Creating A Novel

And judging books by their covers.

I used to believe writing was the hard part. That there was nothing tougher than creating (and killing) characters, developing plot points, and making readers believe it all matters.

With Buried By Sunset releasing in a few weeks, I can confirm that the real challenge doesn’t start until the last line has been written. Only then, when you seriously think about sharing it, you realise a ‘finished’ project is everything but.

In the decision to self-publish (more about that in future), I quickly understood that the creation of a novel is collaborative. While writing is solitary, and I live for that escape, a book is a thing with moving parts.

I’d like to share a few of those here.

The edits

I can’t tell you how many times I edited Buried By Sunset. Not because I don’t want to, but because I can’t remember. Part of the folder on my laptop looks like this, which will offer some insight to the journey it’s had:

But there’s only so much you can do on your own. Eventually, you have to throw it to the wolves.

Buried By Sunset was read in full by three beta readers with a few others looking over the opening chapters. They were mostly found via Goodreads groups like this and were encouraged to be critical, opinionated, and honest. The less I knew them personally, the better. After that it was edited by Sean Leonard, who’s worked on a number of other horror books, and I was working with a mentor via the Horror Writer’s Association at the time.

Opening yourself up to criticism is scary. It’s also incredibly insightful. You face flaws you’ve spent a long time ignoring or overlooking, see your writing through someone else’s world-view, and get a sense of what’s working and what’s not.

Sometimes the feedback stings, sometimes it feels great, and other times you’ll be left with so many differing opinions you have to rely on your gut to choose what’s right.

In short, beta readers, editors, and other opinions are essential. Buried By Sunset wouldn’t be where it is without them and it’s improved my understanding and appreciation of writing as a whole.

The cover

There was one thing I wanted to avoid at all costs when creating Buried By Sunset’s cover: AI. It was important to me that the artwork was conceptualized and designed by a human. When I talked with Matthew Revert, the cover’s designer, about it, he was as equally passionate about keeping the machine out.

Anyone who says they don’t judge a book by its cover is lying, so I always knew I wanted to work with a professional. I shared the story’s details and design inspirations, referencing other book covers, movie posters, and stills from video games, and then gave over creative control to see how it would be interpreted.

What exists today is the result.

After noting that a lot of the references I sent (unintentionally) featured bones, Revert shared how he used them as a vehicle, settling on old animal bones to evoke a sense of isolation. The font, which I’ve grown to love, is layered with cracked earth to match the desert setting.

I also didn’t give any direction or guidance when it came to colour. Being colourblind, I was curious what would come back, wondering whether it would result in vibrant yellows or deep reds. It seemed fitting that it ended up in monochrome.

The future

There is liberation in letting go.

On August 31, Buried By Sunset will release and all the work, effort, and struggle will be in the hands of those who choose to read it.

I’ve been sending out advance reader copies (ARCs) and reviews have started trickling in. It’s exciting, terrifying, and honestly a little surreal.

And that’s it. I’ve done my part. There are more stories to write. More narratives to focus on. I wrote the story I wanted to read. Everything else is out of my control.

A book I woke up and went to sleep thinking about for two years is yours.

Before you go

One of the best ways to support an author is to buy their books, so I’m going to shamelessly share that you can do so by clicking the button below. If you’re a reviewer or horror lover and would like a digital ARC, please do reach out.

If you want to connect, I live in other corners of the internet. I attempt to keep an Instagram updated and tweet (or whatever Elon wants us to call it) every now and then.

/ JJW