Stustaff,
No offense taken, your points are all well-received. FYI, I design and create the covers of my novels (your comments bring to mind why I am currently working as a writer and web developer, and
not an artist!), and I write the synopses and blurbs.
Personally, the over-the-top blurbs you selected ("We have survived! So far.") have always seemed overly-melodramatic to me, and I try not to sound so cliche in my writing... also, that blurb is just too long and involved to me, I stopped reading it after the fifth sentence... but I can see how others might be attracted to a book they might otherwise have overlooked. Maybe I'll try that on my site sometime, and see if it boosts sales!
Regarding the covers, to each his own (I would not have been attracted to the Resplendent cover, but maybe the SpaceTime cover. Refer to comment in 1st paragraph). Hey...
I like my covers!
Finally, regarding the site design: The concept of making my site resemble books on a shelf is not lost on me... but at the same time, it's not a look I wanted to replicate. I don't see my novels as "pretending to be printed books," or "books without paper," they are simply
novels, in electronic form.
E-books deserve their own identity, and I designed the site with that in mind. It may not attract those who can only see books as printed products, or e-books as "Pinocchios (I want to be a
real book someday)," but to those who appreciate the unique and independent nature of e-books, I believe the site works fine. IOW, no bookshelf icons for me... e-books don't need bookshelves.
Of course, I'm always looking for ways to improve the SJB, and any tips and critiques are helpful. As it is, the design hasn't changed much in the past 2 years, and if a change is in order, you never know which way I might go...