the trailhead #04
The latest
In this issue, I discuss the cover and design of THE TOWPATH, as well as some inspirations behind it.
The cover revealed
This blog template doesn’t support inline images (at least not that I’m aware of), so I can’t post the cover here. However, you can easily see it on The Towpath Overview page or within the Image Gallery, via my concept imagery. I didn’t want to just take some bland photo of it lying on my desk—anyone can do that. Besides, what fun would that be? In a future post, I’ll take you behind those concepts and composite images, as well as some of the others I’ve done using good ol’ Photoshop… with a tiny smidge of AI tech.
Moreover, I’ve also routinely posted imagery to The Towpath Novel Facebook Group and on my Twitter(X) account—so, some other places to engage.
Behind the Design
In the world of literature, I’ve always heard that an author’s expected response to their completed cover design must range from, “It’s amazing!”, to “It’s astonishing!”, and every gush-filled adjective in between. As you can guess (and as I'm finding out), authors don’t have a lot of say on their final cover design.
This is why I was pleasantly surprised that my input was actually factored in, perhaps way more than I was expecting. When the creative process was about to kick off, Collective Ink (the publisher), provided a form to capture any ideas an author has for their cover design, while fully caveating that the artist doesn’t have to use or consider any of it. I was also invited to upload any inspirational images or even sketches (which I did provide, but I need time to work up the courage to share that embarrassment with you).
Given I had a glimmer of an opportunity to influence the design, the Visual Designer/creative in me couldn’t resist. I combed through my own photography as well as hundreds of royalty-free images using the platforms specified by the publisher. Eventually, I found the image of The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail that you see on the cover, which appeared set during the right time of year in which the story takes place—the June-July timeframe, when the forests of Northeast Ohio are at their lushest and greenest. For that image, my feedback to the artist, Nick Welch—who’s an award-winning graphic design specialist out of the UK with over 25 years of experience designing book covers—was as follows:
“Here’s an actual photo of The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where much of the book is set, and the trail is central to more than one key scene in the book. I do like how there’s a bit of mystery for what’s around that last bend.”
Additionally, while yes, the title of the book is The Towpath, and it would make sense to show, you know, the namesake trail within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park that inspired it, the cover also needed to communicate the central sub-genre, Time Travel, and also convey some danger too. After all, this isn't exactly a kid's book, even if teens are some of the main characters. As such, here’s some additional guidance I offered Nick without any expectations it would be used:
“Purple is an important color in the book”
“Obviously, time is a critical element and I imagine it would be good to clue the reader into that element since the title, THE TOWPATH, doesn’t overtly suggest the time travel sub-genre”
“A spiral or nautilus shape is a recurring motif/theme”
“There are many sharp objects in the book (knives, arrows, crystals, etc.)”
“This is all to say that I hope for something visually catchy that somehow feels slightly menacing at the same time”
Hence, perhaps you can begin to see how the swirling clock motif in the foreground evokes the spiral and the color purple serves as an accent in several areas, including the text on the upper left-hand side on the front cover, and the leading characters for each paragraph on the back cover’s description copy. Nick also darkened the hollow in the trees where The Towpath trail vanishes into that last bend, which I think serves very well and evokes the danger I was hoping for.
I admit I had mixed feelings when I first saw the final design given this book has been my baby for over seven years. However, I’ve fully embraced it, even to the point of building all my other conceptual imagery around this central design, hoping to thematically foreshadow it so it would make perfect sense when I shared the final design (which is now) with my followers and subscribers.
Well, there you have it. I’d love your feedback on the final design. My goal is to earn the right to publish more books, so even if your thoughts don’t benefit this one, there’s a chance you might help me in the future!
what’s up next
I’m going to start looking into the publicity side of things, which I admit makes me squirm, as self-promotion doesn’t come naturally to me. That said, it’s a necessary evil, even for authors who are fortunate to publish with even the largest of publishers, such as Macmillan or Penguine Random House. More to come on that topic. In the mean time, let’s stay connected. Here’s where else to connect with THE TOWPATH and its author (yours truly):
Well, that’s all for this post. Until next time! Sapere Verdere.
For more on The Towpath:
