On The Outside: Siobhan Vivian

Siobhan Vivian is the author of the previous release, A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE, and the released today novel, SAME DIFFERENCE. You can visit Siobhan at http://www.siobhanvivian.com/home/

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When I first sat down with my editor to discuss a possible cover for SAME DIFFERENCE, I really didn't have much in the way of ideas. I was still in the process of finishing the manuscript, and the whole thing felt very dizzying and unclear. Honestly, I was stalled.

My editor pitched this concept - a photo shoot of a girl painting on a canvas. You wouldn't see the girl's real face, only her self-portrait.

I understood what he was going for. After all, SAME DIFFERENCE is about a girl in a summer art program. But it became clear to me in that moment that art actually plays a very small part in the story. And I was afraid that putting a painting on the cover would mislead what my book was truly about - a girl figuring out exactly who she was, and divorcing that person from what others thought or expected her to be.

So I promptly went on Getty Images and did some looking around at the stock photos. When I saw the picture that is now the cover, I nearly SQUEED with glee. First off, the girl was PERFECTLY Emily - pretty, but not in a conventional way. Like Ellen Paige from Juno. I also loved the action of her walking through the glass doors, emerging from somewhere, pushing past her reflection in the glass. It was visually so arresting.

I sent that picture over to Scholastic and everyone loved it. My cover was born, and through the process of selecting the image, I had renewed clarity of what I wanted my book to be. I used that fuel and charged through to the end of the draft. Viola!

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Thanks Siobhan!

If any author wants more details on how you can do an On The Outside post with me, please email me at kels.m.17@gmail.com with On The Outside in the subject line and I'll get to you immediately with the details!