The mid-summer publication date for Between the Devil and the Deep is fast approaching, the first proofs have landed for us to work through, and we want to offer our supporters this exclusive first look at the artwork that will grace the cover.
The simple but striking design features an image of Martin Robson set against the imposing darkness of the deep. Dominating the page, the book’s title has been given a distressed look, playfully hinting at the trouble creeping up behind him. The title itself will be completed with silver foil to give the book a sense of refinement, and to also help us stand out in the marketplace.
The cover was designed by Mark Ecob, whose artwork has graced the front of books for the last 20 years. Currently art director for Unbound, Mark has produced covers for the likes of Michael Palin, Iain Banks, Alexander McCall Smith, the creator of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, and a book written by one Barak Obama.
Mark’s work on the composition of our cover has been painstaking. At first glance, there might not appear to be a lot going on, but his image is minimal, stylish and terrifying. The background has been coloured the right amount of black to capture the vastness and claustrophobia of the darkness two hundred metres below the surface of Blue Lake. Then there’s Martin’s fin interacting with the title, as if the word Devil has already taken hold of him. The shortened subhead, which centres the story on Martin’s battle with the deep, has also been coloured yellow to match his bailout cylinder.
Sticking with the minimalist feel, the back cover features a pull-out quote from the book, also in yellow, that captures the nightmare Martin faced after he was first paralysed with decompression sickness. It reads: “His life was in free-fall. He could tell that by the depth gauge on his working computer which flickered with increasing pace; by the pressure squeezing his ears; by the way everything felt strange from the waist down. Beneath him, there was nothing but the dark discouragement of the deep.”
The collaboration on the cover has been challenging at times, as we worked with Mark and the Unbound team together to accurately reflect the look at technical diving, all the while aiming to create something fresh.
The cover would not have been possible without the talents of Russian underwater photographer Anna Kozlova. She took the image of Martin as the Blue Lake expedition got underway, just days before the life-and-death events that feature in the book. We are delightedAnna has given perimssion to use the image because it captures Martin in his element and highlights what is needed to venture into the extremes. Her other work is certainly worth checking out.
Finally, we’ve had great feedback from the editors who have worked on the book with us. For the first word about what is heading your way, perhaps the thoughts of our experienced development editor, Richard Collins are a good indication of what you can expect. A non-fiction editor with more than 40 years in the industry specialising in history and biography, Richard was tasked with giving the book its first polish. In his letter to us after working through the manuscript, he wrote: “To say that I was gripped, and by a subject about which until now I knew very little (and probably understood less), would not do it justice. A truly excellent read; I cannot praise it too highly. It thrilled, educated and, in its illustration of a terrifying disease/sickness, appalled in equal measure.”
We hope you like the cover for Between the Devil and the Deep. Please share it on social media and help us to spread the word about the book ahead of publication on July 22.
Thanks for your support.
All the best
Mark and Martin