Emma and I met through our mutual former publisher, Staccato Publishing with Heather Savage. I have also participated in her Sophie Lancaster Project, Dare to Shine.
As always, she's awesome to work with--Total Sweetie. I finally got around to sending Emma some interview questions. Thank you Emma Hibbs, for the glorious cover, and for taking the time to tell us about yourself.
Emma please list your many and various
creative outlets.
I first entered the indie publishing scene in 2012 as a YA fantasy author, and
to date I’ve released 6 fiction titles and contributed to 3 charity
anthologies, with one of my short stories being featured in the British Fantasy
Society Journal. But it wasn’t long before I also branched out into my other
lifelong love: art. Most of my work in that respect comes from creating book
covers and graphics for my fellow authors, but I work in several other mediums
too, including graphite, acrylic on canvas, pyrography, and scherenschnitte (German-style
silhouette papercutting). As well as all that, I host a YouTube channel focused
on helping my fellow writers and uncovering the real-world origins of fairy tales
and folklore. So it’s never a dull day in my house!
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Tell us where you're from, where you live now, and the interesting way you spend your winters.
I was born and still live in Cheshire in
North West England, close to the Welsh border. It’s a place of ancient Roman fortresses,
steeped in Lewis Carroll lore and award-winning ice cream (believe me, it’s
delicious!). But every winter I leave it all behind and move into a log cabin
in the middle of the Finnish Arctic. I spend my days telling stories and my
nights under the stars and northern lights. I’ve called Finland my second home
for four years now and winter is a time of year I always look forward to.
What inspires you?
What inspires you?
Anything and everything! I find that
specific themes tend to come out in certain creative outlets – acrylic painting
is a way for me to express my love of nature and landscapes, while my
papercutting focuses more on Victorian-style fantasy illustrations. But I
always find myself coming back to inspirations like dreams, songs, folklore
from around the world, philosophy, my own experiences… I suppose I like to
capture all the ways I see life and beauty, and explore them in new ways –
perhaps even with a message behind it if you care to look for that.
What were your processes for this particular book cover?
As an author myself I understand how important it is to have an eye-catching cover, but also how it should be a true reflection of what the book is about, so I always try to involve the author in the creative process. I started off getting as much information as I could about the story and themes, and that gave me an idea of colour palettes and designs. I went hunting for some resources – all of which I passed by Donna, and we eventually found ones we both liked but which needed a little work to match the vision of the book. After several hours of digital painting and lighting effects, we ended up with the finished cover. It was an absolute joy to work on.
What were your processes for this particular book cover?
As an author myself I understand how important it is to have an eye-catching cover, but also how it should be a true reflection of what the book is about, so I always try to involve the author in the creative process. I started off getting as much information as I could about the story and themes, and that gave me an idea of colour palettes and designs. I went hunting for some resources – all of which I passed by Donna, and we eventually found ones we both liked but which needed a little work to match the vision of the book. After several hours of digital painting and lighting effects, we ended up with the finished cover. It was an absolute joy to work on.
What in the future for you?
I’m currently on the hunt for a literary agent so I can take my stories to the next level, but in the meantime I’m contributing to a new fairy-themed charity anthology due to be released next year through Dreampunk Press. I also have plans to continue working as an artist and graphic designer, and do some travelling around Europe if I can manage it!
I’m currently on the hunt for a literary agent so I can take my stories to the next level, but in the meantime I’m contributing to a new fairy-themed charity anthology due to be released next year through Dreampunk Press. I also have plans to continue working as an artist and graphic designer, and do some travelling around Europe if I can manage it!
Where can people find you and your work?
The wild Emma is usually found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/echibbs), in the Batty Brigade Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/396619150736890/?ref=br_rs), and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/echibbs), but I also hang around Twitter (www.twitter.com/echibbs) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/e_c_hibbs) on occasion. You can also find everything about me and my creations by stepping through the Violet Door (www.echibbs.weebly.com).
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