What's your experience with kindle books cover art?

wyndslash · 02-25-2011, 08:52 AM

I'm just wondering if most of the publishers even bother making a nice, grey-scale version of their books' cover art, like the one on the kindle 3 page on amazon, where it displayed 'the girl with the dragoon tattoo' (i think) greyscale cover art. i love cover art. i wish there was some way to tell whether an ebook has it. i wish amazon would at least require the publishers to do that. i don't know; at least for me it gives an extra 'oomph'. I know some people don't care about it.

DiapDealer · 02-25-2011, 08:59 AM

Books have cover art?!

Hollow Man · 02-25-2011, 09:03 AM

Doesn't downloading the free sample get you the cover art if it exists?

-HM

wyndslash · 02-25-2011, 09:10 AM

@diap: they should, right? O:

@Hm: hm, i'll check mine now. i never noticed xD

sadly, most of the books on my kindle app don't have any, and one was obviously not scaled properly. *sigh*

kindlekitten · 02-25-2011, 09:22 AM

I don't spend a lot of skull sweat on it. if it has cover art I look at it once when I start the book, choosing; "go to" then "cover" to make sure that I am starting at the absolute beginning of the book. everytime I start reading again from that moment on, I wake the kindle and start reading spending absolutely zero time pondering the existence of cover art

wyndslash · 02-25-2011, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I don't spend a lot of skull sweat on it. if it has cover art I look at it once when I start the book, choosing; "go to" then "cover" to make sure that I am starting at the absolute beginning of the book. everytime I start reading again from that moment on, I wake the kindle and start reading spending absolutely zero time pondering the existence of cover art

well sure, but i figure for me it's part of the book and i always hope i get it XD

that said, i don't really get that upset if it's not there~ just something nice to have o:

Hollow Man · 02-25-2011, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

@Hm: hm, i'll check mine now. i never noticed xD

The sample I downloaded had it, but it's simply text on a lousy checkerboard background. Not the real cover art.

-HM

oecherprinte · 02-25-2011, 09:57 AM

Currently, the cover art is useless since you hardly ever see it (unless you bother to look at the first page). If you would have a bookshelf like overview over your books, it would be a different story.

But right now: couldn't care less about it.

abookreader · 02-25-2011, 10:23 AM

I usually try to fix it in Calibre if I have a couple of minutes because I do like being able to see the covers when I browse through there.

As others have said -- on the Kindle itself it doesn't really matter. I really doubt the ability of these Publishers to come out with the "Enhanced eBooks" they keep talking about if they can't even get a cover picture into the file though.

sakura-panda · 02-28-2011, 10:56 AM

I love cover art. I'm sad that so many of my ebooks do not have cover art. It's always the first thing I look at when I open a book (taking an extra step with the Kindle).

emalvick · 02-28-2011, 05:28 PM

I do find it odd sometimes that when you are shopping on Amazon that a Kindle book listing will show cover art that does not end up coming with the book when you download it (I am one of those that likes to have it there even if I only look at it once).

As a result, I end up being one of those that uses Calibre to find the appropriate cover art when I want it and even if it is the last time I look at it.

-Erik

DreamWriter · 02-28-2011, 06:16 PM

Almost every book I have on my Kindle includes the cover art. I do enjoy looking at it from time to time, and I always check it out before reading a book.

The ebooks that I have published include covers, although they're in color, not greyscale. I do lighten them a bit and adjust the contrast, so they will display better on the Kindle. Amazon encourages publishers to use color images. From Amazon's "Guidelines for Publishers":

"Use color images whenever possible and relevant. The Kindle reading device has a black & white screen today but Kindle applications for other devices, such as iPhone or PC, take advantage of colors."

mewmartigan · 03-01-2011, 02:17 PM

The books I have bought from Amazon just have generic cover art. Title, author and publisher on a grey background.

All of the books i have purchased from Baen have the full paperback cover.

Since Amazon's books covers are almost non-existant I guess that is why they don't have the screensaver default to the cover of the book you are currently reading as some have requested.

susan_cassidy · 03-01-2011, 02:30 PM

Books from "real" publishers always have had cover art, at least the ones I've bought from Amazon. I seldom buy "indie" books. I don't really care about cover art anyway.

StickMaker · 03-01-2011, 02:42 PM

To me, cover art is nice BUT it "wastes" storage space on my Kindle 3 so I prefer NOT to have cover art.

02-25-2011, 08:52 AM	#1
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	What's your experience with kindle books cover art? I'm just wondering if most of the publishers even bother making a nice, grey-scale version of their books' cover art, like the one on the kindle 3 page on amazon, where it displayed 'the girl with the dragoon tattoo' (i think) greyscale cover art. i love cover art. i wish there was some way to tell whether an ebook has it. i wish amazon would at least require the publishers to do that. i don't know; at least for me it gives an extra 'oomph'. I know some people don't care about it.

02-28-2011, 10:56 AM	#10
sakura-panda Guru Posts: 932 Karma: 9558874 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Michigan, USA Device: Kindle Oasis; 11" iPad Pro (Books, Kindle, Kobo, MapleRead SE)	I love cover art. I'm sad that so many of my ebooks do not have cover art. It's always the first thing I look at when I open a book (taking an extra step with the Kindle). Last edited by sakura-panda; 02-28-2011 at 11:03 AM.

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02-25-2011, 08:59 AM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,352 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Books have cover art?!

02-25-2011, 09:03 AM	#3
Hollow Man Evangelist Posts: 401 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Connecticut Device: Kindle Colorsoft, Oasis, Keyboard; iPhone 13 Pro, Air	Doesn't downloading the free sample get you the cover art if it exists? -HM

02-25-2011, 09:10 AM	#4
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	@diap: they should, right? O: @Hm: hm, i'll check mine now. i never noticed xD sadly, most of the books on my kindle app don't have any, and one was obviously not scaled properly. sigh

02-25-2011, 09:22 AM	#5
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	I don't spend a lot of skull sweat on it. if it has cover art I look at it once when I start the book, choosing; "go to" then "cover" to make sure that I am starting at the absolute beginning of the book. everytime I start reading again from that moment on, I wake the kindle and start reading spending absolutely zero time pondering the existence of cover art

02-25-2011, 09:57 AM	#8
oecherprinte Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 20 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle3 3G, Kindle Paperwhite 2	Currently, the cover art is useless since you hardly ever see it (unless you bother to look at the first page). If you would have a bookshelf like overview over your books, it would be a different story. But right now: couldn't care less about it.

02-25-2011, 10:23 AM	#9
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	I usually try to fix it in Calibre if I have a couple of minutes because I do like being able to see the covers when I browse through there. As others have said -- on the Kindle itself it doesn't really matter. I really doubt the ability of these Publishers to come out with the "Enhanced eBooks" they keep talking about if they can't even get a cover picture into the file though.

02-28-2011, 05:28 PM	#11
emalvick Groupie Posts: 166 Karma: 5358 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Davis, CA Device: Kindle 3	I do find it odd sometimes that when you are shopping on Amazon that a Kindle book listing will show cover art that does not end up coming with the book when you download it (I am one of those that likes to have it there even if I only look at it once). As a result, I end up being one of those that uses Calibre to find the appropriate cover art when I want it and even if it is the last time I look at it. -Erik

02-28-2011, 06:16 PM	#12
DreamWriter Books are brain food. Posts: 2,950 Karma: 4836916 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: U.S. Device: Paperwhite · Fire HD6/HD8/HD10 · Galaxy Tab A7	Almost every book I have on my Kindle includes the cover art. I do enjoy looking at it from time to time, and I always check it out before reading a book. The ebooks that I have published include covers, although they're in color, not greyscale. I do lighten them a bit and adjust the contrast, so they will display better on the Kindle. Amazon encourages publishers to use color images. From Amazon's "Guidelines for Publishers": "Use color images whenever possible and relevant. The Kindle reading device has a black & white screen today but Kindle applications for other devices, such as iPhone or PC, take advantage of colors."

03-01-2011, 02:17 PM	#13
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	The books I have bought from Amazon just have generic cover art. Title, author and publisher on a grey background. All of the books i have purchased from Baen have the full paperback cover. Since Amazon's books covers are almost non-existant I guess that is why they don't have the screensaver default to the cover of the book you are currently reading as some have requested.

03-01-2011, 02:30 PM	#14
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Books from "real" publishers always have had cover art, at least the ones I've bought from Amazon. I seldom buy "indie" books. I don't really care about cover art anyway.

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03-01-2011, 02:42 PM	#15
StickMaker Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	To me, cover art is nice BUT it "wastes" storage space on my Kindle 3 so I prefer NOT to have cover art.