A Cover, Oh So Political

No, I never thought I'd be publishing The Other Side of the Ocean under America's current administration. I seldom share the journey of designing a book cover. While many people claim to never judge a book by its cover, as a marketer, I know that’s mostly false. And a book like TOSOTO would not only be judged by its cover but also by its controversial premise.

This was a book I wrote during the pandemic when I first started seeing my therapist. Though fiction, many of the moments Mateus Franco witnesses are based on real-life events—either experiences my friends lived through or stories from the immigration community around me.

At first, I wanted the cover to feel light, its colors serving as an anchor to hope and romance. See a few examples below.

I worked on these covers in the summer of 2024. My team and I were proud of them. They were YA, bold in color, and had the main character front and center. Then January 21st, 2025, happened. And the more I read about the United States' current administration and its stance on immigration, the more I felt compelled to shift the tone of the narrative. Yes, TOSOTO is a coming-of-age story where the character experiences first love and self-discovery. But at its core, TOSOTO is a testament to the truth many Dreamers (undocumented people brought to the United States at a young age) experience.

We already had a book trailer, promos, and print files ready to go. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to pull the plug on the project altogether. I reached out to my agent and my team, expressing my concerns about releasing a book like this in 2025. While they all supported whatever decision I made, one sentence stuck with me: "There's something to be said for the fact that in a time of uncertainty and darkness, it's good to have something bright and hopeful in a reader's hands."

That sentence reminded me that the most disastrous events in history have brought forth the most thought-provoking artistic expressions. I looked at our covers again after reading it and told my team that yes, I was on board with pressing on—but we needed a cover that conveyed the truth: America’s current immigration system isn’t a glittering sea so clear you can see the bottom. It’s dark waters dancing to strong winds amidst a torrential storm. I explored different concepts, trying to find a balance between hope and fear while illustrating the chasm between the place the character is from and the place where his roots have expanded. A few weeks later and I shared the concept below with my team.

We all liked it but agreed that we needed something bolder, more nuanced—imagery that, even when set against darker tones, conveyed the truth: no matter how messy our narratives become, they are still ours, connected by a common thread. I went back to the drawing board and finally created a cover that we all believed truly reflected the essence of this novel.

A book cover is the first impression readers have of a story. It sets the tone, shapes expectations, and serves as an unspoken invitation into the world within its pages. More than just an aesthetic choice, a cover is a visual narrative—one that has the power to evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and create a connection before a single word is read. It’s the first thing that will capture a reader’s attention, the element that will either make them pause and pick up the book or move on.

For The Other Side of the Ocean, the cover needed to be more than just an artistic representation; it had to reflect the raw, messy, and often distorted truth of the immigration system in the United States. Immigration is not a linear journey—it is filled with complexities, contradictions, and struggles that are deeply personal yet widely shared. The cover had to embody that experience: the longing for a better future, the fear of the unknown, the weight of identity, and the resilience that keeps people moving forward despite every obstacle in their path.

This book wasn’t written from a place of victimhood and shame. It was written from a place of empowerment—a story that acknowledges hardship but refuses to be defined by it. It is a testament to perseverance, identity, and the unwavering spirit of those who dare to dream beyond borders. At some point in our lives, we all experience moments of displacement—times when we feel we don’t fully belong. But belonging is not always about where we are; it’s about who we are and the strength we carry within us. And when that moment of uncertainty comes, it is up to us to embrace change, take control of our narrative, and trudge forward with courage and conviction.

TOSOTO is more than just a novel; it’s a reflection of real-life struggles, triumphs, and the enduring hope that fuels the immigrant experience. And just like its cover, the story inside is bold, unfiltered, and deeply personal—because some truths need to be seen and felt before they can be understood.

PRE-ORDER TOSOTO TODAY