Blog Dis
The cleavage of novel covers...
2026-05-21
I have no shame and, in truth, I've no use for shame. Who really needs shame? What good does shame do for anyone? I can only hope to go through life having something to be ashamed of because then I'd know I had lived with some abandon and truth. Shame gives you something to live down. When I attend fantasy events to sell novels, I'm prepared to happily flaunt cleavage...er... that is the cleavage of my novel covers.
No one should judge a book by its cover yet the metaphorical cleavage of novel covers, if designed well, will entice and tantalize the curiosity of readers, and hopefully will inspire someone to buy and read on.
Whereas, to willingly behave like a hussy, which I've also done, can sometimes illustrate what it feels like to be a novelist. An author must pimp their wares, in the same manner that a novel's cover must pack a punch in its image. An author has no choice but to face the marketing hurdle, not only to promote their novels, but to flaunt themselves. Characters too will occasionally flaunt themselves, their bodies and their talents. We're not so different, me and my characters. And, along the way, I've learned that an eye-popping cover is also no different than cleavage.
When all is flaunted and shame is tossed aside, I love it when I sell the most paperbacks out of any author at a book fair or fantasy exhibition. I begin the day with a wish that the weather isn't gorgeous. Stunning weather does little to encourage people to come indoors, to get off the streets. Exhibition events are counting on sellers to drag as many people as possible indoors, and we do so with a plethora of goodies as I call them — a range of visual sights and costumes, urging people to stay for hours, to check out each vendor and their wares. It's a grand selling day, when I sell enough novels to cover my table fees, on the first evening or by the morning of the next day. The ideal is for every subsequent sale to be counted as bottom-line profit in my pocket.
One table-mate had commented last year to me at Comic-Con in 2025, "You're very charming with your clients." I appreciated hearing this feedback, more like observational comments because I don't often take a step back to examine my behavior objectively. It's important to get input from other sellers, especially strangers, who'll be less inclined to flatter you, for flattery sake. Naturally, I had dressed for the part of a fantasy author who sells Hybrid Fantasy and vampire erotica novels, my Crimson Fantasies. When selling at a hugely popular fantasy exhibition like Comic-Con, wearing a tight, low-cut top will aid with ventilation, as the heat builds up, from thousands of persons filing inside, yet the plus side is being able to cool down the girls, while giving husbands or single men an eyeful of bouncy. Wives are genuinely interested in reading and buying books, rather than how an author looks, and this too is a bonus.
There's nothing wrong with showing off what ya got because eventually what ya got becomes what ya had. I don't want to live my life thinking of what I had but rather what I had at my disposal. Any man who comes to my table, without his wife (because often visitors to Comic-Con will separate) will be treated to an eye-full, a lot to check out, in terms of novels and sumptuous images, as well as three banners. Any free cleavage is merely another unforeseen bonus.
Young girls sell their crafts at Comic-Con. Their youth affords them with the chance to dress in skimpy outfits. Why? Well they have young bodies to flaunt, and I'd do the same, without shame! I know this is part of the appeal when dressing up in costumes to honor Marvel Comics. Not all costumes are prudish. Most costumes are daring, inventive, and pleasing to the eye, and for those well-proportioned women, who are willing to flaunt, this can do wonders for their sales by keeping the curious standing in front of their table. I enjoy watching guys chat up an artist at her table, while enjoying her scenery. Again, there's no shame in dressing up in sexy clothing for the young guys who attend Comic-Con, any more than there's one ounce of shame for young and lithe men to walk around in barely-there clothing, ripped from the pages of a fantasy movie, novel or TV series. When you have a young body, why not?
There are rules at Comic-Con and these are posted prior to entering: No one is permitted to touch anyone, whether they're in a costume or not. It's a simple rule. I've seen the drama, as a security team chases down anyone who has laid their unwanted hands onto someone else's body. Don't do it. Don't even think of doing it! You'll be ejected out of the convention floor, and you'll deserve it. There are no rules that your eyes cannot look, however. Just be respectful and ask for permission first, should you want to take their picture.
Whereas, no one is going to give you a hard time if you want to ogle a novel's cover and its cleavage. In fact, authors want you to photograph their covers and banners.
You talk and talk and talk when selling at conventions. I babble on, endlessly about my novels. I begin every introduction a little differently. One of my favorite lead ins is to ask, "Can I interest you in twisted fiction?" It will either hit immediately, to elicit a chuckle, or it'll fly over, while some men's eyes, standing before my table, will lower for a discrete look. No need to take offence. I do it too when it's a man. Should there be any shame? Heck no. If you have a set of healthy eyes, and these eyes have a mind of their own, then there'll be times at selling events when eyes wander.
With potential female clients, I make no bones about it. I'll promote my work by describing my first series of six novels as cliterature. Thank you heaps to all the women who scoop them up! Mental stimulation is ever so important when it comes to revving up that engine. To all the husbands who buy my cliterature for their wives, thank you most sincerely. It's a wise move to encourage your partner's body to purr, not to stall mid-thrust, waiting for you to develop the skills to be able to reach into their partner's erotic mind.
There is much to the art of selling: the writing comes first, cover design is second (like a deep, plunging cleavage neckline), the intro and delivery to clients, and your booth presentation. I work toward displaying all elements in abundance: a nicely laid out table, and a poster to advertise special prices. Over years of selling, men are attracted to the cover of my second novel, The Crimson Boy, the manly image of a soldier's head, a watercolor painted by me: Study for the Head of a Soldier for the Battle of Anghiari by Leonardo Da Vinci. Whereas, women gravitate to The Crimson Man cover for its colors, plus it's easily the most raw and unadulterated romp into erotica, out of all my novels. The third cover of The Crimson Woman appeals to older women who are pulled in by the freestyle sketch, and because it delves into romance. With my second trilogy in my Crimson fantasies, these showcase stylized photos of actual locales featured in the novels. Ottawans recognize these spots, which is a grand thing. They'll pick up the novel to examine the image, turn it over and read the back-cover.
Whereas, my last novel release called Portals of Middle-Vision (POM) showcases a positively stunning cover, displayed in poster-size, on small business cards, as well as a 6 foot banner, situated prominently in the middle of the table, along with stacks of my big novel, to let readers experience the weight of this brick of a book in their hands.
A banner draws passersby's to your table. It's not just about the cleavage of the novel's cover, although as this post implies, cleavage can and should be viewed as a good thing because it's never a bad thing when selling. The act of engaging your clients and the public in general with witty dialogue and soothing tones is just as important as how an author is dressed, sometimes showing off their cleavage. I know. I know. I should be ashamed of resorting to tactics at all but the symmetry is too hard to resist: bosom and cleavage aplenty goes well when selling vampire erotica. Seems appropriate to me.
You may choose to dress in a costume for fantasy events or not. You may choose to engage your clients or not. You may choose to schmooze your clients with suggestive dialogue or not. I do all. I watch the actions of other sellers at their tables, many of whom stare at their phones all day long, failing to make eye contact with those who walk by, and it's no surprise that their sales are poor. Never forget that customers often don't even know what they want until you take the time to connect with them, to take a sincere interest in their presence, and to thank them for taking time out of their busy lives to come to an event like Comic-Con, where 45,000+ will traipse through over the course of a weekend.
A novel cover will work its magic for you as the author, such as the cover design for POM. My talented graphic designer
@fantasy_art_z
has already finalized the cover design for POM II. This is the first occasion when I'm displaying the copyrighted image. I'm currently in the process of writing this next installment, so Chapter 6 here I come! I keep the cover open on my Desktop to inspire me. If you're wondering, the answer is yes. My characters have cleavage aplenty too, not all, but key characters are aware of the power of their cleavage.
Remember, there is no shame. Shame is something that only you allow, not what others want you to feel.
It's a long process to finish a new novel, and I can't even fathom the length of time that POM II will require for me to complete this continuing story. I only know that whatever years are required, I'll be there with bells on, and several fans running in my small abode, as I slog it out in the summer's heat. Now where did I pack away that low-cut bottom-of-the-sea top of mine?
Here's the first sneak peek of the freakin' awesome cover for POM II. Compare this new dazzling design to POM's cover, if I may recommend, showcased in my X-Header. I believe the cleavage-bearing designs of POM and POM II are in sync. Yes indeedie!
No one should judge a book by its cover yet the metaphorical cleavage of novel covers, if designed well, will entice and tantalize the curiosity of readers, and hopefully will inspire someone to buy and read on.
Whereas, to willingly behave like a hussy, which I've also done, can sometimes illustrate what it feels like to be a novelist. An author must pimp their wares, in the same manner that a novel's cover must pack a punch in its image. An author has no choice but to face the marketing hurdle, not only to promote their novels, but to flaunt themselves. Characters too will occasionally flaunt themselves, their bodies and their talents. We're not so different, me and my characters. And, along the way, I've learned that an eye-popping cover is also no different than cleavage.
When all is flaunted and shame is tossed aside, I love it when I sell the most paperbacks out of any author at a book fair or fantasy exhibition. I begin the day with a wish that the weather isn't gorgeous. Stunning weather does little to encourage people to come indoors, to get off the streets. Exhibition events are counting on sellers to drag as many people as possible indoors, and we do so with a plethora of goodies as I call them — a range of visual sights and costumes, urging people to stay for hours, to check out each vendor and their wares. It's a grand selling day, when I sell enough novels to cover my table fees, on the first evening or by the morning of the next day. The ideal is for every subsequent sale to be counted as bottom-line profit in my pocket.
One table-mate had commented last year to me at Comic-Con in 2025, "You're very charming with your clients." I appreciated hearing this feedback, more like observational comments because I don't often take a step back to examine my behavior objectively. It's important to get input from other sellers, especially strangers, who'll be less inclined to flatter you, for flattery sake. Naturally, I had dressed for the part of a fantasy author who sells Hybrid Fantasy and vampire erotica novels, my Crimson Fantasies. When selling at a hugely popular fantasy exhibition like Comic-Con, wearing a tight, low-cut top will aid with ventilation, as the heat builds up, from thousands of persons filing inside, yet the plus side is being able to cool down the girls, while giving husbands or single men an eyeful of bouncy. Wives are genuinely interested in reading and buying books, rather than how an author looks, and this too is a bonus.
There's nothing wrong with showing off what ya got because eventually what ya got becomes what ya had. I don't want to live my life thinking of what I had but rather what I had at my disposal. Any man who comes to my table, without his wife (because often visitors to Comic-Con will separate) will be treated to an eye-full, a lot to check out, in terms of novels and sumptuous images, as well as three banners. Any free cleavage is merely another unforeseen bonus.
Young girls sell their crafts at Comic-Con. Their youth affords them with the chance to dress in skimpy outfits. Why? Well they have young bodies to flaunt, and I'd do the same, without shame! I know this is part of the appeal when dressing up in costumes to honor Marvel Comics. Not all costumes are prudish. Most costumes are daring, inventive, and pleasing to the eye, and for those well-proportioned women, who are willing to flaunt, this can do wonders for their sales by keeping the curious standing in front of their table. I enjoy watching guys chat up an artist at her table, while enjoying her scenery. Again, there's no shame in dressing up in sexy clothing for the young guys who attend Comic-Con, any more than there's one ounce of shame for young and lithe men to walk around in barely-there clothing, ripped from the pages of a fantasy movie, novel or TV series. When you have a young body, why not?
There are rules at Comic-Con and these are posted prior to entering: No one is permitted to touch anyone, whether they're in a costume or not. It's a simple rule. I've seen the drama, as a security team chases down anyone who has laid their unwanted hands onto someone else's body. Don't do it. Don't even think of doing it! You'll be ejected out of the convention floor, and you'll deserve it. There are no rules that your eyes cannot look, however. Just be respectful and ask for permission first, should you want to take their picture.
Whereas, no one is going to give you a hard time if you want to ogle a novel's cover and its cleavage. In fact, authors want you to photograph their covers and banners.
You talk and talk and talk when selling at conventions. I babble on, endlessly about my novels. I begin every introduction a little differently. One of my favorite lead ins is to ask, "Can I interest you in twisted fiction?" It will either hit immediately, to elicit a chuckle, or it'll fly over, while some men's eyes, standing before my table, will lower for a discrete look. No need to take offence. I do it too when it's a man. Should there be any shame? Heck no. If you have a set of healthy eyes, and these eyes have a mind of their own, then there'll be times at selling events when eyes wander.
With potential female clients, I make no bones about it. I'll promote my work by describing my first series of six novels as cliterature. Thank you heaps to all the women who scoop them up! Mental stimulation is ever so important when it comes to revving up that engine. To all the husbands who buy my cliterature for their wives, thank you most sincerely. It's a wise move to encourage your partner's body to purr, not to stall mid-thrust, waiting for you to develop the skills to be able to reach into their partner's erotic mind.
There is much to the art of selling: the writing comes first, cover design is second (like a deep, plunging cleavage neckline), the intro and delivery to clients, and your booth presentation. I work toward displaying all elements in abundance: a nicely laid out table, and a poster to advertise special prices. Over years of selling, men are attracted to the cover of my second novel, The Crimson Boy, the manly image of a soldier's head, a watercolor painted by me: Study for the Head of a Soldier for the Battle of Anghiari by Leonardo Da Vinci. Whereas, women gravitate to The Crimson Man cover for its colors, plus it's easily the most raw and unadulterated romp into erotica, out of all my novels. The third cover of The Crimson Woman appeals to older women who are pulled in by the freestyle sketch, and because it delves into romance. With my second trilogy in my Crimson fantasies, these showcase stylized photos of actual locales featured in the novels. Ottawans recognize these spots, which is a grand thing. They'll pick up the novel to examine the image, turn it over and read the back-cover.
Whereas, my last novel release called Portals of Middle-Vision (POM) showcases a positively stunning cover, displayed in poster-size, on small business cards, as well as a 6 foot banner, situated prominently in the middle of the table, along with stacks of my big novel, to let readers experience the weight of this brick of a book in their hands.
A banner draws passersby's to your table. It's not just about the cleavage of the novel's cover, although as this post implies, cleavage can and should be viewed as a good thing because it's never a bad thing when selling. The act of engaging your clients and the public in general with witty dialogue and soothing tones is just as important as how an author is dressed, sometimes showing off their cleavage. I know. I know. I should be ashamed of resorting to tactics at all but the symmetry is too hard to resist: bosom and cleavage aplenty goes well when selling vampire erotica. Seems appropriate to me.
You may choose to dress in a costume for fantasy events or not. You may choose to engage your clients or not. You may choose to schmooze your clients with suggestive dialogue or not. I do all. I watch the actions of other sellers at their tables, many of whom stare at their phones all day long, failing to make eye contact with those who walk by, and it's no surprise that their sales are poor. Never forget that customers often don't even know what they want until you take the time to connect with them, to take a sincere interest in their presence, and to thank them for taking time out of their busy lives to come to an event like Comic-Con, where 45,000+ will traipse through over the course of a weekend.
A novel cover will work its magic for you as the author, such as the cover design for POM. My talented graphic designer
@fantasy_art_z
has already finalized the cover design for POM II. This is the first occasion when I'm displaying the copyrighted image. I'm currently in the process of writing this next installment, so Chapter 6 here I come! I keep the cover open on my Desktop to inspire me. If you're wondering, the answer is yes. My characters have cleavage aplenty too, not all, but key characters are aware of the power of their cleavage.
Remember, there is no shame. Shame is something that only you allow, not what others want you to feel.
It's a long process to finish a new novel, and I can't even fathom the length of time that POM II will require for me to complete this continuing story. I only know that whatever years are required, I'll be there with bells on, and several fans running in my small abode, as I slog it out in the summer's heat. Now where did I pack away that low-cut bottom-of-the-sea top of mine?
Here's the first sneak peek of the freakin' awesome cover for POM II. Compare this new dazzling design to POM's cover, if I may recommend, showcased in my X-Header. I believe the cleavage-bearing designs of POM and POM II are in sync. Yes indeedie!
