out tiny gels later, and it suddenly looked reasonably like a real stage.

The same setup with lights and a coffee cup.

I originally pictured a skull image as steam coming off of the coffee, but as soon as I started playing around with the actual image, I realized the problems with that approach. For one, the coffee in Deadly Decaf is in a to-go cup, which would have a lid blocking any steam, but I could have found a way around that.

The bigger issue was that although the interaction of the steam and lights can lead to gorgeous images, the lights complicated matters since I needed a specific shape. However, playing with the lights led to an alternative idea. The skull could appear as a shadow instead of steam.

I had pictured something like this, but with less love and more poison.

So, I had the concept, but I'm also very aware that I'm not a designer, and it was time to bring in the experts. I purchased a cover package from GetCovers, explained my concept, and sent over the "theater" images I had taken. Within a few days, I received a cover mock-up back, and after a few minor tweaks, it was the image used for Deadly Decaf.

The detail that I love the most is the way the title interacts with the curtains. It creates depth and is a bit playful. I like that it anchors the text to the physical elements and makes it more cohesive. I never would have thought of that detail; it's all down to the great designers at GetCovers.

I think the team at GetCovers did fantastic work, and I'm looking forward to expanding on the theme in the future. The next book, for example, won't have a coffee cup center stage but instead will have... well, I'd better wait to reveal that one.

If you're looking for design work, GetCovers is a great option, and the code Betsy10 will get you an additional 10% off your order. I do also receive a small commission if you purchase from GetCovers or through the other links in this post.

What do you think about the book's cover image? I'd love to hear your feedback.