I am thrilled to welcome fellow author, Helen Matthews to my blog today for Thursday Themes following the recent re-release of her brilliant novel, Girl Out of Sight.
Read on for this fascinating insight into the world of book covers and to learn more about this outstanding novel.
‘Cover Story’ BY HELEN MATTHEWS, AUTHOR OF GIRL OUT OF SIGHT
We all know the old adage ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. This probably holds true for many important decisions, such as choosing a life partner. Whether we’re straight or LGBTQIA+, many of us have fallen for the handsome hunk who turns out to be a control freak or the vacuous beauty who has nothing to say. But when it comes to choosing a book, we should be able to rely on the cover to guide us.
What’s prompted me to think about covers? It’s because my latest psychological suspense thriller Girl Out of Sight has just been rereleased by Bloodhound Books. This is a new ‘old’ book. It’s actually a third edition (lightly edited) of a novel that was first published with the title After Leaving the Village (the red cover) in 2017 by another press. In 2022 the rights were returned to me and it was republished by Darkstroke Books with the dark blue cover and image of a closed front door. I’m thrilled to say the latest version with stunning light blue cover depicting the shoes and shadow of an unseen woman is available to download from 29th July.
Girl Out of Sight is a suspense thriller with a theme of human trafficking and this is not a spoiler because most readers will swiftly work it out for themselves. It’s the main character who is unaware of what’s going on. The story opens in Albania where seventeen-year-old Odeta has left school and is working in her father’s shop in a remote village. Her life isn’t especially grim but it’s colourless and she thinks nothing interesting will ever happen to her again. Then an enigmatic stranger from the capital, Tirana walks into the shop and tells her about the dazzling career she could have if she travelled with him to London. Odeta’s dream of an exciting new life is about to turn into a nightmare.
After Leaving the Village won first prize in the opening pages of a novel category at Winchester Writers’ Festival and sold well by small press standards. It was in bricks and mortar bookshops and I was invited to hold book launches in two branches of Waterstones. Other bookshops hosted me for signings. One independent bookshop owner became an advocate of the novel, describing it as ‘One of the most important books I’ve been involved in launching’. My book became a number one bestseller in his shop!
My original publisher had a sales team and their business model focussed on selling into physical stores and overseas. The book made it into libraries around the world from Singapore to Santiago and was recently spotted by an author friend in an airport bookshop in South Africa! But the eBook never properly took off. I’ve since figured out some of the reasons – no dynamic pricing, for example, but could it also have had something to do with the cover or the title?
When we buy an eBook from Amazon and other online retailers, we rely on a split-second view of a cover image that’s smaller than a postage stamp. If that image doesn’t signal psychological suspense thriller to readers, they will scroll past without clicking to read the blurb.
The red cover of After Leaving the Village was designed by a professional cover artist and includes original sketches. The artwork is a thing of beauty and I was delighted with it but – back then – what did I know? My publisher was looking for a standout cover that was striking and different. This worked because bookshop owners told me readers picked the novel up when it was displayed on a browsing table. But what if it wasn’t on a table?
When After Leaving the Village had been out a year and sales were tailing off, I did my own survey, on social media, asking people what genre they thought it was. To my disappointment, a good number of them said the cover made them think it was historical fiction and commented, ‘I don’t read that so I haven’t looked at it.’
For its resurrection – the second edition with Darkstroke Books and now the third edition with Bloodhound Books – my novel is in safer hands. The revised title Girl Out of Sight is appropriate to the suspense thriller genre AND the blue covers are just right. While the dark blue cover accurately signalled the ‘behind closed doors’ vibe. The new light blue Bloodhound Books cover uses a pair of shoes and a woman’s shadow to set up the mystery.
New covers are one of the ways a book is repackaged to appeal to a different set of readers. Take a look at the three covers side by side. What do you think? If you’re a suspense thriller reader, which book would you pick up? If you have a view, I’d love to hear it. Do follow me on social media and let me know. My details are below.
If you didn’t read the original edition of Girl Out of Sight, you’ll find numerous five-star reviews on ‘zon under the red cover and old title. I’m especially proud the novel was endorsed by Kate Garbers, founder and former managing director of anti-slavery charity Unseen UK. In her Foreword to the original edition, Kate wrote:
Do not be fooled into thinking that the novel you are about to read is based on an isolated occurrence, that Odeta is simply an unfortunate woman. Her story is a very real one for many women today.
If that intrigues you and you care about the plight of the disadvantaged and dispossessed in our society, as well as enjoying a gripping page-turner, this is a book for you.
About the Book:
This prize-winning suspense thriller asks how well you can know the people around you.
Odeta’s life is dull, running her father’s grocery store in a remote Albanian village. So when an enigmatic stranger appears, promising her an exciting career in London, she jumps at the opportunity.
Odeta’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expected…
Kate, a journalist who lives in London, has a seemingly perfect life. But beneath the surface nothing is perfect.
On a visit to her home village, Kate is forced to confront a secret from her past. But it soon becomes clear that nothing is as it seems, and danger is much closer to home than she could have ever imagined.
What connects Kate and Odeta? And can you ever really know your neighbours?
This is a third edition of prize-winning suspense thriller, After Leaving the Village, which was endorsed by anti-slavery charity Unseen UK, and won first prize in the opening pages of a novel category at Winchester Writers’ Festival. It was first published in 2017.
You can download Girl Out of Sight at:
Buy link: https://geni.us/GirlOutofSight
About the Author:
I write page-turning psychological suspense and suspense thrillers and I’m fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant.
My novels include ‘Girl Out of Sight’, a chilling suspense thriller about human trafficking and ‘Facade’ twisty noir about tragedy, guilt and revenge in a family where ‘silence echoes louder than truth’. These novels are published by Darkstroke Books.
From the same publisher my psychological suspense mystery ‘The Girl in the Van’ was the winner of the suspense and thriller genre prize in the prestigious 2022 Pageturner Book Awards. It’s a chilling page-turner that touches on serious and complex themes including individual grief and vulnerability, as well as societal responsibilities towards the disadvantaged and dispossessed. According to an advance reader “It manages to be both thought-provoking and thrilling – no mean feat.”
I’ve been appointed an ambassador for the charity Unseen UL which fights against the scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking. I’m available to give talks at festivals, author events and to local groups about the themes in my novel.
I’d love to know what you think, so please leave a review.
My short story and travel writing collection Brief Encounters is available as an eBook and includes many prize winning and short-listed stories. Take a look at my website over on http://www.helenmatthewswriter.com where you’ll also find my contact details and can tell me what you loved – or hated – about my novels.
Check out my other novels by clicking through to my Amazon page. Find out more at:
https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com
https://www.Instagram.com/helen.matthews7
https://Facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer
