Goodkind responds to 'sexist' cover art controversy

Terry Goodkind has responded to the controversy over the cover art for his latest book, claiming it was the “sexist misrepresentation” of the characters he had disliked.

The bestselling fantasy author sparked a heated debate last month when he launched a Facebook poll asking viewers’ opinions on the cover for the American version of Goodkind’s Shroud of Eternity (Tor Books), illustrated by French artist Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme. The illustrator subsequently criticised Goodkind’s behaviour and received support from some in the artistic community, with many of Goodkind's fans also joining in the debate.  

Despite drawing criticism from the illustrator and the artistic community, Goodkind kept the poll live, partly to honour his promise to select 10 voters to receive signed books.

The 549-page novel follows sorceress Nicci and her companions who travel to a "wondrous city shrouded behind time", Ildakar, accompanied by dark omens on their way.

“Because the artist has made such an issue over this, I'd like the audience to speak for themselves and let us know how they feel about the cover,” Goodkind told The Bookseller. “The poll seems to reflect that opinion well.”

It attracted 25,500 votes altogether with 72% agreeing with Goodkind’s assertion that it was “laughably bad”.

The American author and former artist revealed that he had “strongly objected to the inappropriate first cover” created by Lecouffe-Deharme but was ignored by his American publisher Tor.

“This second one was even more objectionable in that it completely misrepresents my work,” he said. “I write stories centered around strong female characters. I objected to the sexist cover my publisher commissioned for this book. My books describe the main characters in great detail. If they hadn't, then it would have been very easy for the publisher to give the artist, at minimum, a character description.”

Instead the author believes that Tor “completely disregarded the story” and “told the artist to paint a sexist fantasy cover like those that appeared on dime paperback fantasy magazines, in the 70s.”

He said: “The artist is obviously talented in that he did an admirable job of recreating that hackneyed look.”

Goodkind claimed that he was never shown the cover art but that his agent, Russell Galen, called him “in alarm” when it first appeared on Amazon and that the pair were both “outraged at the misrepresentation of the book with such a dated, chauvinistic image”.

Goodkind said that for many years he had contractual cover approval and art-directed most of his previous covers.

“They were beautiful, tasteful, and represented the unique nature of my stories,” he said. “Since then, I have expanded my writing to contemporary suspense novels and so I okayed the fantasy publisher taking over the covers, with their assurance that they would show them to me along the way and take my input. That hasn’t happened.”

The writer described how after being ignored by the publisher, he wanted readers to know that he “did not endorse the sexist portrayal of my characters” but regrets a lack of clarity over his comments.

He said: “I only regret that I wasn’t more clear that I was not objecting to the quality of the painting, but rather the nature of the image that misrepresents my characters and work. It’s easy for people to confuse those two things.

“I feel that I have a moral right to object to an image that so openly degrades my work. The artist chose to take it as a person insult, which was not my point or intent.”

Last week, Lecouffe-Deharme, told The Bookseller that he was "appalled" by Goodkind's remarks.

The illustrator revealed that his main reaction was that “I was lucky that this happened to me now because if it had happened to me five years ago it would have broken me”.

“I have never heard of this sort of thing happening before,” he said. “A lot of people from the artistic community said they had never heard of it happening before either. I found it completely disgusting behaviour.”

Shroud of Eternity is published in the UK by Head of Zeus with a different cover.

Nicolas Cheetham, publisher at Head of Zeus and Terry Goodkind's editor in the UK, told The Bookseller: “Head of Zeus has published 20 of Terry’s books, and we have enjoyed working closely with him on the covers for all our editions. Terry was an artist before he was an author and his input into the process has always been welcome and constructive."

He added: "Head of Zeus always strives to produce art both author and publisher are happy with.”

Goodkind has sold 719,659 books which have made more than £6m since Nielsen BookScan records began.

The New York-based publisher Tor has been approached for comment.