David Eddings USA ebooks back

[MGlitch]

Tor has done something similar with the covers to the Wheel of Time books. They’re now generic junk with a symbol of the series superimposed on a plain background. I suspect WoTs case was done ahead of the TV series, because the previous covers don’t line up with casting choices, but the current covers look like something from a graphic design 101 classes homework assignment. They give no hint of the world or story.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Tor has done something similar with the covers to the Wheel of Time books. They’re now generic junk with a symbol of the series superimposed on a plain background. I suspect WoTs case was done ahead of the TV series, because the previous covers don’t line up with casting choices, but the current covers look like something from a graphic design 101 classes homework assignment. They give no hint of the world or story.

I've noticed a number of backlist eBooks doing this. My understanding is that a lot of this is that the either the contract the publisher had with the cover artists didn't include eBooks, or the contract expired. I suspect the graphic design cover is simply cheap to use. I typically use Calibre to download the original cover. I do have some books where I couldn't get the original cover and scanned the original book cover.

I liked the original covers for the Wheel Of Time books. The covers they replaced them with in the eBooks where not as good, IMPO. If they replaced those with something else, then you may be right about the TV series.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Tor has done something similar with the covers to the Wheel of Time books. They’re now generic junk with a symbol of the series superimposed on a plain background. I suspect WoTs case was done ahead of the TV series, because the previous covers don’t line up with casting choices, but the current covers look like something from a graphic design 101 classes homework assignment. They give no hint of the world or story.

I've ust had a look at the first eBook cover for WoT and the font used is awful. IT looks like someone scribbled on the cover.

[Dr. Drib]

What I dislike - intensely! - is when the artist uses a photo cover showing the author's wife or girlfriend or mistress (but never all three together in one shot, thank god) in the foreground; and in the background, a grassy or hilly mountain plain, along with a skyscraper or two, as if this wacky combination can somehow entice one to read what might otherwise be a pretty good piece of fiction. But you'd never know it.

These types of covers are usually abysmal, and the 'models' look like they are experiencing an extreme case of constipation.

[MGlitch]

Just so we're all on the same page, these are the covers I'm talking about:

Spoiler:

There was a different set designed a bit back for both epub and trade paperback pbooks, those covers were pretty divisive as well, though they still did a better job than this current crop does of portraying anything about the story.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Just so we're all on the same page, these are the covers I'm talking about:

Spoiler:

There was a different set designed a bit back for both epub and trade paperback pbooks, those covers were pretty divisive as well, though they still did a better job than this current crop does of portraying anything about the story.

I was looking at the UK covers.

[MGlitch]

Ugh both are really just terrible. I’d probably have never picked the series up with any of these covers.

[JSWolf]

Here are more of the UK covers.

[maddz]

For ebooks, I prefer the plainish graphic covers, especially for an e-ink reader. Fancy colour are a bit pointless. As long as the contrast is good in b&w, a plain graphic with the title in a decent-sized font is OK by me.

For a pbook on the other hand, there’s nothing to beat a nice cover, especially by Charles Vess or Michael Whelan.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

What I dislike - intensely! - is when the artist uses a photo cover showing the author's wife or girlfriend or mistress (but never all three together in one shot, thank god) in the foreground; and in the background, a grassy or hilly mountain plain, along with a skyscraper or two, as if this wacky combination can somehow entice one to read what might otherwise be a pretty good piece of fiction. But you'd never know it.

These types of covers are usually abysmal, and the 'models' look like they are experiencing an extreme case of constipation.

If the point of cover art is to sell books, that sort of cover is an epic fail. I tend to just scroll past the book when I see it. I just assume the author didn't bother hiring a professional editor either.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by maddz

For ebooks, I prefer the plainish graphic covers, especially for an e-ink reader. Fancy colour are a bit pointless. As long as the contrast is good in b&w, a plain graphic with the title in a decent-sized font is OK by me.

For a pbook on the other hand, there’s nothing to beat a nice cover, especially by Charles Vess or Michael Whelan.

I'm paying for the eBook. I want the correct cover and not some generic garbage that most big publisher eBooks use these days. Also, if I am using cover view, I want to see the proper cover.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by maddz

For ebooks, I prefer the plainish graphic covers, especially for an e-ink reader. Fancy colour are a bit pointless. As long as the contrast is good in b&w, a plain graphic with the title in a decent-sized font is OK by me.

For a pbook on the other hand, there’s nothing to beat a nice cover, especially by Charles Vess or Michael Whelan.

The original cover art for The Eye of the World was Sweet! (i.e. the cover artist was Darrel Sweet ). I liked the original cover art, it was part of why I bought the book back when it first came out. The style reminds me of Modesitt's Magic of Recluce series.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

If the point of cover art is to sell books, that sort of cover is an epic fail. I tend to just scroll past the book when I see it. I just assume the author didn't bother hiring a professional editor either.

Self-published comes to mind. So does Photoshop fail.

[Luffy]

The Roald Dahl lynchpin book, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory had a deliberately odious cover, dating from about a few years ago.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Luffy

The Roald Dahl lynchpin book, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory had a deliberately odious cover, dating from about a few years ago.

What 'deliberately odious cover' are you talking about?