byler "Canvas Words"

Mike Wheeler had already published several successful books, but working on this new one was especially important to him. It was a love story about two young men who had to overcome fear, doubt, and self-acceptance. The publisher prepared several cover designs, but none of them satisfied Mike. They looked beautiful, but they completely failed to convey the book's atmosphere.

“It feels like they didn’t even read the manuscript...” he wrote to his friend with displeasure.

Then he remembered an artist his friends had once recommended. Will Byers had long been a commissioned artist, creating paintings, illustrations, and book covers. Thanks to his huge client base, he had almost no free time—he often worked overtime, but never began a cover without reading the entire book.

Mike contacted him by email, described his idea, and sent him the manuscript. That's how their correspondence began.

"I usually read the book first and then start sketching," Will replied. "It's easier to get a feel for the story that way."

He'd only intended to read a few chapters, but he couldn't stop until he'd turned the last page. The book had such a profound effect on him that it haunted him for days. He kept returning to his favorite moments, taking notes, and already envisioning the future cover.

While Will worked on sketches, their correspondence gradually shifted from being purely business-like. They discussed characters, favorite books, art, music, and sleepless nights spent working. Mike increasingly waited for a new message from the artist, and Will found himself replying to him faster than to his regular clients.

They had never met in person before. But the closer Will got to finishing the cover, the more they both wanted to know what the person on the other side of the screen would be like.