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« Asian Tofu Update: First Pages |Main
August 25, 2011Asian Tofu Update: Cover EvolutionI mentioned in last week's post on the first pages of the Asian Tofu cookbook that things are in flux until we send all the files to the printer. Indeed, we have just made a few changes to the cover and this post brings you up to speed on the bookmaking process and project evolution. (I know I said I may not post this week but I couldn't help it. This is kinda cool.)
On the first day of our photo shoot with Maren Caruso, my editor Melissa Moore, designer Elizabeth (Betsy) Stromberg, and I had decided to shoot a Japanese chilled tofu dish for the cover. Maren did a bang-up job with making the tofu look street. Here's the cover that Betsy came up with:
It was serious, dramatic -- practically conjuring Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Iron Chef. I loved how the tofu conveyed, "I'm a force to be reckoned with and I am tasty!"
But then we took a step back and wanted the cover to be somewhat lighter in feel yet provocative too. During the remainder of the photoshoot, we ruminated and one afternoon, Betsy said, "Let's work on the cover." We reviewed all the final shots that Maren created and identified a number of images that could accomodate the title, subtitle and my byline.
Betsy put together several covers while we were at the studio. This was our top pick:
Then she and I solicited feedback from our tofu team of photographer, stylists, and assistants that was on set. Melissa loved the cover too. Everyone gave their thumbs up. It was modern and evocative of the food, mood, and stories that we aimed to communicate. It was arty and accessible.
For good measure, Betsy submitted several mock covers for Ten Speed Press, Crown Publishing, and Random House to consider. (My publisher, Ten Speed Press, is located in Emeryville, CA, but is part of the Crown Publishing Group thats' part of Random House in New York.) You never know and need to give people options. At the end of all the deliberations on both coasts, the cover was approved. We got the image we wanted!
As publisher Aaron Wehner noted, there may be a few tweaks left to the text placement, etc. before we go to print. However, that's the Asian Tofu cover shot.
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That is great! Congratulations. This book must be highly interesting. Tofu is so versatile.
Cheers,
Rosa
Posted by:Rosa |August 25, 2011 at 10:45 AMHeh Andrea, Wonderful! It is interesting how all of this comes together. The cover can say so much. IMHO, the first one looks "street" as you say, but it also doesn't stand out nearly as much as the second one, which tells you more about what the book is going to be about. I am in awe of your coolness.
Posted by:Ivy Manning |August 25, 2011 at 11:21 AMWhat Ivy said! Total coolness!!!
Posted by:Jill Silverman Hough |August 25, 2011 at 11:47 AMYeah, the darker cover looked tough -- like Yakuza (Japanese mafia) tofu. It was taken during the first day of the shoot and we were out to prove that tofu was not boring and bland. But then, we realized that we needed to show its more tender, diverse side too.
I greatly appreciate your reactions to the cover! It's hard because it's the 'face' of the book.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |August 25, 2011 at 01:32 PMThanks for sharing the process - it's fascinating!
Very cool. I personally like the "dark" one more, but I'm an arty architect who likes black, strong color, and hard planar surfaces! (no, really, I am).
But I agree the second cover is better for your book and much more accessible. It's beautiful AND it makes the tofu look approachable, homey and like something that anyone could maybe try and work with. The first cover looks beautiful, but a bit intimidating.
Posted by:Diane |August 25, 2011 at 06:54 PMIf I didn't know that the first cover was not 'final,' I wouldn't dismiss it. However, I do like the second one. It shows off some of the forms that tofu can take and that it is versatile and dynamic. It would pique the interest of those unfamiliar with tofu to find out more.
I love tofu and look forward to learning more ways to use it from your book!
Posted by:Teresa F. |August 25, 2011 at 08:41 PMI think the "dark" one is visually very appealing, but I think the second one fits the context better because of the way it showcases different kinds of tofu.
I see you've already got a subtitle, but otherwise I was going to suggest "Asian Tofu: White Stuff People Like". :-)
Posted by:Eve |August 26, 2011 at 06:30 AMi'm glad you nixed the first one .. it didn't make me want to eat it, and i love tofu.
looking forward to the book.
I'm one of the luckiest people around to have folks like all of your share your gut insights. Book covers are hard to figure out. You need to figure out your audience and the sweet spot.
The image is important, then there's the font, text placement, and font colors. At a certain point, you say, "That's it. I'm not looking back." We are nearing that point... and I'm delighted to have you all along for the ride!
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |August 26, 2011 at 09:28 AMLove the cover with all the different tofu types on it. So striking, modern and clean looking. It's timeless but with an edge. ;)
Posted by:Carolyn Jung |August 26, 2011 at 05:12 PMNice article.Waiting for more.Thanks.
Posted by:filme porno |August 27, 2011 at 12:43 PMI'm looking forward to the book coming out. Love the cover - there is so many different types of tofu, not to mention methods of prepartion.
Posted by:Madeline |August 29, 2011 at 08:14 AMWhat a fascinating post! Thanks so much for sharing the journey. Amazing how two covers can give such different ideas of what the final book would be.
Posted by:Lady Amalthea |August 30, 2011 at 12:33 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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