I am beyond excited to share the cover of Windfall. And I'm sharing it here first, in this newsletter, because a long time ago when I started this project, I promised subscribers they would be the first to hear any big book news.
My editor at Sourcebooks sent me an email with the cover on Tuesday morning. I was so excited I almost couldn’t bear to open it, but of course I did, right away.
What if it was bad? A cover is really, really important. It encapsulates the book, for one. It also has to be accessible, signaling to as many potential readers as possible that this is a book for them. The cover is what gets random people at Barnes and Noble and airports and Costco to pick up your book and buy it even if they've never heard of you. I knew all that, and I also know that my publisher does a lot of test marketing of potential covers. I have little say in it. Even so, I craved something beautiful, an object of art in itself – even if its main purpose is to reflect the craft within.
I opened the email, and guess what? I loved everything about the cover. The disappearing letters in the title, signifying the mystery at the heart of the book. The maps, the prairie vista. The sky and the colors and the symbolism of the fence! It all spoke to me. I ran around the house shouting: "My cover is here, my cover is here!"
Honestly, it was a feeling bigger than love. It was unfiltered joy. Not just at seeing the book begin to manifest physically, but the design itself. It felt as though the design team at Sourcebooks not only read the book and really understood it, but that they looked through all of my #theprairieproject posts on Instagram over the past eight years and captured the essence of the images I've shared from making my work. In fact, when I saw it, I knew I had footage of birds flitting across the prairie sky, just like on the cover.
From the memo my editor sent me, the design team's goal was to make something that would "communicate a sense of place while revealing darker truths, hidden meaning, or secondary storylines in the layers of imagery." Yes!
After opening the email, I really was overcome with excitement. I couldn't sit back down at my computer to grade student papers or finish the necessary revisions to one of my own pieces. I put a leash on the dog, and even though it was raining, I went for a three-mile walk to get coffee and to steady myself. I had so much other work to do on Tuesday, but I wanted to take the time to savor a moment of pure joy. How often is it that we get to bask in such a feeling? I can count those moments in my lifetime on one, maybe one-and-a-half hands.
So here it is. A beauty, I think. I've made a 60-second video to share the cover more widely on social media tomorrow. You can get a full-screen preview of the video here. Look for Mojie's cameo! (And yes, don’t worry, I'll absolutely let all of you know as soon as I have a pre-order link!)
Lots of love and joy to you all today,
Erika
THE NEWS
All the links…
“Nobody wants more crappy videos on Instagram. Too bad.” Many people who use Instagram to connect with an audience, myself included, hate how the app now pressures them to make Reels. Yet I also made an Instagram Reel to debut my book cover on social media tomorrow. Even as I resented having to turn a bunch of beautiful, horizontal film footage into a vertical format, just so Instagram’s algorithms will actually share my content with others. But all that said, it was kind of fun to learn how to tweak my footage in a way that more people might see my work. I think I made it my own, without getting sweaty chasing “trending audio.” Check it out tomorrow at instagram.com/erikabolstad and let me know what you think.
A stunning investigation into the source material for Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose, calling into question the integrity of the work.
Debunking the myth that outdoor recreation equals conservation. Set in Yellowstone, Montana.
Hard boiled techniques. Who knew there were so many ways to boil an egg?! I bring the water to the boil, turn off the oven, and then let them sit for exactly seven minutes. Then, I plunge them in ice water and peel. Works for me!
Your yoga pants link of the week is a kinda snobby NYT take on how and when leggings are appropriate. Are we really still having this debate? Wear whatever lets you breathe and move. (And a big shirt with leggings will always have a certain Ina Garten chic.)
Congrats - I love the cover!
That's killer! Congratulations. Can't wait to check this out.