tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post1366535069165750379..comments2024-03-14T18:09:09.667-05:00Comments on Do Some Damage: Cover StoriesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-27582532318938408952010-02-19T19:33:42.578-05:002010-02-19T19:33:42.578-05:00Hey Russel - I agree that I have passed over books...Hey Russel - I agree that I have passed over books because of the cover. Many of my published female friends write romance and I am more often than not roll my eyes at the cover that everyone else thinks is really HOT. Unless they are good friends with those covers, I don't buy the book. <br /><br />I, like Mike, am awaiting my very first cover for my first published novel....and thankfully, Minotaur does some pretty awesome covers - Let it Ride is a good example. (Although, now that you got me thinking about it, I'll probably chew my nails off today thinking about this...it's a girl thing!) One nice thing the art department did was ask me to give them some examples of the look and feel I thought appropriate for the book. <br /><br />Mike, you might be able to send your editor a couple of covers that you think evoke the right feel as your work. And if your editor is feeling open to the idea, he or she can share those with the art department. Then again, if your editor says the cover designer is tempermental, you might want to just wait and see...sometimes saying anything makes the designer go the extra mile to create an ugly cover.Joelle Charbonneauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13608552691748018256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-16987222495260323432010-02-19T16:23:54.367-05:002010-02-19T16:23:54.367-05:00Great post, Russel! You can't judge a book by ...Great post, Russel! You can't judge a book by its cover? Ha! That's precisely what covers are for. And the best covers, while they may mask an inferior book, never, I mean NEVER harm sales, whereas a weak cover masking a superior book will invariably harm sales. I'm with you on this all the way.<br /><br />My first novel is coming out this year and the cover hasn't been designed yet. But I have to say that it's causing me a great deal of anxiety. The covers of my publisher's other books are, shall we say, somewhat less than riveting. And I've also learned that the person who designs the covers has a great deal of ego invested in each one as she plays with her PhotoShop to confect these trailing-edge gems.<br /><br />I'm injecting a whiff of humor here, but believe me, there's really nothing funny about it. I'm VERY apprehensive about being able to promote a book in good conscience if the cover is terrible.<br /><br />Do you have any suggestions for me? Have you had similar problems? And how did you handle them?Mike Dennishttp://mikedennisnoir.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-246989857047668622010-02-19T14:20:18.709-05:002010-02-19T14:20:18.709-05:00Me perspective is a little different from Dana'...Me perspective is a little different from Dana's. I absolutely <i>have</i> bought a book because of its cover, and in most cases it has been a good choice. Like Dana, though, covers can and will totally put me off. All the books that get lumped in with the current trend of "paranormal romance" books, or whatever, where it seems they used the same "edgy" model on the cover in leather on a motorcycle or whatever makes those books all but impossible to read. Which makes for unfortunate circumstances when a publisher goes after that market with a cover along those lines for a book that is nothing at all like that.<br /><br />When I drop my $ for a book, though, I want the art too. I want a package I like to look at. I'm like that with books, and I'm like that with music. I rue the day the big gatefold vinyl records left the shelf, and I'm ecstatic that they are making a comeback.<br /><br />Good topic, Russel.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10070278104646895235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119990365479009764.post-27726338681539370902010-02-19T10:51:59.968-05:002010-02-19T10:51:59.968-05:00I've never bought a book because of its cover,...I've never bought a book because of its cover, but I have not bought books because of their covers.<br /><br />I'm with you: simple covers, a few colors, and, for successful authors, a theme so you can recognize them. I know art directors get moist over some of the art work created, but it's a book. I want art, I'll by art. The cover is there to identify the book.<br /><br />That being said, the LET IT RIDE cover is very cool. I particularly like how the halo effect around the letters moves as your eyes change position. Nicely done.Dana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.com