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Single Cover Historicals

There was great interest by all involved with the historical category. I believe this is because historical romances are such a big part of the romance marketplace and because the big publisher dollars are spent on historical covers. We encountered problems in our erotica and stepback nominations. Thus, we redid the configuration so that we now have two historical voting categories and no erotica and stepback categories. These new categories are single cover historicals and two cover historicals. The two cover means that there is a stepback in addition to the front cover. We discovered that when you look at the stepbacks, you also have to look at the front cover because they were designed as a package. This means that the front cover on the single cover historical would usually be the stepback in a two cover historical whereas the front cover on a two cover historical entices you into the stepback. Thus, two cover books are always going to need their own categories for voting.

In looking at our single cover historical nominations, depictions of the characters played a prominent role but not an exclusive one. We immediately see evidence of expense factors that often aren’t present in other voting categories. These include using well known, good looking cover models, costumes, sets and props. That’s considerable expense the publisher goes to even before an artist begins to paint/illustrate the cover.

I expected to receive some Regency Romance titles as part of this single title historical category. However, I didn’t receive a single nomination. Thus, I am including it on the nominating ballot under the Single Cover Historicals category. You can nominate any cover first released in 1999. This is true even if it is a reissue of a older book but still a new, 1999 cover.

I am astonished that the artist for Woman of Passion by Delacorte, below, was not credited. This cover was nominated many times and scored in first place with AAR staff in this single cover category. The book is a hardcover release, and such books almost always provide art credits. Had I been the artist for this book, I certainly would have been extremely upset not to have received a credit on the book itself. Author Marsha Canham wrote in after reading this column to report that Lynne Sanders is this cover’s artist/illustrator. Saunders is model Cherif Fortin’s partner and he is the male cover model featured on Woman Of Passion.

Our nominees in this single cover historical voting category follow.

Delacorte; artist, Lynne Sanders Pocket; jacket design, Lisa Litwack Bantam; artist, Franco Accornero Pocket; art: Laura Lindgren, design; cover, Brian Bailey

Zebra/Kensington; no art credit Leisure; no art credit Bantam, artist, Franco Accornero Sonnet; artist, Franco Accornero

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