In the forum at Amazon for author's book covers I posted the following:
Posted on Mar 3, 2013 4:03:24 PM PST
Glenda Reynolds says:
I have received some input on the Goodreads forum by one person, but I'd like to have some input from other people on a cover I'm considering for my Cursed Leviathan book that I'm currently working on
http://www.goodreads.com/photo/author/652
The Cursed Leviathan Book Cover
http://www.goodreads.com/photo/author/652
The Cursed Leviathan Book Cover
Thanks,
Glenda
Glenda
Wow, Glenda - I love it! Great photo, and the black and white really seems to stand out.
Cool. The "professional" opinion from the person at Goodreads was to make the title font larger and to go with a plainer font, not one that would attract attention to itself. The Harrington font was used on my first book for sale at Amazon: Goddess of the Moon: Mayan World of Vampires, and I wanted to continue using this font on the books that followed in this saga to unify them. He also said that I should make the ocean horizon tilt for a stress effect. I'm thinking "are you out of your mind?"
Rosanne Dingli says:
A number of points - technically, this is a better cover than the first volume. However, you have no connection between the two. If the content is related, or if they are both part of a set, series or serial, there must also be a visual connection on the covers.
You have used a very common typeface - try finding a free font that's not so commonly used. Hint: the fonts in MSWord have been used ad nauseum by the entire world. Use something else for covers ... they are your chance to show you understand a bit about design, IT, typography... if you show you don't know much, you are chasing away a large section of the market, and retaining only those who don't know or don't care. You might think it's not important but it is.
See what would happen if you remove the black bands and place the typography inside the picture using one of the colours you used in the first cover. That way, you make one visual link. I like the monochrome business on the new cover, but a touch of brilliant colour on the words only might make it sing.
You have a small clarity or focus or sharpness relationship problem happening - the figurehead is hazy, but the galleon is sharp ... yet the galleon is further away. Try for the other way around, or at least equal sharpness.
Another good way of linking volumes is by using the same typeface and you've done this, but try for a stronger link. I like the new cover much better... you are on a good thing there, so stay with it but improve it a bit.
You have used a very common typeface - try finding a free font that's not so commonly used. Hint: the fonts in MSWord have been used ad nauseum by the entire world. Use something else for covers ... they are your chance to show you understand a bit about design, IT, typography... if you show you don't know much, you are chasing away a large section of the market, and retaining only those who don't know or don't care. You might think it's not important but it is.
See what would happen if you remove the black bands and place the typography inside the picture using one of the colours you used in the first cover. That way, you make one visual link. I like the monochrome business on the new cover, but a touch of brilliant colour on the words only might make it sing.
You have a small clarity or focus or sharpness relationship problem happening - the figurehead is hazy, but the galleon is sharp ... yet the galleon is further away. Try for the other way around, or at least equal sharpness.
Another good way of linking volumes is by using the same typeface and you've done this, but try for a stronger link. I like the new cover much better... you are on a good thing there, so stay with it but improve it a bit.
Rick G. says:
Glenda,
It's an awesome photo, although I don't like the top and bottom title bars. This is just a general opinion of mine, but I personally think title /author bars look amateurish on any book.
It's an awesome photo, although I don't like the top and bottom title bars. This is just a general opinion of mine, but I personally think title /author bars look amateurish on any book.
Posted on Mar 3, 2013 4:43:43 PM PST
Rosanne Dingli says:
Horizons should always be horizontal - you are quite right.
Glenda Reynolds says:
Thanks, guys. I did plan on tweaking the figurehead some. I realized that she was a bit blurry. I had to paint and clone her and do a round effect on her hip. I wasn't sure about the upper and lower black banners, but I'll try it without them sometime.
Book World says:
Glenda--Wow.... great cover. I like the banding for the title and name, the stand out size of the font, the art work is just....so nice. Ialso like the unexpected dread of braids too. The texture of the art just takes it to another level and using black/gray/white makes the cover superior. In this case color would have weakened it. The font says this is a woman's book. If not, when I would suggest a more undefined gender font. But you did a great job!
Glenda Reynolds says:
Thank you for your kind words. This is only my second book ever written. Like the Twilight saga, my novels lean towards a chic book only because the heroine is a Mayan princess with fighting skills (book one); she rids her city of the vampires who have taken over. But I would like to think it can be read by anyone. This book, The Cursed Leviathan, picks up where the first one left off where the heroine is in search for her lost love at sea. And I'm able to introduce new characters, one being the lady who is the figurehead of the Cursed Leviathan.
