Artists and Book Covers Spotlight: Meredith Russell
Plus if you are a follower of either RJ Scott or VL Locey or the MM Hockey Romance Group, then you are familiar with the adorable chibis that Meredith Russell draws of the characters of the Harrisburg Railers hockey players and their mates and families. I’m hoping she will extend it to the Rush soon. Here is the first chibi she drew. It’s Tennant Rowe! The others can be found here at
Railers Chibi-style promo pieces
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interviews Meredith Russell on Art, Book Covers and Much More
- How long it takes to put together a cover draft and whether or not they make multiple drafts to show authors/publishers?
Making a draft varies author to author for me. Some come with ideas, or a set style they’ve adopted, or images they’ve found themselves and so we go down one route and a single draft, and it’s a rather painless process. Then others need to see something to help decide what they actually are after from a cover. I’ve never really paid a lot of attention to exactly how long I spend on a draft. There are various stages I go through – getting any info or ideas from the author, looking at what images are available and which might work together, some back and forth with the author as to whether images fit with what they’re after, and finally the cutting/pasting/making etc of the draft. The time adds up but usually after a few days I have something to show them and a starting point to tweak into something final.
- How much of your covers are original art and how much do you rely on using content purchased elsewhere (like Shutterstock
I work pretty much exclusively with images from stock sites so I am limited in some ways to what I can find on them and how I can maybe manipulate them into what we need. However, I would love to venture into digital art but I haven’t found the time to devote myself to figuring it out or getting the resources I’d need. I’ve had fun creating some simple drawings for RJ Scott, and a couple of others, who have had me turn their characters into little cartoon people though.
- How much input comes from the author and/or storyline?
Again it varies. Some authors have a set idea of what they want. Some (naming no names lol) come to me requesting a man with brown hair and give me a couple of details about the story’s setting. I do like to know about the storyline or at least key moments or places that can be incorporated into the cover.
- How did you get to become a cover artist?
What feels like a long time ago now, I used to do bits of fan art, mostly fanfiction banners for myself and some other writers. When RJ Scott went on to self-publishing she asked me to create her a cover and it went from there.
What mediums do you use?
I work on a pc. I do have a pen and tablet that I use for drawing the cartoon characters (see above), but also a lot of those do actually start out as pencil and paper sketches that I then digitize and use as a guide.
Do you have a favorite cover you have done?
Oh that’s a tough one. I recently did a set of seven covers for a series called The Christmas Angel. I liked how they turned out along with the challenge some of them offered considering they were all set in different time periods. A few others I really like include Liam Livings’ And Then That Happened, RJ Scott’s Boy Banned, KC Wells’ A Christmas Promise, and an as yet untitled merman cover I created as a premade that Amber Kell bought off me. Somebody should poke her.
Do you have a favorite cover artist yourself?
I do. I really love Jay Aheer’s work. She does some beautiful pieces.
Did you look at book covers or were influenced by book covers as a child?
I don’t think so much as a child. I was more about the title and blurb, particularly considering what was popular in way of covers back then, or at least for the kinds of books I was reading. It wasn’t until maybe early twenties where I started being tempted by pretty covers, quite a few being the YA type books, or having a striking female model on them.
What do you find most rewarding as a Book Cover Artist?
I just really enjoy getting to work with the authors. I enjoy the sharing of emails, building a working relationship and even friendships.
If you could ask yourself a question, what would it be?
It would be, ‘Have you remembered about that request you got over on Facebook?’ Seriously, I have a terrible memory and am constantly emailing myself or telling people to send details in emails as my inbox is something I have open all day whilst on my computer and can easily check on my phone when I’m not at my desk.
From the Christmas Angel series…
For both the Author and Cover Artist:
- What or how do you see the role of the Book Cover?
Firstly, as an attention grabber. If you’re looking for something beyond the regular authors you read, the title and cover are the first things you’re exposed to so it helps if they make an impression. And secondly, covers can be a way of making a brand for authors. It might be they all have a set look – so maybe a single model on the cover, or simply keeping the font for their name consistent for all their books.
- How has the eBook format changed that , if any?
I don’t think it’s changed it too greatly, in that whether you’re walking a row of books in a store or scrolling through online pages of somewhere like Amazon, covers are there to grab your attention.
- What trends do you see in Book Covers in the industry? Past, present, and future? {for example the rise of the naked half male torso, model overuse, generic covers ,etc.)
I think like with everything styles come in and out of fashion. There was the time of the headless models, shirtless torsos, two models, touched up single image covers, Recently, for me at least, it’s been focusing on a single model on covers, for example The Christmas Angel series and having just one of the characters on there. And unfortunately, because cost is a factor for many authors when paying for cover art, repeated use of models from stock sites is difficult to avoid, but it offers artists the challenge to try and use them differently.
- How do you feel about them?
Personally, I think the only trend I didn’t like was the headless men one. I know it was a way to make use of limited models in the earlier days, plus allows readers to form their own image of the character simply from whatever descriptions the authors wrote about them, but for me, I just wasn’t a fan. Otherwise, each trend has its place and does its job. There’s a risk of all books looking the same, but that’s then up to the artists, and also the authors and their input, to put their own twist on what’s popular.
- Anything you would like to share with our readers?
If you’re interested in my work both as an author and cover artist you can view details at my website meredithrussell.co.uk, or find me over at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/meredithrussellauthor. Thank you.
About Meredith
Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.
Cover Artist Giveaway:
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, February 17:
- Artists and Book Covers Spotlight: Meredith Russell.
- This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
- A MelanieM Review: Hat Trick (Harrisburg Railers #8) by R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey
Monday, February 18:
- Release Blitz Milo by Lily Morton
- Amy Lane Author Guest Post
- Harmony Ink YA John Goode
- An Alisa Review: Port in a Storm (Kitten and Witch #1) by K.L. Noone
- A MelanieM Review: Wolff (Redemption #1) by J.J. Harper
- A Lucy Review: Shine (Uncorked #4) by Shea Balik
- A Free Dreamer Review: For the Clan by Archer Kay Leah
Tuesday, February 19:
- Book Blitz for Blood Lust by L.E. Royal
- Cover Reveal – Broken by Colette Davison
- An Alisa Release Day Review: Diplomatic Relations (The Sci-Regency Series #4) by J.L. Langley
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Ithani (The Oberon Cycle #3) by J. Scott Coatsworth
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: My Fair Brady by K.C. Wells
- A Lucy Audio Review: Rocking the Cowboy by Skylar M. Catesj and Colin Darcy
Wednesday, February 20:
- Ostakis by Angelica Primm
- Review Tour – Sam Burns – Eagle In The Hawthorn (Rowan
- Cover Reveal,- The Rising by Morgan Brice
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Diplomatic Relations (The Sci-Regency Series #4) by J.L. Langley
- A Lucy Review: Sweet (Uncorked #5) by Shea Balik
- A Free Dreamer Review: Eagle In The Hawthorn (Rowan Harbor Cycle #8) by Sam Burns
- A Chaos Moondrawn Review: No Fae is an Island (Endangered Fae #4) by Angel Martinez
Thursday, February 21:
- BLOG TOUR Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock
- An ALisa Review: The Romantic by Elodie Parkes
- A MelanieM Review: Gage (Redemption #2) by J.J. Harper
- A Lila Review The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon by Megan Derr
- A Free Dreamer Review: Foreign to You by Jeremy Martin
Friday, February 22:
- OLD SINS by Charlie Cochrane Tour by Charlie Cochrane
- Release Blitz – Jay Northcote – Better Place (Rainbow Place #3)
- DSP PROMO Andrew Grey on Reunited
- Book Blast – Apple Boy (The Quiet Work #1) by Isobel Starling
- An Alisa Review: Ace of Hearts by Caitlin Ricci
- A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Broken Alpha (The Alpha/Omega Verse #1) by D.C. Juris
- A Caryn Review: Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock
Saturday, February 23:
- Release Blitz Signal – Kris Jacen – Step Up With Me
- “Ithani” by J. Scott Coatsworth Mark (OWL) Tour
- A MelanieM Review: Step Up With Me by Kris Jacen
- A MelanieM Review Waiting on the Rain by Freddy MacKay
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 