I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally reveal the cover of Taken! I’ve been staring at this beauty for many months (six!) and I still get hit with a wave of giddy happiness every time I look at it. It is striking and unique and I love it to pieces! The team at Harper did such a fantastic job.
But enough rambling on my part. Let’s get to the goods…
And here’s the official jacket copy:
There are no men in Claysoot.
There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends . . . and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate—until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot—a structure that no one can cross and survive. Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken—or risk everything on the hope of the other side?
I’m in love with everything about this cover!!! The tree! The lifted K! The reflection and the colors and the way Gray is looking over his shoulder! *sighs contently*
As a designer in my past life, I was super interested in learning more about the creative process for Taken‘s artwork. I asked the folks at Harper if they could put me in touch with the cover designer for a little Q&A session, and they graciously agreed!
So today, in addition to sharing the cover, I have an interview with the talented Erin Fitzsimmons, Senior Designer at HarperTeen! Erin has worked on some truly stunning covers (like Kat’s!) and was kind enough to chat with me about how the cover of Taken came to life!
An interview with TAKEN’s cover designer, Erin Fitzsimmons:
Not that I’m biased or anything, but Taken has such a unique and striking cover. 😉 How did you come up with the overall concept?
The first concepts that I explored focused on the imagery of the Heist. I loved how mysterious it was, and I really wanted it to be indicated on the cover in some way. Around the same time I also happened to stumble upon some incredibly interesting perspective photography that seemed to fit the story very nicely. So in the beginning, I was mostly focused on light and perspective and how changing the angle of the frame can make you think differently. This search led me to the stunning work of Alisdair Miller, who created the final Taken cover artwork.
The alternating perspective is one of my favorite aspects of the cover! So what happens after that initial concept is in place? Can you tell us about the general design process at Harper?
I work closely with my Art Director, Alison Donalty. As soon I have initial concepts for a cover, I bring them to her first. Very often, she will also come up with concepts that I will then explore with imagery and typography. When we have some ideas that we like, we bring them into a meeting with the editorial team and the Creative Director. They look at all the options, offer feedback, and we finesse to a point that we feel we are ready to share with the Sales and Marketing teams. Usually we will present to them a number of options, and, in the case of series like Taken, we will present concepts for two or three books in the series, so we can develop the covers simultaneously from the start.
I imagine the approval process can get intense with so many people weighing in on the concepts. Were there any particular challenges when it came to designing Taken‘s cover?
For my initial concepts I really wanted to include imagery of the Heist, but beaming light from the sky tended too look too sci-fi (I heard the term: “alien abduction” quite a bit!). After playing with the typography for the title, I realized I could include the idea of the Heist without actually showing it, and everyone loved it and got it right away. That was my happy little victory.
We also presented the original concepts for Taken very early in the process, which can either be a relief or a stress. In the case of Taken, we received great feedback and we were able to develop the concept for book one as well as the whole series into a much stronger design. After that initial meeting, we found Alisdair, set up the photo shoot, and everything fell into place very nicely!
I adore that rising K in the title. Hooray for happy victories! Typography aside, let’s talk about the cover models. How much input did you have in that photo shoot? Can you tell us a little bit about how the models were cast and shot in order to integrate well with the design?
My Art Director held a casting with the photographer, Howard Huang, and met close to 100 models, male and female, who auditioned for the role. Since we had the concept for the cover, we even had them walk and pose like they would for the photo shoot, to ensure they would have the intensity and poise we needed. The models we chose were perfect, and were a dream to work with on set. The neatest part of the photo shoot was that Howard actually shot them on a mirrored surface, so the reflections are in the shot. No Photoshopped reflections here!
Mirrored surface?! So cool! And lastly, can you discuss how designing series covers differs from designing stand-alone covers? Was it difficult to imagine how Taken‘s concept could be extended for two more books?
It definitely affects the process. When designing for a series you not only have to envision a way to express the same concept differently, but you also must develop the concept further. Readers don’t want to see the same image on three covers in three different colors. They want progression.
Taken was a great experience of designing for a series in that we had plenty of time in the beginning to develop ideas for books two and three, and work those back into book one and into the photo shoot. I can’t wait to share book two with you…next year! 😉
Isn’t she so cruel, teasing us like that!? Cruel, but talented. I can’t wait to see the future covers!
A huge thank you to Erin for giving us a behind-the-scenes peek at the design process. And to sum things up and give credit where credit is due, a handy list of the talented folks that made Taken‘s cover possible:
- Alisdair Miller, incredible perspective photographer who’s gorgeous cityscapes grace the cover
- Howard Huang, fabulous Brooklyn photographer who shot the models walking across the edifice
- Alison Donalty and Erin Fitzsimmons, Art Director and Senior Designer, respectively, who developed the overall concept and brought it all to life from the Harper offices
I’ve yapped a lot. What do you think of the cover? Let me know in the comments! And once you’ve done that, maybe you’d like to add Taken to your Goodreads shelf or help me spread the word about the cover reveal by tweeting/Facebooking/Tumbling this blog post. Either way, thank you. You rock.
Awesome cover! Taken in on my Goodreads list:) Can’t wait! Congrats:)
Thanks so much, Christina!
Wow, a HUNDRED models… And the rising K = the Heist?! Oh my goodness, how clever is that?
This cover is STUNNING, Erin and Erin! I think my favorite parts are those trees. They add such a creepy element. Oh, and reflections from real mirrors?! WOW, that’s so cool.
Everything regarding the photo shoot just blew me away. So cool, right?! (And that rising K is one of my favorite elements, I think. *sighs, smiles, scrolls up to stare at the cover again*)
Oh, wow! What a gorgeous cover! Congratulations, Erin, it really looks amazing. 🙂
Thank you, Laura!! 😀
Wow. Okay, you are so lucky to have such an amazing cover! It’s so freaking cool and mysterious and its perfect! And the summary sounds so intruiging… I know I’d love to have your book not just on my Goodreads shelf, but on my actual shelf some day! 🙂
Thanks so much, Jenelle! I feel like a very lucky author, indeed!
Holy crap, I’m in LOVE! Though I’m not sure which I’m squeeing over more…. the STUNNING cover art of the INEEDTHISBOOKNOWNOWNOW synopsis!
I love how there’s so much to take in on the cover. Obviously it’s not busy or too crowded – it’s a perfect balance – but the more I look, the more I see and the more I wonder how it reflects on the actual story. And I LOVE that!
Also, can I have this book like… yesterday?? 2013 is already promising a smoking hot year of book releases 🙂 Congrats!!
Brodie, this comment made me grin like an idiot! Thank you!
And I know what you mean about the cover having a lot to take in, but still being wonderfully balanced. (I adore how many details of the novel the cover designer snuck in!) Thanks again for all the kind words. And can’t wait for you to read someday!
Oh, I swoon for it. There’s so much awesome in the interview, too — I can’t get over the concept of trying 100 models, and finding a mirrored surface. Whaaaaaaat? The end result was SO worth it!
Right?! When I heard all those details about the photo shoot, my jaw nearly hit the floor! Thanks for swooning with me, Amie!! <3
OMG!! LOVE THE COVER!!!
This book is so on my TBR pile!
Yay! Thanks so much, Priya!!
It’s BREATHTAKING. I love the colours. The blue, green and orange is beautifully contrasted. And the mysteriousness of the two teenagers.
Wowers!!!
Thank you, Rissa! Every time I look at the cover, the colors *still* get me — even six months later! 🙂
The mirror effect kills me–I love it! And the K, too, is one of my favorite parts. Beautiful cover, Erin–I just can’t wait to read it! <3
Oh, that K! I adored it from day one. And the mirrored effect is so freaking cool, right? Thanks for all the kind words, Meagan. Can’t wait to have you read 🙂 🙂
HOLY WHOA this is stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations!
Thank you so much!!! 🙂
Holy gorgeous cover, Batman!!! Absolutely stunning. Can’t wait to add it to my bookcase. 😉
Thank you, Holly!! (The spine looks pretty smoking, too, so it will look purty on your bookshelf from all angles 😉 )
The cover is absolutely stunning– colors, movement, depth, perspective–brilliant! I enjoyed learning about the process. (My husband is an industrial designer, and on our first date explained the restaurant from a design perspective – I’ve been hooked on seeing the world from that perspective ever since. 😀 ) Wishing you all the very best and tremendous success with your debut novel, TAKEN!
Thanks, Liza!! I was a web designer in my past life, and I can’t shut off that side of my brain. I’m so glad the design process for this book was interesting for you, too! 🙂
This one has been on my Goodreads for a while now! I’m so excited to have more information and to see that awesome cover! I especially love the reflective surface! Thanks for sharing an interview as well!
Thanks so much, Bonnie! I’m a bit obsessed with that reflective floor myself 😉
Wow, Erin!!! Your cover is amazing! I love how boldly the girl is walking forward, and everything about the way the boy is looking back over his shoulder. I was already so excited to read your story, but even more so now. So happy for you 🙂
Now even more excited to read?! Yay!! Thank you so much 🙂
Erin, I love the cover…..Absolutely gorgeous! TAKEN is on my goodreads list. Congratulations!
Thanks so much, Katherine. And thanks for adding it on GR!
Its a must read!
Wow, that is gorgeous!! Without even knowing what the book was about, that cover would catch my eye in a heartbeat! Congratulations!!! 😀 I’ve had Taken on my GR to-read list for a while, now I have a lovely cover to go with it! Triple yay! xoxo
-Em
Triple yay, indeed!! Thank you so much, Em — for adding it on GR and for all the kind words. 🙂 🙂
OMGOMGOMG! ERIN! I absolutely ADORE this cover! The reflection is awesome, but that rising K? SWOON! I love the atmosphere and the colours and EVERYTHING!
Ugh, 2013 can’t come fast enough!
(Oh – and LOVED the interview! So fascinating!)
V, you pointed out two of my favorite elements! (But yeah…everything. EVERYTHING! <3 ) Thanks for swooning with me 🙂
Of course! It’s not exactly a secret that I’m a total and complete cover junkie 😉
Also, just realized that except for the one “?”, every single sentence in my above comment ended with an exclamation mark!
Dude, I’ve been abusing exclamation marks since 7am this morning! I just can’t hold back my excitement. And part of me doesn’t think I should even try!! 🙂
To be honest, I just knew your book from this cover reveal post ><; *facepalm* but seriously that's freakin' STUNNING! I agree that 'K' is the plus factor. It's like being TAKEN 😀 and I also love the model's gestures, colors, glass building and tree from above, they make whole picture so intriguing! Congratulation for getting this awesome cover for your debut! 😀 and holy cow the synopsis! It sounds like my favorite thing and I'll definitely look forward this and will painfully wait for it to be my shelfmate 😀 *uuughstillwinter2013grumblegrumble*
I'm also a girl who lives in designing and have special interest in book cover design, so I wanna say thank you for including that fascinating interview!
They do very awesome job at concepting and selecting models. So admire them since, well, the publishers in my country aren't really put more effort in cover design /:
Sorry for babbling and anyway once again, congrats and can't wait to read your book! 🙂
Elisa!! Thank you so much for gushing over the cover with me! I love all those elements you pointed out, especially the way the K is being “taken!” And hooray for fellow designers! (I designed websites in my past life.) I’m so glad you enjoyed the interview!
I Love the cover!!!! Awesome job Harper!!! Congrats again Erin!! Well deserved! <3
Harper did such a fantastic job, right? So glad you love the cover!! 🙂
Erin – you know how much I love this cover! Love it so much!! It is so cool and so awesome and something about it is very intense which is perfect for your book! I just think Harper does amazing covers!!!
They totally do. We are lucky authors in very, very good hands! Thanks for stopping by to squee with me, Ellen. You’re the best!
SO gorgeous, Erin!! The colours are amazing, and I can’t wait to read TAKEN! Congratulations!
And I can’t wait for you to read it!!! (Maybe you and I should do a DUALED / TAKEN swap. Hmmm?) 😀
It’s GORGEOUS! Oh, Erin — this is fantastic. It’s really clearly a YA, but it’s also going to stand out — the kind of book you could spot from across the bookstore and immediately feel drawn to. And all of the elements — the reflections, the sky, the K, the ominous-looking tree — work together to convey the feel of the book. Congratulations!
And thanks for letting us peek behind the curtain. I always love hearing about the creative process, whether it’s writing or design, and you’ve got a thoughtful, talented team!
Erica!!! That is exactly what I love about it too–how YA it feels, but how different it is at the same time. Hooray! Thanks for celebrating with me 🙂
GORGEOUS COVER!! I love the ominous feel to the cover and the symbolic meanings within it. Can’t wait to read the actual book (and see that gorgeous cover adorning my bookshelf)!
Thanks so much, Kris! I love how ominous it feels as well. And the thought of this being on readers’ bookshelf someday soon? So exciting! 😀
That looks so cool! I can’t wait to read it!
Yay! Thanks, Stephanie. Can’t wait for you to read 🙂
Wow, what a gorgeous cover! I love the covers, the reflections, the birds…
Oops. Need more coffee: should be “colors.”
Thanks, lady!! And I love those birds too! They are so subtle, but I nearly cheered out loud when I saw them–Tthey are so important to the actual story. 🙂
Erin, what a beautiful cover! I love the sky and tree– so ominous. It’s really lovely.
Thanks, Claire! A couple people keep throwing around the term ominous, and that makes me incredibly happy! 😀
OMG THIS SOUNDS AWESOME! It went right onto my TBR list on Goodreads and made it my WoW pick for next week on Libby Blog! Such a gorgeous cover!
I also have to tell you that I adore this blog! It’s a fascinating peek inside the world of publishing and I love it! Decided to grab the button today for Libby Blog!
Ange, thank you so much! For adding TAKEN to your TBR list, for loving the cover, for grabbing the PubCrawl button for your blog. You rock!
AAAAH it’s gorgeous!! I especially LOVE the floating K!!
The K, the K, the K!!! (My favorite part, too!) Thanks for squeeing with me, Marie <3
Eee! How cool we had the same designer??? I adore the colors, the floating K, the tagline–everything!! 😀 😀 😀
Thanks so much, Kat!!! (And that Erin Fitzsimmons is one heck of a designer, huh? We are lucky, lucky authors!) 😀
The cover is GORGEOUS and makes me even more excited to read the book! The colors and typography are perfect, and the silhouetted tree adds a barren, foreboding atmosphere to it that I absolutely love.
I’m a visual artist, so cover design is appealing to me. I’ll often pick up a book based on its cover alone, just because it’s so stunning and intriguing that it makes me want to know the story beneath it! In that way, I think good cover design is very important. It’s great to get some insight into the design process and how all of the different components come together to create the finished piece.
Thanks, Alyssa!!! And if the cover’s got you even *more* excited to read, it’s done it’s job, right?! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the interview/design process insight as well! (The web designer in me loves that kind of stuff and had to share!)
Oh gosh, that’s such, such a gorgeous cover, Erin! So happy for you. 🙂
The colors are beautiful — and the tree! And its shadow! And the raised K! And the juxtaposition of the red sky and blue floor. Everything’s just amazing!
Thank you soooo much, Emy!! I’m so glad I was finally able to share with you all 😀 😀
THAT COVER IS SO GORGEOUS!! Wow. I just stated at it for about 10 mins! I love it!
Thank you Jena!! 🙂
Awesome, beautiful cover! And I love the accompanying interview! Congrats, Erin!
So glad you enjoyed the interview! And thank you so much for the kind words!
Wow, gorgeous! I love it! Yay, Erin!
Thank you so much, Amy!!!! I am happier than Dean Winchester eating a burger with pie for dessert. 😀
It is so, so beautiful, Erin. Congrats!! 🙂
Thanks, Brandy!!
What a beautiful cover! Congrats! Sounds like a great read.
Thanks, Christine 🙂
WOW!!! This cover is amazing, and it is sooooo cool to read about the cover designer’s process. Thanks Erin B and Erin F!
So happy you dug the design process bit! (Erin F totally rocked it!) And thanks for squeeing with me, Julie 🙂 🙂
Love the colors, Erin! Congratulations, and beautiful work, other Erin! 🙂
Yay! Thanks a million, Kate! (Erin F totally knocked this cover out of the park!)
So. Obsessed. With. This. Cover.
CONGRATS, MY DEAR!!!!! (Totally not surprised that people are LOVING the cover!!!)
<3 <3 <3
I know you predicted this reaction, but I am still in shock. Like holy moly, can barely get my jaw off the floor, SHOCK. Thank you for gushing over this from day one with me!!!! I <3 you x's a million!
I already squeed at you on Twitter about how much I love your book cover, but I think it bears repeating. I love your cover! I can’t wait to see it in all its colorful, stark glory in real life on a physical book! The images are just so arresting and interesting! I don’t know how you managed to sit on this beautiful thing for months on end, but I think you deserve an award for it. Haha.
Erin F. is a great cover designer because I do also adore Kat’s What’s Left of Me Cover & the Delirium cover!
I don’t know how you managed to sit on this beautiful thing for months on end, but I think you deserve an award for it.
^ HA! You know, I’m still not sure how I managed to hold out. Thank you for all the kind words and I can’t wait for you to see this beauty in physical form. The cover is gorgeous, but the spine is TO DIE FOR. (Of course, I’ve only seen a flat JPG of it, but I think it’s going to be killer.) Erin F totally rocked this entire package 🙂 🙂 🙂
The cover is absolutely STUNNING. I absolutely adore it and will definitely pick it up for a read!
Hooray! Thank you so much, Alexa!
Fan-freakin’ tastic cover, Erin(s)! TAKEN is now on the TBR list!. Oh man, 2013 is so far awaaaaay.
Yay! So glad you love it. And thanks for adding it to your TBR list 🙂
i\m having a cover love seizure
why the long wait ??
A cover love seizure may be the only good type of seizure 😉
There was a long wait for the cover so that Harper had time to fine-tune/perfect it between initial concepting (December) and reveal.
That’s one darn sexy cover.
Thank you, CP. If anyone knows sexy, it’s you, so this means a lot. 😉
Wow, that is SUCH a cool cover! I LOVE it!
Thank you, Emma!!
COVER LOVE FOR SURE! That is one gorgeous cover, Erin! You hit the jackpot…way to go, Harper! 😀
Total jackpot!!! I feel so lucky. Thanks for the kind words, Jess!! 🙂
Dude, this cover is seriously epic. I love it. It’s so gorgeous, mysterious, frightening and lovely all rolled into one. 🙂 Congrats, Erin!
Thanks so much, lady!!! It is so epic I keep pinching myself to make sure it’s real 😀
Love it like whoa.
Hooray! Thank you 🙂 🙂
It’s BEAUTIFUL! So grabbing. I love the colors. And it was really neat hearing the story behind the design!
Thank you so very much, Lauren! And I’m so glad you dug the interview 🙂
I absolutely ADORE Erin Fitzsimmon’s work, and seriously?! That cover is MADE OF AWESOME. 😀
This comment is made of awesome!! Thank you! So glad you like it 🙂
It’s an absolutely gorgeous cover! Congrats!!! Can’t wait to read it. 🙂
Thank you, Ghenet!! Can’t wait for you to read 🙂