DUNE 7 BLOG

Thursday, December 29, 2005

"Hunters" Cover Painting by Stephen Youll

As a way to round out the year and to launch 2006, we are extremely pleased to present Stephen Youll's magnificent cover painting for HUNTERS OF DUNE -- a world premiere, as very few people have ever seen it. I've described in previous blogs how passionate Stephen is toward this work, how he insists on interacting with us during the development and creation of his cover paintings.

His work for HUNTERS is one of the very best in the series, in my opinion. I have it full-sized on my computer screen and I am amazed at all the intricate detail, the careful reflections, and the genuine fervor for DUNE that he manages to incorporate into each piece.

There's a reason why the cover paintings and the dust jacket text are completed so early, long before the book will be published (in fact, months before we even deliver the final manuscript!). The production of a book -- especially a high-visibility title such as HUNTERS OF DUNE -- requires a lot of build-up. The cover art and jacket text are included in the publisher's catalog, which is distributed long before the books are released. Sales reps go to bookstores and buyers, showing promotional material for upcoming titles.

For Brian and myself, seeing the art is very inspirational. Time to get back to editing.

--KJA