Modern Good Reads discussion
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Don't judge a book by its cover
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As someone that had their cover added to a blog like this and then got sock puppeted by spiteful people I kind of cringe at this topic. :)I just think a lot of the fantasy book covers maybe fall into a cliche trap. Not that they are bad, but just overdone. Then they like to run out and redo the covers with movie shots. I find that a lot of covers lack depictions of what is in the book. :)
Great point, Shannon. This is one reason I asked people to let us know if the book was a good read, regardless of the cover. That way, the book is actually getting some good exposure, in a way. Readers that might otherwise have passed on the book due to its appearance, might actually give it a look.Additionally, perhaps authors could look at this as market research. If a particular style keeps coming up here, perhaps it doesn't appeal to readers' interests. Personally, I would want to know that.
Anyway, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy discussion. Just because one person doesn't like something, it doesn't mean everyone won't like it.
With this in mind, I absolutely want to be sure no one is spiteful or mean here. So I'm glad you said this, Shannon. Perhaps then we should only put on stories that are good reads, but the covers perhaps left something to be desired. So if it's a good story, tell us about it and encourage us to read it!
Then we're not bashing anyone. We're just saying, "Hey, this might be a crazy cover, but you should read this..."
Plus, if you disagree with someone's proclamation here and actually enjoy one of these covers, tell us so.
Edit-- Thought I'd better add this. Comments that are malicious/mean spirited will be deleted. Obviously.
Shannon wrote: "As someone that had their cover added to a blog like this and then got sock puppeted by spiteful people I kind of cringe at this topic. :)I just think a lot of the fantasy book covers maybe fall..."
Okay, so just to show I have faith in the people of this group, I will offer up my OWN cover as the first example. One reviewer wrote that it was one of the worst covers imaginable. That's quite a distinction. :)
It's from an etching found in Milton's Paradise Lost and I thought it matched the feel of the book, but I think I can see how it might turn some readers off.
Okay, folks. Feel free to give us another, or even to comment on the cover I've posted (don't worry, I can take it. In fact, I hope to learn from it!) ~D.H.
I actually like the cover. Makes me think of angst and longing. Of course I am a dark person lol
I hate to say it...but I do find that the quality of the cover indicates the quality of the book. A friend talked me into changing my cover and it was a really good idea; the book sold poorly before that and this helped a lot.
A beautiful book deserves a beautiful face; to do otherwise is like putting your kid in an ugly sweater. It's not comfortable or happy to put a new cover on a book when you are attached to the old one, but when I went browsing as a reader through Amazon, ugly covers were my first process of elimination criteria.
A beautiful book deserves a beautiful face; to do otherwise is like putting your kid in an ugly sweater. It's not comfortable or happy to put a new cover on a book when you are attached to the old one, but when I went browsing as a reader through Amazon, ugly covers were my first process of elimination criteria.
Thanks, Sophia and Shannon. that was so sweet of you to say so. :) I initially loved the cover, but after hearing a few comments, I'm no longer certain about it. I want to do the best thing I can for my book, so I'm willing to try something else if it doesn't appeal to others. I completely agree, Michelle. I have a feeling that many authors might find it difficult to get an honest opinion from their friends and peers as no one wants to hurt the other person's feelings. But as readers, fellow authors and friends, I believe we should say something when a cover is terrible. If the author listens, it just may mean the difference between popularity and obscurity.
Yeah, I'm not big on my cover, but with going through a small press, I didn't have much of a say in it. I hate to think it is hurting me from getting more readers for what I hope is an otherwise fantastic read, but I'm not so naive as to think it isn't. We learn as we go, I suppose.
D.H. wrote: "Thanks, Sophia and Shannon. that was so sweet of you to say so. :) I initially loved the cover, but after hearing a few comments, I'm no longer certain about it. I want to do the best thing I can f..."Just fyi, I never bullshit about what I think, either. If I thought it was a bad cover I'd tell you how I thought you needed to improve it, or to replace it.
Ah, Sophia, your awesomeness shines through! I didn't doubt you. I didn't doubt Shannon either. Not one bit. I think I have one of those love it or hate it covers, because although I'm partial to it, I've certainly heard some nasty things about it. Shannon was right to say this was a touchy subject, so to show good faith, I wanted to be the first to offer up my cover for scrutiny.
Jason wrote: "Yeah, I'm not big on my cover, but with going through a small press, I didn't have much of a say in it. I hate to think it is hurting me from getting more readers for what I hope is an otherwise fa..."So glad you brought that up, Jason. Some readers might not realize this, but as soon as an author signs up with a publisher, they lose control over basic things like the cover or title. I've heard some pretty crazy stories about this!
So let's use this as a way to draw our fellow readers to books they might otherwise pass on. Have any of you read a book that was excellent, but had a cover that didn't appeal to you? Do you want to tell other readers not to pass on this book due to its cover alone? Then share it here!
The book I want to share is
by R.E. Sheahan. I find the cover to be very busy and based on that alone, I admit I wouldn't have bought it. However, I won this book through a giveaway and I really enjoyed reading it!
Storm of Arranon is YA and is a bit of a cross between fantasy and sci-fi with the obligatory romantic angst built in. The author did a good job creating believable characters and building worlds that are layered and interesting for the YA level. It was a fun and enjoyable read and I hope that anyone that's shallow like me and isn't drawn to the cover might give this story a second look.
Anyone else have one to share?
Hi guys... so guess who's cover got attention from a site called lousybookcovers.com? Yep. http://lousybookcovers.com/?p=3862I want to reply to the first commenter and tell them that they are right, it's absolutely supposed to reference the movie Metropolis. But I know you're not supposed to answer criticisms.
What do you all think, should I change the cover(s) of this serial novel?
You can see all three that are out so far here:
http://sophia-martin.blogspot.com/
I haven't read your book, but I will give you my totally subjective impression of the cover(s). I certainly don't mean to offend, but only want to give you an honest impression from a browser of a lot of books. If I was in a bookstore and picked it up, here's what I'd think: Cold and emotionless story about a woman set in the 1920s.
Now, that may be totally off base with your writing, but that's just what the cover says to me. My vote is to change all three to better connect with your reader with the emotion of the story. The images are cool, no doubt, but I don't think they convey your intended message.
Thanks, Courtney. I am looking for honest opinions, so yours is very important to me!
My pleasure. I'm always hesitant to say anything negative, but when someone is searching for honest feedback I'm happy to stick my neck out. I wish I had that level of feedback on my first novel, or I wouldn't have agonized in such a lonely place.
Richard wrote: "Also, btw, for what it's worth: I have read all of Sophia Martin's published work; and they are all good books."Thanks, Richard. I need a little boost today. :)
D.H. wrote: "Shannon wrote: "As someone that had their cover added to a blog like this and then got sock puppeted by spiteful people I kind of cringe at this topic. :)I just think a lot of the fantasy book c..."
D.H., your reviewer needs glasses. I'm a cover snob and I really like yours. It is bleak and strong but yet still attractive. That sounds like it is in line with your book's themes. It gets my thumbs up.
Thanks, Leigha. I was considering changing the look for my sequel, but perhaps I'll stick with the same theme and use another Divine Comedy or Paradise Lost image. It's so hard to be objective about it! I imagine all authors must go through this, and I really feel for the authors that have no true control over the look of their book cover. So wonderful readers, how much does the look of the book cover influence your decision to read (or not read) a book?
My cover was almost as hard at the blurb!!! But I know that everyone judges a book by it's cover. I really do enjoy seeing when an author can grow enough realize when a change needs to be made. One series that comes to mind for me is Kelly Walker's Souls of the Stones Omnibus. The original cover was dreadful. The new covers are beautiful!
I personally believe it's extremely important.Visual communication defines this century and us writers should be aware of that fact. A cover should reflect the quality of your book. Why would you spend months or years on a manuscript and then give up when it comes to visual representation?
I just changed the cover on one of mine. I think many people do judge a book by its cover--even an e-book. I do tend to look at the cover myself. I'm wondering if I should change the other one even though it's a lovely professional cover. The illustrator tossed out my sketch and did his own version. It's lovely but looks more "My Friend Flicka" to me than a Science-Fiction novel--even one that has horses on the planet.
Okay guys, I must admit to smiling and cringing a little as I read this thread ... so I'm getting brave here and am posting pictures of my own book cover. Its had three five star reviews so far, but it just isn't selling - is the cover the culprit? Could be my book blurb too ... oh dear! Here goes:
this is the paperback version through Lulu. I would appreciate your thoughts, and already from reading this thread I can see the cover doesn't really say anything about the book ...
Many thanks for your feedback! All appreciated :)My sister has just directed me towards deviant art too, and it is something I am checking out. There's some great stuff on there!
Harmony your cover isn't terrible. I would suggest a full cover of the lady. The background kind of looks like a PowerPoint slide. There is also a place called Renderosity where a lot of graphic artists are. I post most of my work there. They have an open gallery. You could always go look and contact someone through site mail!
D.H. wrote: "Shannon wrote: "As someone that had their cover added to a blog like this and then got sock puppeted by spiteful people I kind of cringe at this topic. :)I just think a lot of the fantasy book c..."
I had a reviewer put off by the cover too. Here's her review. It's a reminder of when we think our book covers rock, it's not for everyone.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Thanks so much Shannon and Kelly ... glad to know I'm not the only one! Here is an idea for a new one ... what do you all think?
Lol - aspect ratio is a nightmare ... between Amazon, Lulu, Smashwords and GoodReads ... they all want a different size ... hair tearing at this point - lol.Glad it's otherwise looking better. I also desperately need to get to grips with my photoshop - I am sure that would speed up the whole process loads - ha ha. I have also revised the blurb, and I do think it looks better.
Harmony wrote: "Thanks so much Shannon and Kelly ... glad to know I'm not the only one! Here is an idea for a new one ... what do you all think? "I LOVE THIS ONE. This is something I would totally pick up if I walked past it. The colors are amazing.
THANKS Kelly! I am getting a lot of good feedback on this one ... big smiles :)
I won't post an example, because I don't want to call anyone out, but the thing that I see all the time that drives me crazy is weak typography. It's such a shame when a cover has a beautiful image but uses unreadable /unprofessional / genre conflicting fonts.
Harmony wrote: "Okay guys, I must admit to smiling and cringing a little as I read this thread ... so I'm getting brave here and am posting pictures of my own book cover. Its had three five star reviews so far, ..."Harmony, your cover doesn't convey the magical aspect of your novel, and that's the aspect that would sell me, fwiw. Also, I'd cut the entire first paragraph of your description. It's very sciency, and as someone who doesn't usually read nonfiction, it turns me off. I love fantasy. Get to the fantasy part right away! :)
ETA: I like the new one better, but I second Richard's concern both about the long, foreign word (I do this in one of my titles, too, so I know how that can seem like the best choice) and the font. For my own title issue, I plan to release a new version with a title that does not include the foreign word (just as soon as my life slows down!). Also, I hired an artist on DeviantArt to redo the one that got the negative attention. I'm hoping I like what he comes up with!
I like the new cover. I like the name too. I would be like WTH is that and pick it up. :)
Thanks Guys! I just got brave and had a steep (very steep) learning curve, and made a movie preview trailer for it ... great fun! My first ever movie .. all 49 seconds of it - lol :)
I actually like both D.H.'s and Harmony's covers. The only comment I'd make about yours, Harmony, is that with the title, it really gives me little info as to what the book is about. I could guess at the genre, though, and when I read your book's description, it seems to match.And... why am I surprised that there's a site called Lousy Book Covers.com?
I reckon there's probably a site for anything and everything these days! :)
Low Carb Media contributed the photo for the cover in return for promoting them. They have studios in both San Diego and New York. What do you think?
Mod
I ..."
Hi Traci, where are you with your cover? It's hard without any clue about genre or title so I'll tell you my assumptions.
1)The title is Lush. It looks like an off-license shop sign, no, possibly a nightclub. So I'm thinking a contemporary story about events in a nightclub.
2) I immediately assume the figure is the hero in the book. He's having a smoke, having just ducked out the nightclub. He looks young. A rebel. Unhappy. Alone.
3) It's night, dark blue sky, lights, street scene reflected in the window.
Possibly a Young Adult / New Adult book? Urban. Maybe a story about a boy who's run off from his family and is hanging about on the street asking for trouble.
The cover is too cartoon-like to appeal to me. If the sign isn't the title, then it's too big, and there's too much brick wall. There's a lot in his expression that's interesting. He's making direct eye contact.
Hope that helps.
Mod
This is still a very rough draft of the cover.
I appreciate the details of your first impression. It does help!
Thank you so much!
No problem! :)
Hi, Traci! I like the cover, but agree with Ceri that it's too cartoon-like for me, especially the male figure.
Without knowing the title and what genre it's in, it's nearly impossible to give you any useful feedback on how the illustration works as a book cover. I like the illustration itself.
Modern Good Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lost Colony (other topics)The Opal Deception (other topics)
The Last Guardian (other topics)
The Time Paradox (other topics)
The Arctic Incident (other topics)
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Anyone have a particularly cringe-worthy one they'd like to share?
EDIT-- This is important! Let's just share covers that contain a good story inside-- and tell us so! So if a book appears here, we can give it some positive vibes too. Thanks!