First Draft of Cover for Once Upon a Kwanzaa

Last week we received the cover sketch for Once Upon a Kwanzaa being illustrated by Sawyer Cloud

Illustrations are always one of the most exciting aspects of writing for me. Seeing my words visually take form. In traditionally publishing, the illustrator and the author rarely talk or meet before, during or after a book project. While I haven’t met any of my illustrators in person, due to my unique path I take to bringing many of my books to life, I often do have at least an online communication and connect with anyone who works on my books.

For Once Upon a Kwanzaa, co-author Sidney McCall and I emailed Sawyer asking if she could pre-illustrate a couple of spreads for us. She created spreads for the first three pages of the book and we include in our pitch from our agents to publishers. Sidney and I paid Sawyer directly for the spreads.

A general rule of thumb: $150 per spread minimum should be compensation for illustrators

Here is a great resource if you aren’t sure what is fair to pay creatives or you are a creative struggling to know what to ask for around your work.

Once the project (Once Upon a Kwanzaa) was picked up by a publisher through our agents, the publisher’s contract with Sawyer handles the finances around the rest of the illustrations and the cover.

At the end of last week, our editor Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids sent us the cover sketch for Once Upon a Kwanzaa being illustrated by Sawyer Cloud. We are over the moon at what she has designed so far and cannot wait to see the cover once it moves into color.

When it comes to designing the cover, Allison sends us questions around what we are looking for to support Sawyer when illustrating it. Here are the responses to the questions we sent to our editor about the vision we have for the cover:

1. What should the cover communicate? What imagery should be considered? Please specify if there are people, icons, and a full scene. What is the mood, vibe, and emotion? Are there references, specific concepts, and/or events in the text that we need to represent on the cover?

In front a “padded” blue quilt tapestry (that curls around to the back cover where a young brown girl in a green dress peeks out giggling from behind the quilt — see girl in blue image for reference) are seven children of different sizes and shades holding the seven candles of kwanzaa 

(L to R: dark brown girl with pink glasses, deaf gullah geechee boy in kwanzaa regalia, dark chestnut afro boy in a wheelchair waves his candle, (middle) black seminole girl traditional dress holds her candle above her head, light brown child in a kaftan cradles their candle, a backpack wearing caribbean girl holds her candle in one hand and holds the hand of a cream colored boy who holds the seventh candle of Kwanzaa. 

Quilt References: 

Traditional Seminole Clothing: 

Armenian: 

2. Are there any covers that you would consider comparative? Please note that they do not need to be Kwanzaa-related titles. If there is another book with imagery or a style/elements you like, please let us know. (We will include Sawyer’s other covers as part of this.) Please list up to three.

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Spools-Thread-Kwanzaa-Paperback/dp/0807573167/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1CDTZL9JERGHO&keywords=kwanzaa&qid=1707241782&s=books&sprefix=kwanzaa%2Cstripbooks%2C145&sr=1-13 

https://www.amazon.com/Candles-Kwanzaa-Scholastic-Printing-December/dp/0590677268/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1CDTZL9JERGHO&keywords=kwanzaa&qid=1707241826&s=books&sprefix=kwanzaa%2Cstripbooks%2C145&sr=1-16

https://www.amazon.com/Candles-Glow-Elizabeth-Crispina-Johnson/dp/1944967095/ref=sr_1_4?crid=143Z89E5T4OKY&keywords=children+books+candles&qid=1707241892&s=books&sprefix=children+books+candle%2Cstripbooks%2C139&sr=1-4

https://images.app.goo.gl/QfsTRjGbgffP46ty6 

OTHER HELPFUL IMAGES IN CONTEXT OF THE STORY

Black Quiltmaking Textiles and Traditions: https://www.amazon.com/Patchwork-Quilt-Valerie-Flournoy/dp/0803700970/ref=asc_df_0803700970/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312680791333&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7386833967713285618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028808&hvtargid=pla-491074316106&psc=1&mcid=73351655db6f34efadae55ff2d6ae02e&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62255331975&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312680791333&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7386833967713285618&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028808&hvtargid=pla-491074316106

Storytelling through Quiltmaking: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Quilt-25th-Anniversary/dp/1442482370/ref=asc_df_1442482370/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312678886999&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7386833967713285618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028808&hvtargid=pla-570078930231&psc=1&mcid=03d7bdcf11223339996707a77e993e63

Communal Quiltmaking: https://www.amazon.com/All-Together-Quilt-Lizzy-Rockwell/dp/0375822046/ref=asc_df_0375822046/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459515588584&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7386833967713285618&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028808&hvtargid=pla-956484508058&psc=1&mcid=db2b758228803685bde41f79819a226c

https://images.app.goo.gl/3g5w5CtooX3Av1Se6 

I just noticed as I was adding the cover sketch that my bio on the flap is a little dated, feeling more the 2019-2020 me rather than 2024 me. I definitely adding that to be edited on the to-do list with the publisher.

Sidney and my illustration notes for this book were the most extensive I have ever done to date and something I will share in this space along with other aspects of the creative journey surrounding this book.

If you missed the post on the rough draft character sketches for Once Upon a Kwanzaa, check the post out here.

Please share what you think of the cover. I love feedback, complements, and critique from the community that supports and follows my work.