I just wanted to take a moment to share a very funny story with you all. Something I thought you might get a kick out of.
As is normal with every authors, methinks, from time to time I Google my own books.
In so doing I found that the cover to "MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis" had been put on "Lousy Book Covers". I couldn't be mad at it. I knew that the cover wasn't that great. It was among my first covers, so I was still learning the craft.
What was the funniest thing to me was that it was only there because the "subtitle font wasn't legible", or some such. That was a relief to be honest because I'd seen much, much worse.
Truth is, I hadn't revised it because I'd been waiting on a Special Edition that I had in the works in order to do that. However, upon reading everyone's feedback, I decided that this time was as good as any to give the cover a chance at new life.
So, I say that to say this ...
Thank you Lousy Book Covers!
* Oh, random side note ...
To the person that said this:
"They both look white to me. Where does the interracial come into play?"
Which was a stupid, ignorant and foolish comment. You're just showing your lack of knowledge in human biology because skin color HAS NOTHING to do with interracial relationships. You can be light skinned and still be of another race. #JustSaying.
I am pretty sure that that was the only comment that bugged me. Why? Because it showed how ignorant that person really is.
There were some select things that I would've wanted to say to this person in specific, but it wouldn't have been lady like.*
However, apart from that, all of the feedback provided enough insight so as to lead me in the right direction when constructing the new cover. Although, I'd been postponing it for some time now, at this point, it wasn't time to procrastinate any longer.
Lousy Book Covers, I ain't mad at ya'! Promise. You just gave me a reason to up my game beforehand. So, cheers!
Anywho, from this funny circumstance comes the newly created cover for "MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis".
Hi, Nathan from LousyBookCovers.com here. This cover is definitely head and shoulders (and knees and toes) above the original. Here's where I would focus to make it even better:
ReplyDelete- A good rule of thumb is, the more unfamiliar the words are (or the smaller they are), the clearer the font has to be. Your title is composed of uncommon words (that is, words which even your target readers wouldn't usually encounter in the average week), your last name is unusual, and your tagline is small, all of which combines to make them each hard to read. (Remember that your book cover's main goal is to grab reader interest *instantly* -- in that regard, a book cover has more in common with a billboard than fine art.) If you're concerned about your book cover being too untextured or visually plain, try removing the beveling from the type, adding a subtle stone texture to the undetailed white space, and color the type so it'll stand out.
- Having the kissing couple behind the separated windows seems like a clever idea, but the first reaction of most viewers will probably be, "That damned window's in the way." If you can find either a single window or a triple window that will allow the couple's faces to be seen, I think that would dramatically increase the appeal.
FWIW, the sister website to LousyBookCovers.com is CoverCritics.com, where readers give *only constructive* comments on indie publishers' book covers in process. If you want to get even more input, you should check it out.
Thanks. :) * thumbs up*
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the feedback. As I said, that cover was made waaaaay back when I was first learning the trade. I had planed on redoing it for some time, but was waiting for the release of the Special Edition. Nevertheless, no time like the current, right? LOL.
Anyhow, I do get what you're saying about the faces, but I did that on purpose. There is a method to my madness. I covered their faces because I wanted to give a little leeway for the reader to use their imagination. If I were to show the complete faces of the characters, then I'm taking that privileged away from the reader. It was my way of showing some leg, without revealing too much. But, I'm sure you get what I mean.
Anywho ... seriously though, thanks. :) No hard feelings at all. Well, not to you anyway. That idiot that said that stupid thing is another thing altogether. LOL. :D All the best.
[…] Now, during the time of the promo some things happened which caused me to change the books cover. If you don’t follow my blog frequently you can read about it HERE. […]
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