MobileRead Forums
Register Guidelines E-Books Today's Posts Search

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > Writers' Corner
Reload this Page The Cover is Everything

Notices

Reply
Page 3 of 4 12 3 4
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 05-03-2010, 04:41 PM   #31
DaringNovelist
Addict
DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 197
Karma: 1010202
Join Date: Mar 2010
Device: iPod Touch
I really like templating like that. I would probably have some element of the image change, though. (Kind of like J.A. Konrath has a different drink on the cover of each book.)

Camille
DaringNovelist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2010, 05:02 PM   #32
Dusty Bottoms
Banned
Dusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipseDusty Bottoms can illuminate an eclipse
 
Posts: 187
Karma: 8178
Join Date: Apr 2010
Device: None
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaringNovelist View Post
I really like templating like that. I would probably have some element of the image change, though. (Kind of like J.A. Konrath has a different drink on the cover of each book.)

Camille
That's definitely what should be done, but these are just roughs to show how with no money you can put something together that looks halfway decent.
Dusty Bottoms is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 05-03-2010, 10:39 PM   #33
LeeGoldberg
Connoisseur
LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!
 
LeeGoldberg's Avatar
 
Posts: 82
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Device: Kindle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty Bottoms View Post
That's definitely what should be done, but these are just roughs to show how with no money you can put something together that looks halfway decent.
I think they look great!

Lee
LeeGoldberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2010, 11:34 PM   #34
DaringNovelist
Addict
DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaringNovelist ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 197
Karma: 1010202
Join Date: Mar 2010
Device: iPod Touch
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty Bottoms View Post
That's definitely what should be done, but these are just roughs to show how with no money you can put something together that looks halfway decent.
Well, I wasn't criticizing - those are great.

I'm thinking about a couple of things I may put up myself that are more series oriented. One is a cozy mystery western series which could use something iconic for the covers. The other series is going to be an old-style serial with mystery and thrills and giant carnivorous roly poly bugs. Both of these, if I choose to go the indie route with them, could use a cover scheme like yours.

Although I guess I will do a template for my Wife of Freedom book, which has a sequel. (Actually, I think it has two.)



I'd probably keep the same typography, and the sidebar, but change the image to another classic painting from the period, and change the colors to suit. My only problem is that I have not found another figurative painting that fits the story. There are some decent ones with locations, however.

Camille
DaringNovelist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2010, 02:02 AM   #35
TulagiHotel-HH
Enthusiast
TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!TulagiHotel-HH is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!
 
TulagiHotel-HH's Avatar
 
Posts: 33
Karma: 50000
Join Date: May 2010
Device: Kindle
When I did my POD version of Tulagi Hotel, I used istockphoto.com. It had two images I really liked, and photoshopping was easy. The images set me back 13 euros each.

However, when Diiarts published Tulagi Hotel, I asked my friend who has designed books before to do me a cover, and it made a world of difference. Mind you, he is available for freelancing, so PM me for his contact info.

BR

Heikki

www.tulagihotel.com
TulagiHotel-HH is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 06-19-2010, 07:00 PM   #36
LeeGoldberg
Connoisseur
LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!
 
LeeGoldberg's Avatar
 
Posts: 82
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Device: Kindle
I've completely redone my covers for MY GUN HAS BULLETS, DEAD SPACE, and MAN WITH THE IRON ON BADGE to make them look more professional and for "brand" consistency.

BEFORE



AFTER



BEFORE



AFTER



BEFORE



AFTER



MY GUN HAS BULLETS and DEAD SPACE share the gun/bullet hole motif because they feature the same hero and the same comedic tone. This is the most professional, and the best, MAN WITH THE IRON ON BADGE cover yet. I think I've finally got that one right.

I am confident, based on past experience, that I will see my sales go up as a result of the cleaner, simpler, more professional covers and the "branded" look that's consistent with the previous covers that Carl Graves designed for me.
LeeGoldberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2010, 09:14 PM   #37
Fred Zackel
Connoisseur
Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!Fred Zackel is faster than a rolling 'o,' stronger than silent 'e,' and leaps capital 'T' in a single bound!
 
Posts: 66
Karma: 50000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: none
I love your new covers. I love the evolution and the gal with the gun. Ahhh.

Fred
Fred Zackel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-16-2010, 12:42 AM   #38
LeeGoldberg
Connoisseur
LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!
 
LeeGoldberg's Avatar
 
Posts: 82
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Device: Kindle
I was right...sales went up with the new covers. So I am now updating the cover for my bestselling title, THE WALK, though part of me thinks I shouldn't mess with success.

That said, I'm not tossing the original, but I'm doing an "updated" version of the same concept rather than trying something entirely new, and I can always switch back if there's a dip in sales as a result.
LeeGoldberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2010, 01:17 PM   #39
Valmore Daniels
Grand Sorcerer
Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Valmore Daniels ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Valmore Daniels's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,592
Karma: 2822668
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Kindle
Lee

Your new covers are perfect for the genre and tone, and before I joined these forums, I browsed through amazon and clicked on "My Gun Has Bullets" while on a random browse. Proof that a cover will get a person to go one step further and check out your description.

I now must go back and rethink my cover .... lol ! (Not the image, but how I have the font, because i believe my title and name get lost when reduced to 80px.)

Thank you for sharing this info!
Valmore Daniels is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2010, 07:32 PM   #40
Robin O'Neill
Connoisseur
Robin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbitRobin O'Neill with a running start, can leap into geosynchronous orbit
 
Robin O'Neill's Avatar
 
Posts: 53
Karma: 60900
Join Date: May 2010
Device: PC
another cover change
Today I went from this




to this



I'll just keep doing it until I get it right. Although I liked the knotty pine a good deal and the book takes place in the mountains, maybe it was just too...um too.

Robin
Robin O'Neill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2010, 07:31 PM   #41
RyanMWilliams
Author
RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!RyanMWilliams rocks like Gibraltar!
 
RyanMWilliams's Avatar
 
Posts: 84
Karma: 100001
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Rainier, WA
Device: Nook WiFi
Great thread Lee, thanks for posting the examples. Very useful information.
RyanMWilliams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2010, 08:24 PM   #42
bjones6416
↓↓ Skirt!! Earrings!!
bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bjones6416 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bjones6416's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,394
Karma: 17432172
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Georgia, USA
Device: Acer netbook, JetBook Lite, Sony PRS-300, Kindle 2, Kindle Fire
This thread is fascinating to me, since I'm looking at it as a reader and not as a writer.

I admit, when I was reading p-books, the cover was almost always what drew me in. A good example of that is the Janet Evanovich series -- you can almost always just scan a shelf and pick out her books because the colors and graphics pop, and all the books in the series have a similar cover/layout. When I was trying to finish up reading the series, I used to go to the thrift store and just let my eyes drift over the shelves until I saw one of those distinctive colors. But then again, would my buying books from a thrift store actually help an author in any way? Hmmm.

Since I started buying e-books, though, the cover is rarely any part of my decision to buy a book. More often I'll buy a book based on someone's recommendation here, or I'll scan the bestseller lists and read a few reviews on Amazon. I'm pretty sure I would have never bought any of the Bujold books based on the cover art. Same with the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs -- the covers don't reflect my interpretation of the books, but I read them based on some reviews from here and loved them.

I'll hedge a little bit here and say that maybe on occasion a cover on an e-book will draw me in, but on the other hand a bad cover won't keep me from reading something that I'm interested in reading. After all, with an e-book you never even have to see the cover if you don't want to, and when you're reading in public nobody else sees it either.

Interesting topic.
bjones6416 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2010, 01:02 AM   #43
LeeGoldberg
Connoisseur
LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!LeeGoldberg rocks like Gibraltar!
 
LeeGoldberg's Avatar
 
Posts: 82
Karma: 100000
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Device: Kindle
You'd think a cover wouldn't matter on an e-book. But I have noticed a definite -- and STRONG -- correlation between my covers and my sales. Joe has, too. I guess people still tell a book by it's cover, even when a book is digital!

Lee
LeeGoldberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2010, 08:16 AM   #44
Redfox
aka Anne Lyle
Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Redfox ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Redfox's Avatar
 
Posts: 85
Karma: 437516
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Cambridge, UK
Device: Sony PRS-600
Great thread! I was talking to my OH this morning, idly speculating on what cover design I might end up with if/when my work-in-progress sells, and hoping I get anything like as nice a cover as the UK editions of The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Blade Itself. Neither of those would work too well as ebook covers, IMHO, as they are too complex and subtle - I wonder, do e-editions of books recently published on dead trees keep the cover, or do they get a redesign?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TulagiHotel-HH View Post
However, when Diiarts published Tulagi Hotel, I asked my friend who has designed books before to do me a cover, and it made a world of difference. Mind you, he is available for freelancing, so PM me for his contact info.
Hiya, Heikki! Long time no see! I remember Tulagi Hotel from my time on authonomy - IIRC I thought it was rather good, albeit a long way off my usual beaten track of SF&F. I see Matthew published Pistols... through diiarts as well - do they have a deal with authonomy? (I've been ignoring the marketing emails, since my book isn't finished yet and I want to exhaust the trad route first.)

Oops, almost forgot to mention - I'm Anne Lyle. I joined this site a while back, when I was still mainly using my old email account name as a forum username. You may recall a certain Elizabethan rogue and his money problems...
Last edited by Redfox; 07-23-2010 at 08:21 AM.
Redfox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-23-2010, 12:26 PM   #45
swolf
Junior Member
swolf began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 6
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: none
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeeGoldberg View Post
You'd think a cover wouldn't matter on an e-book. But I have noticed a definite -- and STRONG -- correlation between my covers and my sales. Joe has, too. I guess people still tell a book by it's cover, even when a book is digital!

Lee
When you look at how ebooks are presented online, the strong correlation makes sense. Most of the time it's a long list of books the potential reader can scroll down through, or a grid format, where user is presented with an square array of covers, sometimes without any accompanying text at all.

In this situation, it's only natural that their eye is drawn to the covers that stand out. And as you've pointed out, 'this situation' means a small iconic image, and designing around that helps a cover stand out.

And putting half-naked women on your covers helps too. I can vouch for that.
swolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 3 of 4 12 3 4

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Trade Paperback cover fits my Kindle cover fcmonroe Amazon Kindle 8 08-11-2010 11:43 PM
Can't update cover if file cover.jpg is already in the directory ? q345 Calibre 14 06-08-2010 06:23 AM
PRS-505 w/Sony Light Cover - need carrying cover. petercreasey Sony Reader 1 05-20-2010 04:03 PM
PRS-300 Pictures: Pink 300 + Sony red cover + custom cover h0bbes Sony Reader 5 01-04-2010 12:41 PM
Ended Red (Sangria) Sony PRS505 + Light Wedge Cover + Premium Tan Cover sahmad88 Flea Market 2 09-15-2009 10:50 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:25 AM.

Contact Us - FAQ - Guidelines - Privacy - Top

MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.