No, Don't Stop Me….
I’m going to jump. 
And why, on this fresh but sunny November afternoon? I just got the proposed jacket design for The Early Birds, that’s why. I’m not going to display it yet because I live in feeble hope that they’ll come up with something better. They won’t though.
The aim, apparently, was to give me an Anne Tyler look. All very well because she’s had some spiffing covers, but Anne Tyler is Anne Tyler. How about a Laurie Graham look? And given that Early Birds is a sequel to The Future Homemakers of America, which had a fabulous (and much imitated) cover, wouldn’t you think they’d do a riff on that? Like a row of old ladies in deckchairs? Like a cover that says ‘This book will probably make you laugh.’
I despair. Is it too late for me to do something useful with my life? Firefighter? Brain surgeon? Office cleaner?
Don’t despair. Things might turn out ok! Its the time of year for despairing, I know. Old ladies in deckchairs would be perfect – basically any old face smiling would suit me.
Oh dear! Publishers will do these things; one wonders what they can be thinking. I remember in the ’70s when Penguin decided to give Margaret Drabble covers with mushy, unfocussed photos of women. The message these seemed to be giving out was “This is full of romantic sentimentality and wont appeal to you men, so don’t buy.” Get on to them, Laurie, and give them your objections.