can I get feedback on my ebook cover

[Format C:]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Here's the latest two.
[...]

Delete them and start over.
They scream "amateurish" from every angle.

If you want to use a full size photo, you'll need a lot of negative space to put the writing on (see Lee Child for examples).
If you want to use a photo without negative space, use a plain background for the title/author name (see Michael Connelly for examples)

The image, of course, has to suggest the mood of the story...

[BeccaPrice]

I'm not sure what the whole lock/dumpster doors have to do with your story. Does it relate to some specific scene in the book?

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Format C:

Delete them and start over.
They scream "amateurish" from every angle.

If you want to use a full size photo, you'll need a lot of negative space to put the writing on (see Lee Child for examples).
If you want to use a photo without negative space, use a plain background for the title/author name (see Michael Connelly for examples)

The image, of course, has to suggest the mood of the story...[...]

I think your assessment is overly harsh, especially in light of your examples.

I don't mind the Lee Child cover, but the Michael Connelly book screams cobbled together Internet clipart (as do a great many of the traditionally published books these days).

[gmw]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I'm not sure what the whole lock/dumpster doors have to do with your story. Does it relate to some specific scene in the book?

I don't think a cover necessarily has to represent a specific scene. It should reflect the mood and nature of the book if it can, but specifics ... no. Of course this does vary with genre. You see this departure from specifics in a lot of traditionally published covers in particular, just look at the two examples cited by Format C: above.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Format C:

Delete them and start over.
They scream "amateurish" from every angle.

If you want to use a full size photo, you'll need a lot of negative space to put the writing on

Your way is by no means the only way.
The green door serves as a fine background for text.
There's a plenty of good looking covers that put text over an image.


Although, perhaps the area of the image that has the text should be darker, like cast in shadow, if not outright faded to black.

As for the mood of the image fitting the story, I have not read it but, I assume it was not a random choice of stock photography.

It does, however, still lack something that the best professional covers have, but I'm at the limit of what I'm equipped to suggest. To do much better than this last version, I would turn to a professional.

ApK

[Dr. Drib]

I find it also interesting (when possible) to compare two cover images and attempting to see what each one is trying to convey.

Here's another cover for "Inferno":





Don

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I find it also interesting (when possible) to compare two cover images and attempting to see what each one is trying to convey.

Here's another cover for "Inferno":


Don

Hehe...from the thumbnail view, at least, that second one seems to be saying "we know you'll buy this just because Dan Brown's name is on it."

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by ApK

Hehe...from the thumbnail view, at least, that second one seems to be saying "we know you'll buy this just because Dan Brown's name is on it."

And I bet they are right. I should have picked Dan Brown as a pen name lol

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I find it also interesting (when possible) to compare two cover images and attempting to see what each one is trying to convey.

Here's another cover for "Inferno":



Don

It also illustrates how where a given copy of a book is published will affect the image and/or title I think. J.K. Rowling's 1st Harry Potter book is an example. In some countries The Philosopher's Stone is mentioned while in others it's called The Sorcerer's Stone. Agatha Christie is another example of this. Some (if not all) of her books have at least two titles depending on where the copy was published (England or the U.S.).

[Bilbo1967]

Yes, see also the Lee Child page on the Reacher books here. I think I'm right in saying that the right hand image is the UK version and the left hand image the US version of the cover art.

I personally vastly prefer the UK versions, but I guess that the US versions look like that for a reason, presumably market research shows they sell better.

[Anna Drake]

I struggle with covers. So I'm hesitant to offer advice. But J. M. Ney-Grimm has done several very good articles on covers on her blog. The following link isn't the article I remember reading, but I think it still shows a lot of what can be done with design. Her first article gave interesting tips. For example the words should fill the page. If you look at the examples above, Brown fills the cover from side to side for Inferno. Also with Inferno, the initial "I" in Inferno appears to be larger than the rest of the type. Her advice was to dress the words up. (My description. Not hers. Hers was much better put.) Anyway, here is, at least, the link to her most recent posts on covers. I hope it helps. She really, I think, has a flair for them.

http://jmney-grimm.com/category/behi...over-concepts/

[Bronte]

The graphics are pretty good, but I would definitely change the fonts play around with types and sizing-especially your name it should be in color to stand out more. Look at other best selling books to get an idea of what to do.

[Gregg Bell]

Thanks guys. Sorry, I probably deleted the cover I was displaying here. I found one I'm going to use instead. Thanks for all the help.