09-22-2009, 07:41 AM | #16 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Exactly. And covers also signal what kind of book it is. And the photographic covers above succeed in both ways.
|
09-22-2009, 08:48 AM | #17 | |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Quote:
That's a marketers perspective, not that of anybody who actually cares about design. And if it were true, then why are so many book covers alike? why are so many covers bland? Even if what you said were true (which it is not and hasn't been for a long time) the internet is not a bookstore, we're playing by different rules now. Some of those rules we're making up as we go along, which is all the more exciting. If the object is to just produce some generic crap, then I don't want part of it. There's tons of places on the web where a cover designer can slap you a font on top of some stock art and charge you $100 for the privilege. Screw it, why not just put some fonts on top of a starfield like every other bloody sci-fi book that's ever been published. The cardinal sin is one of second-guessing the imagination of the reader. Pre-loading an expectation of the characters within the text (always a wrong thing to do). If you want a comic book, then buy a comic book. That's full of pretty pictures to look at and you don't have to stretch your imagination any to imagine what they look like. Hopefully this is not the place for that kind of thing. |
|
Advert | |
|
09-22-2009, 08:54 AM | #18 |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
You know what, LordRaiden, stick with what you have. It's obvious this thread is just going to turn into a flame war with the champions of the bland and the inoffensive coming in to push their noses into the process. And I just don't have time to design and defend my design decisions at the same time from an onslaught of those kind of people.
|
09-22-2009, 09:02 AM | #19 |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Here's a nice generic cover so your readers never have to think about what they're reading. Never have to have an imagination (add an explosion or two and you're set for life). Now all any sci-fi writer needs ever do is change the title and the author name.
|
09-22-2009, 09:13 AM | #20 | |
The Dank Side of the Moon
Posts: 35,872
Karma: 118716293
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire
|
Quote:
I don't think anyone every said there was anything wrong with what you proposed, certainly I don't think so. I expressed my opinion on book covers and at least one purpose of those covers. And why is it a "sin" if the photo/artwork matches the description? |
|
Advert | |
|
09-22-2009, 09:21 AM | #21 | |
The Dank Side of the Moon
Posts: 35,872
Karma: 118716293
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire
|
Quote:
as far as the SIN -- if the image matches the description of the author, then there is no guessing involved. |
|
09-22-2009, 09:30 AM | #22 |
Icanhasdonuts?
Posts: 2,837
Karma: 532407
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Mölnbo, Sweden
Device: Kobo Aura 2nd edition, Kobo Clara HD
|
MoeJoe, in no way did I try to belittle your efforts or your design ideas, which I think is quite marvelous in fact.
I just stated the fast that sometime what you call a "shake'n'bake" cover (And I agree that that is what it is) can make someone who doesn't know exactly what they are looking for makes them pick out a book by the cover. I like plain covers, I said that, and also that when it comes to the old skool dead tree variety of books, I like them to have nice spines that look good in the bookshelf. If you feel offended by that, I am again sorry, it was not my intention at all |
09-22-2009, 09:34 AM | #23 |
Sci-Fi Author
Posts: 1,157
Karma: 14743509
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Michigan
Device: PC (Calibre)
|
I like my covers to relay an "idea", not a whole story. So my tastes tend to be somewhat in the middle. Moejoe does great work, and as for his suggestion for the logo for Earthfleet, I love it. His suggestion of consistency also works (ie, I'm sticking with simplified space scenes that relay a key idea from the book) and I've been trying to follow it, albeit loosely.
And you know what? I think moejoe just sparked an idea in my head for the cover of book 5! His Earthfleet logo he posted, on an all black background (or maybe a field of stars) would make the perfect cover. Now I just need him to help me put some spit and polish on the other two covers. |
09-22-2009, 09:41 AM | #24 |
Kevin Gerard
Posts: 30
Karma: 499848
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: San Diego
Device: none
|
God of Lightning!
I go to the graduations and hire students from the Art Insitute of San Diego. They are excellent artists, they get a job right out of school, and they're inexpensive because they want to build their portfolios.
They have Art Institutes everywhere so check it out. If you can't find anyone let me know and I'll give you a couple of e-mail addresses. FaTaLiTy!!!!!!!!! |
09-22-2009, 11:13 AM | #25 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,790
Karma: 507333
Join Date: May 2009
Device: none
|
Quote:
Though, admittedly, in this particular instance you happen to be right. - Ahi |
|
09-22-2009, 12:14 PM | #26 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 8,478
Karma: 5171130
Join Date: Jan 2006
Device: none
|
As someone who uses both character and abstract covers pretty much interchangeably, I'd say that it depends on a lot of factors. The intent of a cover is simply to catch your eye, nothing more... but if you're going to do a cover, it should be at least strongly related to the subject.
It's important to note that not every story idea translates well into abstract representation. Abstracts can be "pretty pictures" in themselves, but if they give no hint to the story itself, I'd say they aren't doing the job they should be doing. They might as well be swimsuit models, then, depicted just to drag the fanboys in, regardless of the contents. I also don't have a problem using characters (or other story-related elements) for a cover, as long as they are intended to resemble the characters/elements depicted. As I go to a lot of trouble selecting character graphics based on the characters they represent, I'd say this method can be very effective. Most importantly, I think it's wrong to be too concerned about the book cover as art. The literature is the art here... the cover is merely a packaging designed to encourage more people to check out the art. If the cover succeeds in that task, it's done its job. |
09-24-2009, 08:57 AM | #27 |
Sci-Fi Author
Posts: 1,157
Karma: 14743509
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Michigan
Device: PC (Calibre)
|
On a side note to the question of consistency in covers across all the books, I've started finding ways in which to do that already, as I did a bit of tinkering on book 3's cover again, and came up with this:
which in turn plays off the cover of book 2. Sure, it doesn't stick with book 1's design, but that was more a "pull it out of your **** at the last moment" concept, since I really had no idea what to do for the first cover. I may eventually though go back and correct that. ^_^ |
09-24-2009, 09:26 AM | #28 |
Exwyzeeologist
Posts: 535
Karma: 3261
Join Date: Jun 2009
Device: :PRS-505::iPod touch:
|
I don't see anything crediting NASA for the use of the Blue Marble.
|
09-24-2009, 09:36 AM | #29 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,790
Karma: 507333
Join Date: May 2009
Device: none
|
|
09-24-2009, 10:30 AM | #30 | |
Exwyzeeologist
Posts: 535
Karma: 3261
Join Date: Jun 2009
Device: :PRS-505::iPod touch:
|
Quote:
As for the "front", the original Blue Marble mostly showed Asia, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. Newer versions are composites, and the "front" varies depending on which one you use. The shot on Lord Raiden's cover is the 2001 composite found at the bottom of the wiki page. |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
FREE artwork and photography for book covers! | Williamlk | Writers' Corner | 15 | 11-30-2010 09:44 PM |
Oh My - Controversial Artwork Destroyed! | kennyc | Lounge | 212 | 11-22-2010 12:28 PM |
Now for some controversial Christian artwork | ardeegee | Lounge | 17 | 10-10-2010 11:19 AM |
Paying for Online Content (Magazine writer Question??) | cancelx | General Discussions | 26 | 04-25-2010 09:24 PM |
What's a new writer to do? | astrodad | News | 11 | 12-01-2008 04:25 PM |