Choosing a Cover
Like most choices in life, there’s a story behind the selection of the book’s cover image. Young David play the harp (or is it “lyre”?) was one image. The background wall was another. Both had to be cropped and Photoshopped and the David image dropped into wall’s boarded up window opening.
Here’s the history: my publisher, WestBow Press, uses a photo stockhouse with a million images. After looking at about 5,000 of them, I still couldn’t find what I thought was appropriate. No, I’m not really picky. But I wanted something as artistic as the poems themselves, that represented Psalms, and that was beautiful enough to leave on my nightstand or end table. OK, maybe I am picky.
I began looking outside WestBow’s source and came across several photos of paintings or windows depicting King David. Frankly, he looked kind of old and grumpy in most of them. Finally I found a youthful David from a seller on Etsy. We emailed each other several times. I almost purchased rights to his photo of a window in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in upstate New York, but the terms of purchase didn’t give me a sense of peace.
Jokingly I told my husband Philip that maybe I just needed to buy a window. I have a collection of stained glass windows, many of which were purchased on eBay. So that’s where I looked and found this window listed for $32,000. Couldn’t afford it, but the owner and photographer of cover image, Charles Ticktin, sold me permission to use his image. I think it’s perfect.
Was I frustrated during the search? Yes, a little. Was I disappointed when negotiations fell apart for the church window? Yes, a little. Should I have trusted that God had chosen the perfect image for me and would reveal it in His timing? Yes, a lot.
Speaking of Jesus in Mark 7:37, the masses proclaimed, “He hath done all things well.” KJV
Yes, He has. Thank you, Lord, for providing the perfect, beautiful cover image. And thank you for making it a stained glass window. You always do all things well.
If only the window had been priced in my budget…
Window image by Charles Ticktin, Owner/Photographer, Los Angeles, CA. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
God's Song 