Setbacks

Writing a novel is fun and I love it.

Publishing that novel is definitely a job.

In the last week I was supposed to get my manuscript back from my editor and have amazing cover art for it.

Instead, my editor needed an extension because she had to go to the hospital. On the plus side, she said that so far my novel is "brilliant." But it still means having to wait a little longer.

And this morning my cover artist canceled the contract because he is sick and cannot continue it. I will give them both the benefit of the doubt, as I think they are both talented and their work history is at a professional level. I am a bit concerned for the artist though; if he is sick enough to have canceled the contract outright and not ask for an extension, he could very well be seriously sick. 

I do hope they both get better soon. Hopefully I will be able to consider him for a future project.

But this does mean I need to find a new cover artist.

Now, I have a rather robust imagination. Apparently it is unusual to be able to not only hear your own inner monologue, but also "see" detailed, colored scenes as well as "smell", "taste", "hear," and "feel" them. This is a serious advantage when I am attempting to describe a scene, emotion, or situation. I can attack it from various angles, easily rewrite it, go as in-depth as I wish.
But for me it is also a disadvantage when it comes to art.

I don't think in *still* images. What looks good in my head might not look good on paper because in my head, nothing is static. I also default to "photorealistic" things; figuring out an art style is completely foreign for me.

What this boils down to is that I end up scanning through hundreds of examples/samples of artists' works and rejecting the ones I know I don't want. That's easy... the first go around. But then I have to do it again on the ones that are left, and so on, until I have it narrowed down to one. That part is not so easy, partly because I'm not set on any specific style. And it all takes time.

I can't take weeks to decide this time. So wish me luck. My busy schedule just got busier.