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Post by Suzy on Apr 17, 2014 15:45:22 GMT -5
I just saw this cover on Facebook and wondered what part of the body that flesh coloured bit in the foreground is.What is he looking at? Her behind? her navel? Her strangely dimpled arm? And the little bit sticking up? I'm sure it's a wonderful book but the cover puzzles me.  |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 15:49:38 GMT -5
I just saw this cover on Facebook and wondered what part of the body that flesh coloured bit in the foreground is.What is he looking at? Her behind? her navel? Her strangely dimpled arm? And the little bit sticking up? I'm sure it's a wonderful book but the cover puzzles me. It's the guy's left shoulder and arm. He's got his hands/arms raised in front of him -- tied up, maybe, or leaning on something -- and is looking back over his left shoulder. I had to open the book and look at the big image to figure it out. Definitely looks weird. |
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Post by Suzy on Apr 17, 2014 15:53:11 GMT -5
Even the bigger image isn't clear. Looks like he's going to bite into a huge bratwurst... ETA: was that dirty? Didn't mean to be...  |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 16:07:51 GMT -5
I think his shoulder is so close to the lens that it's a little distorted -- looks too big to go with his head.
Alternatively, that look says, "Hands off my bratwurst!"
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Post by Suzy on Apr 17, 2014 16:09:22 GMT -5
I think his shoulder is so close to the lens that it's a little distorted -- looks too big to go with his head. Alternatively, that look says, "Hands off my bratwurst!" I wouldn't dare touch his bratwurst. |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 16:52:24 GMT -5
I think his shoulder is so close to the lens that it's a little distorted -- looks too big to go with his head. Alternatively, that look says, "Hands off my bratwurst!" I wouldn't dare touch his bratwurst. Me either! Looks ... well used. |
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Post by Suzy on Apr 17, 2014 17:04:15 GMT -5
You wouldn't know where it's been...
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Post by Alan Petersen on Apr 17, 2014 17:07:49 GMT -5
I agree with Becca, he's like leaning against a wall or something, arms raised, looking over his shoulder. I had to look at the image inside to get a better look. Have you ever seen that bad cover website? Pretty funny stuff on there. lousybookcovers.com/ |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 19:48:46 GMT -5
I agree with Becca, he's like leaning against a wall or something, arms raised, looking over his shoulder. I had to look at the image inside to get a better look. Have you ever seen that bad cover website? Pretty funny stuff on there. lousybookcovers.com/Oh dear!  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 20:10:56 GMT -5
One of the many reasons I am hesitant to publish is the fear my book will end up highlighted in a place like this... |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 20:39:55 GMT -5
One of the many reasons I am hesitant to publish is the fear my book will end up highlighted in a place like this... If you get a pro artist to do your cover, you won't be. It's very obvious why the covers are being featured on the site. Crappy photoshop hackjob to terrible typography, etc. A pro cover artist won't let you put something that look terrible on your book (unless you insist). |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 21:06:41 GMT -5
One of the many reasons I am hesitant to publish is the fear my book will end up highlighted in a place like this... If you get a pro artist to do your cover, you won't be. It's very obvious why the covers are being featured on the site. Crappy photoshop hackjob to terrible typography, etc. A pro cover artist won't let you put something that look terrible on your book (unless you insist). I'm still weighing saving money for a cover artist or spending that money on rewiring the house... Figuring out priorities can be a little difficult. I don't really think I have much chance of success as a serious author - it'll probably just remain an amusing hobby so that gives me the most pause. I've worked out a potential cover but I'm still debating on it and thinking maybe I'll just.... pitch that and rethink it... I'd shove the whole thing on a shelf for a while but I've got half a dozen readers who demand a proper ebook for their various devices. -_- |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 21:30:57 GMT -5
I agree with Becca, he's like leaning against a wall or something, arms raised, looking over his shoulder. I had to look at the image inside to get a better look. Have you ever seen that bad cover website? Pretty funny stuff on there. lousybookcovers.com/I got as far as the third page before the comment 'Planets. They're NOT THAT SHAPE' practically ended me. Just too funny  And now, back to searching for my own first cover on that site. It was a terrible case of aspect ratio abuse  |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 22:00:33 GMT -5
If you get a pro artist to do your cover, you won't be. It's very obvious why the covers are being featured on the site. Crappy photoshop hackjob to terrible typography, etc. A pro cover artist won't let you put something that look terrible on your book (unless you insist). I'm still weighing saving money for a cover artist or spending that money on rewiring the house... Figuring out priorities can be a little difficult. I don't really think I have much chance of success as a serious author - it'll probably just remain an amusing hobby so that gives me the most pause. I've worked out a potential cover but I'm still debating on it and thinking maybe I'll just.... pitch that and rethink it... I'd shove the whole thing on a shelf for a while but I've got half a dozen readers who demand a proper ebook for their various devices. -_- Nice pre-made covers can be had for not much money -- $50, even $30. Here's a nice site: www.goonwrite.com/And hey, you never know who might like your books. And if you write in a little tiny niche, that's fine. It's one of the things indie publishing allows us to do, in fact, which is wonderful for those readers who do want those works but couldn't get them before. Everybody's happy!  |
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Post by lindymoone on Apr 17, 2014 22:57:58 GMT -5
I'm still weighing saving money for a cover artist or spending that money on rewiring the house... Figuring out priorities can be a little difficult. I don't really think I have much chance of success as a serious author - it'll probably just remain an amusing hobby so that gives me the most pause. I've worked out a potential cover but I'm still debating on it and thinking maybe I'll just.... pitch that and rethink it... I'd shove the whole thing on a shelf for a while but I've got half a dozen readers who demand a proper ebook for their various devices. -_- Nice pre-made covers can be had for not much money -- $50, even $30. Here's a nice site: www.goonwrite.com/And hey, you never know who might like your books. And if you write in a little tiny niche, that's fine. It's one of the things indie publishing allows us to do, in fact, which is wonderful for those readers who do want those works but couldn't get them before. Everybody's happy! Lindy adds: This ^^^ and welcome, Aimless! And if your house will burn down if it isn't rewired RIGHT NOW, do that first, before getting a cover. (Bad electricals caused a fried laptop for a writer I know. Her stories were not backed up, and were unrecoverable.) You are still editing/revising, right? And probably having some beta reads? And maybe joining a good critique group, like critiquecircle.com? (Look at me, getting all bossy when we've only just met...) Oh, and I thought that cover guy's shoulder was a skinny woman's butt, and that he was poking it to see if it was "done" -- with a mutant finger. I always go for the obvious... |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 17, 2014 23:00:50 GMT -5
I agree with Becca, he's like leaning against a wall or something, arms raised, looking over his shoulder. I had to look at the image inside to get a better look. Have you ever seen that bad cover website? Pretty funny stuff on there. lousybookcovers.com/I got as far as the third page before the comment 'Planets. They're NOT THAT SHAPE' practically ended me. Just too funny And now, back to searching for my own first cover on that site. It was a terrible case of aspect ratio abuse That site makes me feel just a bit guilty, but I had to go back to check out the planets. Er ... eggs. Planeteggs. |
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Post by Alan Petersen on Apr 18, 2014 2:27:19 GMT -5
I'm still weighing saving money for a cover artist or spending that money on rewiring the house... Figuring out priorities can be a little difficult. I don't really think I have much chance of success as a serious author - it'll probably just remain an amusing hobby so that gives me the most pause. I've worked out a potential cover but I'm still debating on it and thinking maybe I'll just.... pitch that and rethink it... I'd shove the whole thing on a shelf for a while but I've got half a dozen readers who demand a proper ebook for their various devices. -_- Nice pre-made covers can be had for not much money -- $50, even $30. Here's a nice site: www.goonwrite.com/And hey, you never know who might like your books. And if you write in a little tiny niche, that's fine. It's one of the things indie publishing allows us to do, in fact, which is wonderful for those readers who do want those works but couldn't get them before. Everybody's happy! Here are some more great looking pre-mades for just $35: yocladesigns.com/pre-madeIMO the cover for "The Roman" has a weird pose of the model, but it's not a bad looking cover, quality-wise. It just looks a bit odd with that pose, but I don't think it's a cover that would make it on to the lousy covers website. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2014 5:56:33 GMT -5
Nice pre-made covers can be had for not much money -- $50, even $30. Here's a nice site: www.goonwrite.com/And hey, you never know who might like your books. And if you write in a little tiny niche, that's fine. It's one of the things indie publishing allows us to do, in fact, which is wonderful for those readers who do want those works but couldn't get them before. Everybody's happy! Lindy adds: This ^^^ and welcome, Aimless! And if your house will burn down if it isn't rewired RIGHT NOW, do that first, before getting a cover. (Bad electricals caused a fried laptop for a writer I know. Her stories were not backed up, and were unrecoverable.) You are still editing/revising, right? And probably having some beta reads? And maybe joining a good critique group, like critiquecircle.com? (Look at me, getting all bossy when we've only just met...) Oh, and I thought that cover guy's shoulder was a skinny woman's butt, and that he was poking it to see if it was "done" -- with a mutant finger. I always go for the obvious... Bossy is fine ^_^ I'm not at all a confident person and the closer I get to being 'done' with the process, the more intimidated I get by the whole thing. I've got everything backed up three ways from Sunday and have some test readers going - it took a while but I FINALLY found a few guys willing to take time to read... I'm still trying to figure out where to categorize the thing. Compared to everything else in the urban fantasy range it's a little odd. Kind of... umm... YA but most of the characters are adults. I don't know enough younger people to know whether this will kill the appeal or whether they will like it anyway. Okay, I'm just rambling now. Sorry. LOL I hadn't even thought to look for a critique group... I'll look in to that one, thanks! ^_^ (And yeah... the cover made my brain hurt, too. Even after they pointed out what it was I had to stand back and really look at it before I could see anything other than some bizarre body part of a second person. Better lighting would have improved that shot a bit...) Thank you all for the welcomes and advice! |
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Post by lindymoone on Apr 18, 2014 6:33:13 GMT -5
Aimless: Sounds like New Adult - NA - but I don't really know, since I don't write either YA or that. Bet there are lots more knowledgeable people here to help. And good luck! I felt exactly like you, very intimidated, but it's just a matter of taking one (firm) step at a time. |
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 18, 2014 7:34:41 GMT -5
I think it's two guys, one's got his back to the camera, and he's strung up. The other is looking over the strung up guy's shoulder. Either that, or the guy's a mutant. I think the book might be more interesting to me if he was a mutant.
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