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

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by 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.

Dag, Dag, Dag:

Now, you know that I think you are one Steely-eyed ePUB Pilot, and all that, but really? I don't disagree with your list, but did you, for even a second think that it was a ROMANCE? Not a fantasy, albeit a badly-covered one? Hell, I didn't.

Hitch

[dgatwood]

I would have guessed from the title that it was fantasy. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had romantic subplot, given the whole ring thing, but the cover certainly doesn't scream it. With that knowledge, it probably needs some pink or something to make it more genre-appropriate.

Improving the photo could also go a long way towards fixing that, too, e.g. by putting it on a woman's finger—maybe in an "I can't believe I just married an elf" kind of hand pose.

The baffling thing is the title. There must be some reason that a romance book would have that title. I feel like it has to have *some* kind of fantasy element to it.

If not, then the cover design isn't the problem; the title is the problem. Fix that, and the cover will end up getting reworked to match the new title, and the problem will be solved.

Basically, it's like asking someone to build a bridge when you really want a skyscraper. All I can do in the end is talk about the flaws in the bridge design; the fact that it was supposed to be a skyscraper is a specification problem.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

I would have guessed from the title that it was fantasy. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had romantic subplot, given the whole ring thing, but the cover certainly doesn't scream it. With that knowledge, it probably needs some pink or something to make it more genre-appropriate.
<SNIP>

If not, then the cover design isn't the problem; the title is the problem. Fix that, and the cover will end up getting reworked to match the new title, and the problem will be solved.

Basically, it's like asking someone to build a bridge when you really want a skyscraper. All I can do in the end is talk about the flaws in the bridge design; the fact that it was supposed to be a skyscraper is a specification problem.

As near as I can tell, it's just romance. I concur--there are about 10 different things that someone could do, to make that cover work a hell of a lot better.

Hitch

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Improving the photo could also go a long way towards fixing that, too, e.g. by putting it on a woman's finger—maybe in an "I can't believe I just married an elf" kind of hand pose.

Wait. I need to see that pose. I would totally buy a book if there was a hand with a ring that managed to convey, "I can't believe I just married an elf" kind of pose!!!!

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Wait. I need to see that pose. I would totally buy a book if there was a hand with a ring that managed to convey, "I can't believe I just married an elf" kind of pose!!!!

Photoshop a diamond ring in and this should do it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Photoshop a diamond ring in and this should do it.

MWAHAHAAH!

Hitch