Different Covers for Different Epublishers?

morriss003 · 11-19-2011, 04:42 AM

Do you use the same cover for the same book on Smashwords, Amazon, Feedbook, Bookiejar etc. or do you use different covers for each epublsher?

Todd Young · 11-19-2011, 05:43 PM

I use the same covers for all of them. I don't know why you'd do it any differently. Do you think there might be some advantage in it?

VydorScope · 11-20-2011, 07:35 AM

I use the same for all vendors, the only reason I could think of not to is if you were testing different styles of book covers to see which has the best results.

G J Lau · 11-21-2011, 05:59 AM

E-books proliferate so rapidly on various sites that using different covers would be quickly enshrined for all eternity in Google cache and in sites that don't update their content. (I have found one of my books listed on a site selling steam cleaners. Go figure. That's another thread altogether.) I would find it confusing to see a different cover. That said, I have seen mainstream publishers use different covers, but it struck me as a gimmick.

Anke Wehner · 11-24-2011, 02:18 AM

I don't think it would be a good idea. It would cost you more, either in money or time, and getting one good cover seems better than getting several not so good ones. It might also confuse people and make them think you have more books than you do, maybe accidentally buy a book they already own and then leave a bad review for feeling ripped-off.

chrisanthropic · 11-25-2011, 06:59 PM

I use the same cover for all formats, paper included. It helps build recognition and is just easier on my part - coming up with one cover was hard enough.

LinRobinson · 11-28-2011, 04:06 PM

One excellent reason for having a different cover for ebooks than the ones for paper books is that the smaller size creates a very different visibility. I took one look at a 500x800 version of my paperback cover and how the thumbnail looked (unreadable) and immediately did a different cover for the ebooks.

AbigailF · 06-06-2012, 11:36 AM

I could see having slightly different covers for paper and digital but only because of resolutions, like Lin said. You want to build up brand recognition and having different covers on different sites could be very confusing for readers. That being said, I doubt too many readers buy from different stores. I certainly frequent the same one unless I need to use a different one for a specific reason.

I'd say keep them the same! You can always try switching them all later if you're experimenting on covers. Or start a post here to get them critiqued if you're worried about effectiveness.

Lazybones · 06-06-2012, 05:33 PM

I did different covers once, but only because I was getting kickback from the Smashwords Premium Catalog due to it finding the same cover elsewhere (on the Amazon store). They send you a notice of a possible copyright conflict when that happens. My covers are all based on PD art, so I added a cover credit in my Smashwords books and that has resolved the issue.

charlesatan · 06-06-2012, 10:26 PM

In general, same design. (Might be different sizes/resolution for the various retailers...)

DarkScribe · 06-13-2012, 11:46 AM

People tend to recall covers and cover styles more than they do text and titles. To keep changing covers could possibly cost you sales.

Wrong Writer · 06-15-2012, 12:53 AM

How?
Think that one over a little. What, they know your cover, but didn't buy it. So next time they see the book and it has a different cover..... then what?

Lots of this stuff seems to make sense when people toss terms like "branding" and stuff, but when you examine it, mean nothing.

Meanwhile, many, many, many best-sellers have had a dozen different covers.

DarkScribe · 06-22-2012, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrong Writer

How?
Think that one over a little. What, they know your cover, but didn't buy it. So next time they see the book and it has a different cover..... then what?

Lots of this stuff seems to make sense when people toss terms like "branding" and stuff, but when you examine it, mean nothing.

Meanwhile, many, many, many best-sellers have had a dozen different covers.

I didn't say that it makes sense, but many people will pick a book from a preferred author by cover alone - if that author has and sticks to a "theme". Look at how many top selling print authors over the past few decades have a cover "style". When someone is browsing through large quantities of unknown books, they are very likely to stop and look more closely at one that has a cover similar to a book that they enjoyed. You don't have to agree, it doesn't make any real sense, but it is a marketing given.

crich70 · 06-24-2012, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrong Writer

Meanwhile, many, many, many best-sellers have had a dozen different covers.

I think you tend to see that more with traditional publishers rather than with ebooks. I mean if two different publishers have a given book in their catalog and publisher A has a cover made for it (say a public domain book like Dracula) then they have a copyright on the cover or the artist that they hired to do their cover does and publisher B can't use the same cover. Or a given author's books (say a Stephen King) is either being re-issued or the author has changed publishers and his book (whose rights have reverted back to him) is being re-issued by the new publisher then you need a new cover since while Mr. King may own the book itself he doesn't necessarily own the cover art that the 1st publisher used. Or sometimes a publisher will change the cover due to their market like in the case of the Harry Potter books for example. The same publisher was selling the books but the UK cover and the US cover are different due to which country the copy of the book is being sold in. It gets more confusing if the title is changed as is often the case with Agatha Christie's books. An example is her book "Murder on the Orient Express." Over in England it's called, "Murder in the Calais Coach."

Wrong Writer · 06-29-2012, 01:13 AM

It is by no means a "given".
It's become an article of faith among amateurs new to publishing and striving for the "right" way to do things.

But in fact, it's very common to change covers, even titles.

The idea that a cover is a "brand" more significant than the author's name is very, very strained.

Again, if the KNOW your cover, what are they going to do? Give it back if you change it? Not find your next book unless it has the same cover? There are people who pay a lot for books to COLLECT different covers.

Don't just think this is some sort of "given" because you read it somewhere. There is too much of that going on in marketing advice these days anyway. If what pops into your mind conflicts with demonstrated reality, rethink

What I'm saying is, do the best you can to have great, attractive covers. If you learn more or get better resources or publish a new format with different presentation, don't be afraid to change the cover.

11-19-2011, 04:42 AM	#1
morriss003 Evangelist Posts: 438 Karma: 3409790 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maui Device: kindle	Different Covers for Different Epublishers? Do you use the same cover for the same book on Smashwords, Amazon, Feedbook, Bookiejar etc. or do you use different covers for each epublsher?

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11-19-2011, 05:43 PM	#2
Todd Young Addict Posts: 243 Karma: 1004164 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle 2	I use the same covers for all of them. I don't know why you'd do it any differently. Do you think there might be some advantage in it?

11-20-2011, 07:35 AM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I use the same for all vendors, the only reason I could think of not to is if you were testing different styles of book covers to see which has the best results.

11-21-2011, 05:59 AM	#4
G J Lau Zealot Posts: 126 Karma: 415116 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Frederick MD Device: Nook	E-books proliferate so rapidly on various sites that using different covers would be quickly enshrined for all eternity in Google cache and in sites that don't update their content. (I have found one of my books listed on a site selling steam cleaners. Go figure. That's another thread altogether.) I would find it confusing to see a different cover. That said, I have seen mainstream publishers use different covers, but it struck me as a gimmick.

11-24-2011, 02:18 AM	#5
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	I don't think it would be a good idea. It would cost you more, either in money or time, and getting one good cover seems better than getting several not so good ones. It might also confuse people and make them think you have more books than you do, maybe accidentally buy a book they already own and then leave a bad review for feeling ripped-off.

11-25-2011, 06:59 PM	#6
chrisanthropic Fiend Posts: 148 Karma: 559930 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	I use the same cover for all formats, paper included. It helps build recognition and is just easier on my part - coming up with one cover was hard enough.

11-28-2011, 04:06 PM	#7
LinRobinson Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 12 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Mexico Device: Kindle, other	One excellent reason for having a different cover for ebooks than the ones for paper books is that the smaller size creates a very different visibility. I took one look at a 500x800 version of my paperback cover and how the thumbnail looked (unreadable) and immediately did a different cover for the ebooks.

06-06-2012, 11:36 AM	#8
AbigailF Member Posts: 11 Karma: 41832 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Scotland Device: Kindle	I could see having slightly different covers for paper and digital but only because of resolutions, like Lin said. You want to build up brand recognition and having different covers on different sites could be very confusing for readers. That being said, I doubt too many readers buy from different stores. I certainly frequent the same one unless I need to use a different one for a specific reason. I'd say keep them the same! You can always try switching them all later if you're experimenting on covers. Or start a post here to get them critiqued if you're worried about effectiveness.

06-06-2012, 05:33 PM	#9
Lazybones Groupie Posts: 162 Karma: 1719250 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Sacramento Device: Kindle	I did different covers once, but only because I was getting kickback from the Smashwords Premium Catalog due to it finding the same cover elsewhere (on the Amazon store). They send you a notice of a possible copyright conflict when that happens. My covers are all based on PD art, so I added a cover credit in my Smashwords books and that has resolved the issue.

06-06-2012, 10:26 PM	#10
charlesatan Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 3799024 Join Date: May 2012 Device: iPad	In general, same design. (Might be different sizes/resolution for the various retailers...)

06-13-2012, 11:46 AM	#11
DarkScribe Apprentice Curmudgeon. Posts: 427 Karma: 3286968 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Runaway Bay, QLD, , Australia Device: Kindle DX Graphite, Touch, Paperwhite, Sony, and Nook.	People tend to recall covers and cover styles more than they do text and titles. To keep changing covers could possibly cost you sales.

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06-15-2012, 12:53 AM	#12
Wrong Writer Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: None	How? Think that one over a little. What, they know your cover, but didn't buy it. So next time they see the book and it has a different cover..... then what? Lots of this stuff seems to make sense when people toss terms like "branding" and stuff, but when you examine it, mean nothing. Meanwhile, many, many, many best-sellers have had a dozen different covers.

06-29-2012, 01:13 AM	#15
Wrong Writer Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: None	It is by no means a "given". It's become an article of faith among amateurs new to publishing and striving for the "right" way to do things. But in fact, it's very common to change covers, even titles. The idea that a cover is a "brand" more significant than the author's name is very, very strained. Again, if the KNOW your cover, what are they going to do? Give it back if you change it? Not find your next book unless it has the same cover? There are people who pay a lot for books to COLLECT different covers. Don't just think this is some sort of "given" because you read it somewhere. There is too much of that going on in marketing advice these days anyway. If what pops into your mind conflicts with demonstrated reality, rethink What I'm saying is, do the best you can to have great, attractive covers. If you learn more or get better resources or publish a new format with different presentation, don't be afraid to change the cover.