News: Why Historical Romances Have Headless Women on the Covers
So if you've ever browsed the historical fiction/historical romance section of the bookstore, you've probably noticed the trend of beautifully-clad headless women on the covers. The photo or painting is always cutoff at the neck, so that the woman's identity can remain a mystery. But why is this so? An editor at Three Rivers Press, Heather Lazare, offers an explanation over at Read it Forward:
One rep said, “So, what’s up with the headless women?”
Pieces of Ms. Lazare have served as the cover model for several of the newest editions of Jean Plaidy's novels; visit the link above to read more and see pictures from the photo shoots, as well as the finished cover counterparts.
One rep said, “So, what’s up with the headless women?”
Blushing, I found myself fumbling while trying to explain that we wanted the sense of allure, of distance—Jean Plaidy wrote about real historical women and having someone who doesn’t look a thing like Elizabeth I on a jacket could be jarring to a reader. Then again, the other half of me wanted to just tell them, “Well, because it’s the same woman on most of the jackets. Me.”
'The Editor-Model Hybrid is Born' continued here...
Pieces of Ms. Lazare have served as the cover model for several of the newest editions of Jean Plaidy's novels; visit the link above to read more and see pictures from the photo shoots, as well as the finished cover counterparts.
