Interview with Eden Crane

Today, I have a treat for all the lovely followers of A Dash of YA. I had the opportunity to interview my cover designer, Eden Crane, for a behind-the-scenes look on how the cover designing process works. Eden recently did the cover design for another fellow Dasher, Erica Cope. Go and check out Erica's post to see the beautiful cover for LARK!

Please welcome Eden to A Dash of YA!

Thanks so much for agreeing to do the interview, Eden!

No, thank you for having me!

What made you want to start professionally designing covers?

Last summer I was visiting my dad in Alaska for three months, which can get incredibly boring when everyone works and I can't drive, so I decided to take up Photoshop. I did tons of tutorials on photo manipulation, and when my mom, Julia Crane, saw them she asked me to do her cover for Freak of Nature. I said no, but eventually she talked me in to it haha. After that some of her friends, including Heather Marie Adkins and Lizzy Ford, asked me to do covers for them... Eventually it just blew up.

Can you take us through how the design process works for you? How do you approach a new project?

Generally I'll send the author a list of questions about their book regarding what they are looking for in their cover, the mood, character and book descriptions, etc. Then I'll tell them any ideas I have, and we'll start looking for stock photos. Then I start doing a mock up and usually throw it away at least three times before I feel it's ready for the author to see. Then I sit around and freak out until they reply because I need to know their opinion haha. Sometimes they love it right away, others I have to start over. From there, I pretty much do whatever the author says until they are happy. I can't stop working on a cover until it's done so this process also involves a lot of tea and coffee.

What are your three favourite covers that you didn’t design?

Hmmm number one is easy, but I'll have to think about the next two, because I just love so many covers. Ugh!

1. Hands down my favorite cover is Splintered by A.G. Howard. Once I read an article where Maurice Sandak, the author of Where the Wild Things Are, said that he sent a little boy an original drawing of one of his monsters and the boy loved it so much he ate it. That is how much I love this cover... I would eat it.

2. Ok I had to think about this for awhile. I'd say my number two is Entangled by Nikki Jefford. It was designed by Najla Qamber Designs, ugh Naj is such an amazing designer, and I'm in love with this cover

3. I think number 3 would be Witch Born by Amber Argyle because it's just really pretty and painted.

All these covers are beautiful! I love the cover for Splintered too!

What are three covers you designed that you absolutely love?

This is really hard to because originally I hate everything I make and then I end up loving them all. Can I pick 4?...I think I'm going to do four haha.

1. I'd say probably Reviving Bloom by Michelle Turner because I just made it so I really like it at the moment.

2. I think Freak of Nature by Julia Crane because I got to do a lot of photo manipulation with that one, and it was my first cover.

3. I loved making Dark Summer by Lizzy Ford and it's just really sparkly and pretty, and it's also an amazing book!

4. I also absolutely love your cover for Runaway Mortal. You had some really good ideas right off the bat, and I think we came up with a beautiful cover. :)

My ideas for Runaway Mortal were all over the place, but I love how you were totally psychic and came up with a great cover anyway! And I think the cover for Dark Summer is stunning! One of my favourites for sure!

I know you design covers for many genres, but which genre is your favourite to design for: fantasy, romance, contemporary or something else?

I think my favorite genre to design for would definately be fantasy simply because I get to be a lot more creative with the covers.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Well my "working" is what I like to do haha, but I spend a lot of time at the wind tunnel practicing for when I get my skydivivng license. I also spend a lot of time with friends eating tofu and playing Monopoly.

We know you love to design book covers, but are you also an avid reader?

I absolutely LOVE reading, but I go through phases where reading is pretty much all I do, and then suddenly for a long stretch of time, I don't read anything at all. Luckily, I'm just getting off a not reading streak, considering I got 11 books for Christmas, and I just got an advanced copy of my mom's new book Freak of Nature which I'm extremely excited about!

I would like to thank Eden Crane for joining us today! It was interesting to take a behind-the-scenes look into cover designing and see how everything works! Eden is super fun, prompt and professional to work with, and I can't recommend her enough!

To find out more about Eden or commission her for a design, visit her on her website or Facebook page.