Note to Book Designers:

Don't do this. 

DON'T DO THIS.

DON'T. DO. THIS.

Publisher: Running Press Kids, April 2011

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, August 2012

I personally know half a dozen talented professional photographers and a dozen trained representational artists who will create a one-of-a-kind image for you for peanuts. Call me if you want their contact information. But please, stop buying the same stock photos, it embarrasses your authors.

For an even more heart-wrenching example of this sort of disservice to authors, see this blog post in The YA YA YAs.