Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Share the story of your book cover please!

I've seen some cracking good book covers being showcased by our new members and I'm nosy. :D So spill the beans and tell us all about it please! Who designed it, where the idea came from, etc., as much detail as you like. It would be interesting to know how what we see today came to life.

If you could add the picture of your cover too to your reply that would be helpful. :)

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Permalink Reply by Tara Henry on October 5, 2012 at 3:49am

Cover for children's book. Designed for interactive pages in printed form.

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twpphoto.png, 627 KB

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Permalink Reply by Taunya Wright on October 7, 2012 at 8:38pm

I like to use pictures that I stage myself and take for my book covers. Sometimes I see something that is just what I want. The cover for Wild Honey I took on vacation this past summer in North Carolina. Lemonade I staged in front of my house. My husband suggested using our own pictures, it works for me. Besides I like being creative like that and you can get it just the way you want it.

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6x9_Front_Lemonade_SM.jpg, 80 KB
Wild Honey cover.jpg, 83 KB

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Permalink Reply by Tara Henry on October 8, 2012 at 2:04am

Great idea Taunya! They look very nice.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Stevenson on October 8, 2012 at 5:50am

Thank you, Jenn. You are right of course. It's unclear what the cover really represents. I'll try and come up with something more in focus and accurate. But time is a very difficult device to portray.

Jennifer FitzGerald said:

I agree with you on your first cover. Looks like erotica. Although the second cover isn't really poping the story out to me either. I didn't see the person in the thumbnail and the time portal just looks like a gadget. Might wan to keep working on it a little more. Time portal needs to portray time somehow.

Just my thoughts.

Jenn

Chris Stevenson said:

My paranormal romance/thriller The War Gate, was originally published by a small press. It was then titled Gate Walker. The cover consisted of a half-naked man with a woman to his side that appeared as a wispy outline. The plot of the book featured a heavy time-travel aspect, and I felt it was not represented with this small press cover. When I self-published this title, after having my rights returned, I let a friend do a mock-up. She positioned a character who is leaning toward what appears to be a time portal, a system of geographic images, almost like a geared gateway. This, I thought, represented the storyline much better. The first rendition seemed to suggest an erotic ghost story, which it was not. I'll see if I can upload both images for contrast, or I'll leave a link to the present cover.

THE NEW COVER

THE OLD COVER

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer FitzGerald on January 30, 2014 at 5:41pm

Not all "professionals" are alike unfortunately. We actually do research on the genre and the target market, and then integrate it with what the author wants, to ensure the title and cover are compelling and the author is happy. I extended our services to marketing books and helping our authors sell when I realized that if my authors weren't happy they wouldn't write. Making my authors happy is by their book selling.

Kay Elizabeth said:

That's interesting that the publisher still wanted to go with it even if you yourself didn't feel it reflected the content, John. As a reader I would feel duped to be honest. You'd think they would have considered that possible viewpoint. While it wouldn't affect that particular sale which was already done and dusted, I think it would make me seriously consider future purchases. That would be a real shame for you. Of course not all readers may feel the same.

And btw, cover art by a professional is no guarantee they even read it first beyond a synopsis. Personally I think that should be non-negotiable although I do understand they have time constraints like anyone else. I just don't see how they can do a book justice without having done so.

John Brantingham said:

I did not like my book cover at all. I felt it didn't reflect what was on the inside, but I also understand that the cover art is the work of a professional, so I let it go. The publisher liked it and thought it would get people to read the words inside, so I was happy to go with that.

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Permalink Reply by Raymond Cook on September 28, 2015 at 4:35am

My eBook covers are made in three simple steps:

First I go to www.flickr.com

They have a gazillion photographs to browse. Type the category, scroll down and find the photo that is perfect for your book cover. Then contact the photographer and tell him you would like permission to use the photo and include the link so he knows what you are interested in. As long as you post a Flickr link in your book for proper credit, 75% of the photographers will say yes without asking for money. Others never get back to me. Some do and say no. Some say yes, for $500.00.

So it's a hit and miss situation.

But it works well for me.

Here is one of my eBook covers I had made from my web tech:

The wood border above and below the photo "Brands my eBook" making it easier on Amazon to spot the rest of my eBooks there.

I hope I have been helpful.

My web tech is inexpensive so if you are looking for one to do a book cover, an inquiry e-mail would be helpful to you.

His e-mail is:

support@netwiz.net His name is IAN

He has done all 22 of my eBook covers.

Raymond

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Permalink Reply by Chris Stevenson on September 29, 2015 at 1:16am

My latest cover is for The Girl They Sold to the Moon. Tilly's father pawned his daughter to an unscrupulous company called Family Trade and Load. This is YA dystopian/SF, btw. Tilly lands on the moon and takes a work assignment. She ends up being an exotic dancer for filthy, but filthy rich ore miners. The cover has Tilly's face overlying a shot of the moon. I don't know if you can see it, but she is crying glitter and thee is also a representation of a small moon in the picture. My agent and I agreed that out of ten of my covers this one is the most beautiful of all. Google it on Amazon or click on the link to see the larger image. You'll be pleasantly amazed, I hope!

Amazon full: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-They-Sold-Moon-ebook/dp/B00LDFLR0S/ref=l...

Product Details

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Permalink Reply by Raymond Cook on September 29, 2015 at 5:18am

I see my book cover didn't appear.

Here is one of my book covers

Raymond Cook said:

My eBook covers are made in three simple steps:

First I go to www.flickr.com

They have a gazillion photographs to browse. Type the category, scroll down and find the photo that is perfect for your book cover. Then contact the photographer and tell him you would like permission to use the photo and include the link so he knows what you are interested in. As long as you post a Flickr link in your book for proper credit, 75% of the photographers will say yes without asking for money. Others never get back to me. Some do and say no. Some say yes, for $500.00.

So it's a hit and miss situation.

But it works well for me.

Here is one of my eBook covers I had made from my web tech:

The wood border above and below the photo "Brands my eBook" making it easier on Amazon to spot the rest of my eBooks there.

I hope I have been helpful.

My web tech is inexpensive so if you are looking for one to do a book cover, an inquiry e-mail would be helpful to you.

His e-mail is:

support@netwiz.net His name is IAN

He has done all 22 of my eBook covers.

Raymond

Attachments:

book cover C.jpg, 437 KB

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Permalink Reply by Raymond Cook on September 29, 2015 at 5:20am

That book cover did go through.

My web tech has given me many good suggestions. One of them was to "Brand my book cover" which means I use the brown wood border on the top and bottom of the photo. Another of his ideas were to number my books in case a reader wanted to read my books in order.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Gard on September 29, 2015 at 8:23pm

I have been told that my book cover is not sexy enough. The cover and title are significant to me. The clothing worn by the model is actually part of my own Dowry given to me in Croatia in 1956. This book is the first of my Destiny Trilogy. Book is made up of fictionalized facts and I believe Destiny has played a large part in the story and my writing of it. Won awards on all three.