Cover design - your opinions, please

[Nik]

Dear Fellow Authors,

Would greatly appreciate your opinion about the following. This is what a very reputable guy from the industry wrote me:

"I feel your covers, while eye catching as "thumbnails" because of your powerful colors and simplicity, still are less than professional. They almost seem cartoonish, and your subject certainly is not."

This is what he was talking about:



Do you agree/disagree/have a different view? Your candid opinions, please. No need to be tender, even if we are friends. I like it crude and honest -:)

Thanks in advance,

Nik

[[deleted user]]

I do agree with that thing critique. Red and black used like that, without a gradient, are hard on the eyes while also being catching. Catching in a bad way. The cartoons themselves could work on a less bombastic background. Something soother. Maybe something vaguely textured, or a photo-like thing?

The font on the first one is hard to read at a glance. I get the font choice, stylistically, but readability is also important.

I hope this helps.

[Frederick]

As reading the novel for a review I fell obligated responding to this. Yes, I agree with the remark of the reputable guy from the industry. Though premise of the cover is interesting it lacks that seriousness of the book it should represent.
A word of advice from the marketing POV: wrap the candy = sell point.
Do not take offense, cover looks a bit unfinished and childish.
Also, so far, at some 180 pages into the novel, I find it very interesting and enjoyable.

[Victoria]

I haven't read the read, but I will say that unless you're trying to attract a young following, they could be a bit more mature.

[Nik]

Thanks a lot, guys!
I hope to get 10-12 opinions and if they are all in the same basket, then I guess my task would be clear. I like the style, but I need the design to be liked by potential readers.

[Frederick]

Cool stuff is that font looks like written in Cyrillic. Only, letters are plain. I am colorblind and even I found it a bit tough to read. Maybe giving it a little depth by playing with the shadows. Just a thought...

[Nik]

Thanks, I guess it's a good idea. I might need to have the entire thing redesigned by another designer

[M.L.]

I like the colors. It's the figures and their postures, bent arms, flailing arms, that detract.
Effective use of the same palette:
Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and John Ball In The Heat of the Night

[Nik]

Thanks, ML

[Hannah]

I agree. It looks cartoonish! Sorry. I always go straight to a book that catches my eye, and these don't.

[Nik]

ML, only now I see the covers you've attached on the cell phone. The same colors, indeed

[Nik]

Thanks, Hannah

[Ian]

I have to be careful, because some of my covers have had some indifferent comments. Having said that, I think the one on the left is quite reasonable, although the horns on the head look silly, but the one on the right looks a bit silly. Cartoonish, I don't mind, but silly cartoonish is bad. Another thought - you ain't going to please everybody. What you have to ask is, what will your target audience think? If I follow your blurbs properly, the one on the right will not attract your readers.

[Andreas]

Hi Nik, are they political thrillers? The color palette can work but looking at the figures, reader might think that the books are satires. If they are satires, then the covers are good. If they aren't, and instead they have a lot of actions like Michael Clayton, I'd make "more serious" covers.

Hope this helps :).

[Narayan]

I think they could be quite decent if the figures contained a few more shades and a little more shape, if that makes sense. Add just a little more visual depth to it.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

I dunno. I really like the covers.

[Nik]

Ian wrote: "I have to be careful, because some of my covers have had some indifferent comments. Having said that, I think the one on the left is quite reasonable, although the horns on the head look silly, but..."

Thanks a lot for your input, Ian. I wish I knew what the audience would think -:). Exactly for that purpose, I'm asking the question. I personally like the covers and my co-author on the first book too, but it seems a lot of people have reservations about them. Sure I can't and won't please everyone, as I'm myself for example not that excited with Mona Lisa but it doesn't take away from it still probably being the most famous painting in the world -:). As thriller is a pretty popular genre, I can assume with a certain deviation, of course, that the votes here can count for any group of potential readers. Since a cover is the first thing the reader sees when searching book lists, it's important that it'll be as widely likable as possible and so far it looks like there are more negative than positive voices

[Nik]

Andreas wrote: "Hi Nik, are they political thrillers? The color palette can work but looking at the figures, reader might think that the books are satires. If they are satires, then the covers are good. If they ar..."

Thanks a lot, Andreas. Sure, it helps. For me the bigger picture is that they are satires and grotesque to some degree, but I think few if any readers would perceive them as such, therefore I might need more serious covers -:). Still hesitating a bit and being stingy on this extra expense -:)

[Nik]

Narayan wrote: "I think they could be quite decent if the figures contained a few more shades and a little more shape, if that makes sense. Add just a little more visual depth to it."

Thanks, Narayan, I should probably count your opinion as "For" the covers, in general

[Nik]

Dwayne wrote: "I dunno. I really like the covers."

Thanks, Dwayne. Your vote is the only one so far unconditionally for the covers, so at least it's not all one-sided

[J.J.]

Judging from the reviews for Mortal Showdown, it looks like the people who enjoyed it were those that didn't take it too seriously. While I'm not sure the image of two figures boxing is right for the story, the nonserious aspect of the image kind of plays well with what your supporters had to say about the story itself.

On an unrelated note, I liked the teacher who complained about how your main character spent his money as if people in a fictional world have to act and behave exactly like people in our real world.

[Nik]

Thanks, J.J. I'd prefer the covers catch attention of readers expecting serious and nonserious read alike, but I'm not sure it works for the former category.

Thanks for taking care to read the reviews. I was also surprised by this particular negative review, as if this reader denies the existence of billionaires, who use private jets and have easy access to presidents of almost any country. Maybe he didn't see those pic-s from Vegas, crowded with private jets on the eve of Mayweather - Pacquiao fight -:). What can I do, there are people that don't use commuter train, more so in fiction. But that's his legit opinion and I'm perfectly cool with it.

[Christina]

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