Anyone who has seen my novel (here) will see that I went minimalist in my cover design. I tried to let the designs in so many Triathlon symbols inspire me (here). I think for the most part I achieved that, but still I think it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi that more professional covers have. That being said I've seen quite a few designs from my contemporaries (here) and seeing them makes me happy that I went the minimalist route. Some of the designs seem a bit too much, too busy, too loopy and chock full of stuff.
That being said there are things I missed cover-wise for this release. I had a cover ready for the website I was designing (here) but hadn't gone beyond that. I didn't have one ready (formatted for an actual book) for CreatesSpace, I didn't have one ready (shrunk for tiny viewing) for Amazon and Smashwords, just like the web-marketing I didn't have enough ready.
I should have gone onto Smashwords and checked out their template and made sure mine fit the bill. I could have made the second stick figure, the one with the gun, wrap around the spine so that it looks like he's running from the back cover to the front. I could have had a back picture ready as well as a blurb or two (more on that later).
Suffice it to say there were alot of things that I hadn't considered with the cover that with a small amount of research would have cleared up. Again, its on the AAR list now, so I shant miss it next time.
2 comments:
Cover art needs to pull the reader to you book. Sometimes edgy is better than minimalist. For me the green is off putting. I'm not likely to pick it up. So I never get to learn the content. That's sad. I could be passing up the next Pulitzer Prise book, because I don't like the cover. Find a cover designer you can work with. Someone who knows the publishing business.
People can make up whatever fancy terms they like, but the simple fact is you cannot please everyone all the time. Your cover does look professional. Call it 'minimalist' if you like.
However... it 'stands out on a shelf' and catches the eye which is a marketing technique as old as books.
If your book cover looks identical to the competition's, then there is no real reason to pick it up except for the name on it. That only works if you have an established name.
Therefore a cover which catches the eye and piques the interest will possibly lead to a click through, which means a possible sale. YOUR COVER is the only thing the customers see to start.
Don't get me wrong, with my first fiction book "Surviving In America: Under Siege" I have made every mistake in the book. I don't think I am exaggerating in that assessment either. One which I will quickly be correcting is the cover, now that I have fixed the interior.... :)
Good software is important for book covers, and I highly recommend 'Chasys Draw IES' for the graphics work. It is free. It is POWERFUL (close to Photoshop type powerful).
Did I mention it is NOT $699 (Photoshop good version... :)
I used it for my newest cover. You can see the results here:
http://bookblogs.ning.com/forum/topics/need-feedback-on-new-cover
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