C.B.’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2015)

C.B.’s comments from the Support for Indie Authors group.

Angel wrote: "Three more versions of the cover have been just posted: https://www.facebook.com/angel.chadwi..."

Can I ask a question with the best of intentions?

Why did you make your name the more interesting font so that it stands out more that the book title? Your name is also where I would expect the title.

I am sorry, this is still confusing.

Christina wrote: "Is there a way to check the frequency of combinations of words? I'm noticing I really like using certain phrases too much. Currently it's 'hairy eyeball'."

I use 'Thick Ropes' too much... in... my... nautical... adventure.

Angel wrote: ""forget it""

Do not give up on your cover. It will sell this book. There is nothing more costly in self publishing than a bad cover. (I read that somewhere)

It is almost there. DO NOT GIVE UP!

Angel wrote: "Ok, the next newer versions are up. I couldn't get the typefaces you suggested Jess but, I used to different fonts while researching that were suggested on other fonts websites were considered simi..."

Remember, no matter what you read, or what you learn, or what anyone tells you about contrast, images, feelings, or design: the most important thing about a cover is that it needs to make sense. That is the very first rule of covers, everything else is important but secondary.

As soon as it is confusing, hard to read, or obscure - the potential read will abandon it. You have gone a great step towards this, but you need to go further.

This is getting better for size, but here is where clarity diminishes now. Your author name and the title are in the same font, colour, treatment, and the size. It is instantly hard to tell which is which. Yes, I can read it to find out, but my eye is already turned off by this, and honestly if I was a reader, I may not bother to find out. People are very fickle. If even for a split second I think your author name is Weeping Well, I might might click away and you could lose a sale, or a fan.

Your title is the most important text. It really should be bigger. If you look at my quick example with the wrong title - can you tell which is more important? Which is the title? I like to think that you can! :D I can't with yours.

Futura isn't a font I would suggest for a title. Your author name if the title is in a serif font? Maybe, It would work there. Not for a title though. Don't get me wrong, Futura is one of my favorite fonts! I literally use it daily! But it is a font for advertising headlines, menu selections, and NCR invoice categories on receipts. Not for book covers about naked ladies! :)

Find a font with character, find a font with style! Find a font that fits!

www.fontsquirrel.com has free fonts that are less known that www.dafont.com, and you can search by 'feels'. Don't pick something that sacrifices legibility for being neat, or you will just have a whole new problem!

Play around with your fonts, together, see how they work. They need to be different, but as always, no more than 2 on a cover. Try your name smaller, try to add a bunch of kerning to it and make it one line. Your name doesn't need to be more than one line.

Look at some books in your genre, what did they do to the fonts?

Can you add something else for interest? More than a naked lady in the water? :D

Maybe some light nearly invisible filigree or something to add some interest. Note: It doesn't need another image on it or anything like that.

Good luck!

Angel wrote: "The name of my novel is "Weeping Well" but thanks for the suggestions. I will work on it.."

It was? Wow. I guess it was.
Okay, so I REALLY couldn't read that green font. Take it as a sign! :D

Jenycka wrote: "I put the draft of my latest erotic novel through there... wow there are some words I over use, but none of them ought to be shared here...."

I apparently have a very vivid imagination when it comes to... well...
words and stuff...

;)

The picture is still nice, but that text is still way way way too small, lacking contrast, and Copperplate Gothic isn't doing you any favours. (You aren't a bank!)

Bigger! Bolder! No bright colours, they will clash with your image. That green has barely any contrast, look when compared to the white author name!

Big. Bold. Like this! :) This is just an example, it still needs work, but big, like this!

I am sorry but I have to agree with Ann here.

I can not even read your title full size due to the colours being too similar. On thumbnail size I don't think it would be possible. Your title needs to be bold, legible, and full of contrast. This lacks all three.

Move the words away from the face as well. Don't have the two most important things on the cover competing for attention. I can also barely make out the figure. Subtle is okay, but this is too subtle. It looks like just a big swash of blue.

Don't give up, but this needs a lot of work. We are here to help!

CLARIFICATION:

Because I didn't want to step on any toes, or draw something for someone how didn't want their book illustrated - I only have drawn fan art here for authors who either:

1. Said that they have never received fan art.
2. Asked for it specifically.

So if you didn't get a fan art, that is why. There is still time to get in on the action though! :D

A.E. wrote: "´*raises hand* Can I stand in line? I'd love to have some fan art. Tha..."

Hello AE! Your wish has been granted. I am not sure if this happens in the book, but you can always sneak it in for the sequel!

FBI agent Miriam Goldblum of the Golden Fleece Society finds a mysterious artifact. From In the Hands of the Unknown, by AE Hellstrom.

Amanda wrote: "Oh my, I just love what you're doing, haha! This one is my fave so far. :-)"

Thank you very much Amanda! I love that you have received fan art before, but I like even more that you have commissioned fan art! I would love to see some of them! :)

Riley wrote: "Yep, I'm with Virginia. Started a fan art page, just from your work. And I made a blog post for ya with the aforementioned warning about elfrotica when they click on your name!"

Wow! that is awesome. I can't wait to get home tomorrow from my trip. Then I can draw a few more fan arts! :D

Winifred wrote: "Thanks to all of you who have given me feedback on the Bombed cover. Even though I still like all those colors, I can see that my cover stands out on a page of book covers and maybe not in a good w..."

I was going to say this earlier. I don't think the cover is bad at all. However, as you progressed further and further down the process, and more and more colours and effects showed up, the less impact the cover had. The less contrast. The blue and red combo is one of the worst colour combos you can do. On computer screens the colours vibrate on people's eyes and can cause headaches. That isn't what you want!

Lots of contrast. The first version had much more. The final cover has a good title font. Just try and remove all those reds and blues from the final cover, make them yellow again, turn the font black, and see what happens! :D

Yes! As soon as I need to take notes to remember who is who... I get lost.

Owen wrote: "I think it's a pretty safe bet that if a blurb has typos and/or basic grammar mistakes, the book isn't ready yet either."

I just checked. The Vegas Odds are giving a 2-1 chance. That is about as high as it gets.

I am bad with remembering names as well. When talking about Game of Thrones with friends I will say things like " You know that guy, the one that was in the first episode and had been with the Dragon lady since the start and is her advisor guy? He is one of my favourite characters!

Virginia wrote: "I have officially started a fan art page for my book and featured CB's work front and center. It's here for anyone interested. Thanks again, CB!"

No problem! I'm glad you like it! :)

Would Pete Rose by any other name would still smell as sweaty?

That was my first thought when I saw this thread. Oh, Pinky, you will forever be quotable.

For character names I prescribe to the Not Like Wheel of Time philosophy. All the main characters in my book have names that start with different letters, sound different from each other when said aloud, have variable lengths, and variable amounts of syllables.

When you read a book blurb, use the voice of Dramatic Movie Trailer Guy. It just makes them better.

I actually really like blurbs. They add mystery, give me a hint of story, and they make me interested in the content of the book.

I have bought books because of a good blurb, but I have not bought books because of bad blurbs far more often. A bad blurb that has no formatting, spelling and grammar mistakes is, or is more confusing to read than a ham sandwich is a giant warning flag of what the book is like. While that may not be actually true, it is how I react.

I judge before I buy and I am sorry!

I will also get gawks at this I am sure: I loved writing my blurb! It was the last thing I wrote for the book, it tied it up, and it was fun to punch as much as I could in there. (Reading good blurbs helps) I had a blast.

But... writing the synopsis... that was hard. Mine is terrible and we are not on speaking terms right now.

S. wrote: "Okay here is a enhanced author name. Does this look better? I was a little nervous to change it but it quickly grew on me."

This really has come along nicely. The little touches are helping make this stand out more.
I like the new author name, it is larger and more legible. Good job!