Request for feedback on four versions of cover

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by Lima Bean

The last cover (the black and white one with the closeup side shot of the baby looking up) is by far my favorite. I even like the little blurb on the front, but it would be easier to read at a glance if you shortened it to "When he cries for help, will you listen?"

Thanks. Yep. Shortening the tagline.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by meeera

Getting rid of the "evil" lines would also reduce the paranormal impression.

Agree. Thanks. Done.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by AnnGirdharry

hello Gregg Bell,

There are three covers I like. To me, they all suggest different but relevant facets of the story. In order of preference;

the grey scale of the baby staring at the ceiling posted 9/9
of the original four, the blue one with two hands reaching towards each other
the green one (though it has a tendency towards the creepy side)

I agree the one with the teen on the bed suggests abuse of some type (since you can see her bare legs etc and she's curled up)
the doll ones are really creepy and I don't like horror

If you go with sub-text I'd suggest cutting out the references to evil because again they suggest horror. Maybe anonymise the phrase to -

BABY
...when he cries for help will anybody hear

since it's the teen who is going to respond to his cries, not exactly the reader and the use of 'will you hear' is making the reader too active in the equation

good luck with it
Ann Girdharry

Really good suggestions, Ann. Thank you.

I'm going to post the new versions. And I like the one with the two hands reaching for each other too. I was dissuaded from that one by people saying it looked like sci-fi.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by gmw

Of all the examples so far, the grey scale one is the only image I actually like. It's a shame there's no tear in the eye to match the subtext (not that I mean any harm to the model).

As for the subtext, I agree with the comments saying that the "evil" prefix lends a horror touch. You may consider shortening it even further than the other suggestions so far, to something like: When he cries will anyone hear? or Who will listen when he cries? (ie. The "for help" seems redundant.)

Thanks GMW. I can add the teardrop. (But that may take some doing to do it well.)

[Gregg Bell]

New versions.

[Cinisajoy]

I like the third tagline best.

[Gregg Bell]

What about this one? (new title) (new font for my name) (ducks!)

[Cinisajoy]

Looks ok but the baby hand is a bit large.

[gmw]

The red text on the grey background doesn't work for me - and I mean that quite literally. Maybe it's just my ageing eyes, but I can barely read it. I'm not keen on the new title (it doesn't seem natural to say "saving baby", it would normally be something like "saving baby Whatsit" or "saving the baby", neither of which I would recommend).

[Dr. Drib]

The touching of hands is very cliched, and may impart the same thing to a book that is NOT cliched.

I wouldn't risk using that image.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Looks ok but the baby hand is a bit large.

Yeah, agree. And I think the hand is too large for a 17-year-old too. I can work that out.

[Gregg Bell]

Another try. Did without the tagline. (Looked cluttered in there.) And with changing the name from Baby to Saving Baby I don't think I'll need a tagline.

Think it works?

Thanks!

[Cinisajoy]

Better but the baby hand needs to be a bit smaller. The girl's hand looks good.

[Dr. Drib]

As I mentioned before, in my opinion, the reaching out of hands motif is an over-used and very tired cliche. It doesn't do justice to what MIGHT be an otherwise good book. (I haven't read your book, so that's why I use the qualifier.)

I would really think twice about using such a cover.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

As I mentioned before, in my opinion, the reaching out of hands motif is an over-used and very tired cliche. It doesn't do justice to what MIGHT be an otherwise good book. (I haven't read your book, so that's why I use the qualifier.)

I would really think twice about using such a cover.

I have to agree, apart from this one being a subpar picture within the "reaching hands" style - it's a bad idea in the first place IMO. Having been so overused in a variety of contexts, it also doesn't tell the reader anything at all about the genre or content of the book. The cover needs to communicate.