The Poppy War (Becky's Version)

Dear readers,

I’ve been in this profession for nearly a decade now. What a blessing to be older, more experienced now at what I do, and confident enough to assert creative control.

Six years ago The Poppy War went out into the world, and I was a trembling bundle of nerves.

I did the best I could for that book. I didn’t know how to ask for things. I made compromises. I knew I didn’t want the cover art to play into Orientalist tropes, and I knew I didn’t want a generic, European, epic fantasy cover, but I didn’t know how to communicate or negotiate something in between. I latched onto the first concept that wasn’t dreadful. I thought that if I said anything more, then I would hamstring my career before it had gotten off the ground. At twenty, I was scared of my own shadow.

We’ve grown a lot since then.

Last year, my editor asked me: if we could reissue The Poppy War again today, what would I change? How would the cover look? How would the interior art look?

Well, it would look a lot more like this.

Rin doesn’t hold a bow and arrow. Rin wields a sword. Rin looks like Rin.

The new edition, with art by Rola Chang, doesn’t just have a new cover. It has full-page illustrations of major scenes in every chapter. All my old imaginary friends brought back to life.

It’ll be available in November. If you’d like to preorder it before then, I suggest getting it while it’s 25% off at B&N.

I’m so grateful for everything that’s happened between May 2018 and today. And terrified and exhilarated for everything coming next.

Love,

Rebecca