How to tell someone the cover of his/her book is AWFUL

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I didn't really mind the picture. But the font! In Underlined Italics!

You know what? I'm sorry, <rant on>, there's just NO excuse. There are a zillion free resources out there, telling people how NOT to make an awful cover. Better yet, free resources to help people make EXCELLENT covers. (Derek Murphy's freebs on Creativindie.com come to mind). </rant>

I--I who have ZERO artistic talent, ZERO design skills, etc.--had to recently pitch in and make a cover for a client. Granted, it was a simple, one-image (thank god) deal, but I used the aforementioned Derek Murphy free Word templates (yes, Word!), and made a better cover than THAT thing. Sure, it took me a few hours of dinking around with it.

I had started an article for my blog, about his free and paid tools, I happened to need an example, and lo, a client happened to need a cover, for which s/he had little budget. Voila, a serendipitous collision of needs. Will it win a design competition? NO, but it shouldn't end up on LBC, either.

I mean it. This isn't a humble brag thing. If I can do it, as artistically- and design-impaired as I am, ANYONE can make a decent cover. And I did it with his free tools, didn't even use the online paid tools. I wanted to be able to truthfully state, in the blog piece, that it was created with Word and a little elbow grease, so no Photoshop, no fancy image manipulation tools, zip. Word, some freebie fonts, one image.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE, folks!

Hitch

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You know what? I'm sorry, <rant on>, there's just NO excuse. There are a zillion free resources out there, telling people how NOT to make an awful cover. Better yet, free resources to help people make EXCELLENT covers. (Derek Murphy's freebs on Creativindie.com come to mind). </rant>

Hey, I'm grateful for lousy covers; they make it easy to avoid the books in search results. I get more annoyed at the well-done covers that make me waste time checking out a nonprofessional book.

[Katsunami]

Wow, Hitch. Calm down

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Wow, Hitch. Calm down

Whatever.

Hitch

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Hey, I'm grateful for lousy covers; they make it easy to avoid the books in search results. I get more annoyed at the well-done covers that make me waste time checking out a nonprofessional book.

It's funny because it's true. (where's the Homer Simpson emoticon?)

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Hitch

It's addictive. I know, I'm a horrible human being. I suck.

On a bright note, you can visit the sister site: "Covercritics.com" and contribute meaningful help to those who've asked for it. That site is rewarding, in its own way.

Hitch

Thanks for the info on that. I'll go over there and look at it.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I looked at that site, and now my eyeballs have been boiled by the experience.

If you want to do the same for your brain, you should check out one of the other pages Hitch mentioned in the post, Clients from Hell. I think you will know what I mean when I say that it really should be called "Messages from the B Ark"...

(Oh, and thanks, Hitch, for mentioning that one. Hours of fun guaranteed if you enjoy watching train wrecks.)

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

If you want to do the same for your brain, you should check out one of the other pages Hitch mentioned in the post, Clients from Hell. I think you will know what I mean when I say that it really should be called "Messages from the B Ark"...

(Oh, and thanks, Hitch, for mentioning that one. Hours of fun guaranteed if you enjoy watching train wrecks.)

CFH is hilarious. And if you don't mind the occasional email, sign up for their newsletter or whatever it is, and get the freebie eBooks. FREAKING lovely. Especially if you're in any type of design, internet, or customer-service related work. You'll laugh yourself sick. God knows, I did.

See you guys over at CC.com and CFH. You know you'll be there (and Slushpile. Warning: don't eat or drink near your keyboard for Slushpile).


Hitch

[doubleshuffle]

OMG. Slushpile. Why oh why did you have to mention that? I've got work to do goddammit!!!

And to stop the derailment of this thread: I think I have found the answer to Jon's original question: You know, why don't you just start a thread on Mobileread about it? The author has advertised their book here, after all, so there's an off-chance they might see that thread and be grateful for your advice...

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

If you want to do the same for your brain, you should check out one of the other pages Hitch mentioned in the post, Clients from Hell. I think you will know what I mean when I say that it really should be called "Messages from the B Ark"...

(Oh, and thanks, Hitch, for mentioning that one. Hours of fun guaranteed if you enjoy watching train wrecks.)

Thanks to you both.


I enjoy looking at horrible things, especially bad covers. It gives me hope and reinforces my belief in what Merlin ['Hilly'] Faulkner said: "I believe that bad covers will not merely endure; they will prevail."

[mbkimberley]

just remain polite but serious.
suggest new ideas that could possibly fit better?
state that as a serious book lover you think the cover should be reconsidered as it automatically put you off reading the book itself.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by mbkimberley

just remain polite but serious.
suggest new ideas that could possibly fit better?
state that as a serious book lover you think the cover should be reconsidered as it automatically put you off reading the book itself.

Y'know...unless someone has a draft or comp layout, it's nearly impossible to do. Covers, like everything else, are a matter of taste. And it's difficult to criticize someone else's taste (unless you are on LBC, and you use it as a vent hole).

But yes, of course--if asked (which is, I think, the kicker here), that's a good approach.

Hitch

[TGS]

Sometimes an aesthetically less than pleasing cover is entirely appropriate for the book in question. Given the language of the description I wonder if that might be the case here

[crouton]

Recommend joining something like NetGalley where you can give the author/publisher feedback on crappy covers.

[dgatwood]

That's nowhere near what I was expecting when you called it awful. I mean:

• The use of underline is odd looking, and I wouldn't have gone with italics, either.
• The font choice is questionable as a headline font.
• They need bigger margins all around.
• The background behind the ring is too busy.
• The photo is a little soft—probably a slight misfocus.

But awful? No, not even close. I can read the text, and the picture supports the title. That alone would be enough to put it above many self-published books.