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Question for cozy writers

3K views 23 replies 7 participants last post by  DebDougall 
#1 ·
Hey fellow cozy authors, et al,

There seems to be a trend right now to make cozy covers look as much like another very popular cozy author's books as possible, put the books into KU for $0.99c, and release like crazy.

Not that that there's anything wrong with pubbing as fast as possible - I wish I could write that quick - but if you're a cozy author, how do you feel about this kind of marketing?

I'm kind of reluctant to price my books for less than $2.99 and as much as I love those covers, I don't want mine to look the same as so many others do right now.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks y'all.
 
#2 ·
I'm probably not your standard for cozy, but take a look at my signature. I did different because I like different. Not so different that they didn't match the genre, but different enough that I stand out. My first Xmas isn't cozy, but the second one is. They'll be two more books to finish up the series. My Xmas book gets some good eyes on it. I'm currently running a Christmas in July promo, and my book has been downloaded the most out of everybody. Not being a brag, because for all I know, all those people read it and hated it :) My point is that the cover catches their eye. I don't write fast because I have two year old twin boys and they're well, all consuming. I'm priced at 99 cents for the Xmas, $2.99 for the next. I saw decent follow through to the next. Oh, and they're also novellas.

Someone we all know and love here makes bank because she writes fast and has a huge following. That's never going to be me because short of giving up sleep completely, I'll never have enoigh time to produce that much. I also am particular about the art side of things and want people to recognize my covers as me, not someone else. I could sit down and paint you a Rembrant too. But doesn't mean anyone will remember me after it's gone. I want people to know my name and my art and my style, not lump me in with somebody else.---meaning, her covers stand out for her. You can spot her covers right away because they are perfectly set up that way. For someone to want to copy someone's style for marketing is ridiculous. You'll end up lost in the shuffle. (That's my very round about point)

Also, I'm not in KU. My books are wide. Merely for the fact that I want to do with my books what I want to do.

Edited to add: I'm brand new and don't know cr*p :)
 
#4 ·
DebDougall said:
There seems to be a trend right now to make cozy covers look as much like another very popular cozy author's books as possible, put the books into KU for $0.99c, and release like crazy.
Covers: Most genres have a certain feel, popular color schemes, etc, which evolve over time. Both indie and traditionally published books tend to follow the current styles to signal to readers what they're getting. For example, cute vector art has been popular in cozies for at least the past eight years (that's just how long I've been paying attention). The trad published cozies often have custom illustrations but most indies can't afford that, so they buy common stock art and manipulate it. Limited high quality stock selection naturally results in a lot of the same images popping up on covers in the same genre but, ideally, everybody uses the stock differently or customizes it in their own way.

KU and $0.99: A lot of authors have found that, for them, high volume sales at a low price lead to bigger earnings than low volume sales at a higher price. That's not the case for everybody, especially established authors or authors writing in a less crowded niche, but it's common among newer writers who are still trying to find a following. Having recently tested this myself, I can only say that my February trilogy with a $0.99 lead-in was far more successful than my July trilogy with $2.99 lead-in, all variables except pricing being as similar as I could make them, for testing purposes. Maybe that means something, maybe it doesn't, but a lot of other authors have had similar results.

Frequent releases: Since most authors report that they sell more books the more regularly they release, naturally most of us release as quickly as we can. That creates a treadmill effect where everyone feels the pressure to release more, better, faster. Many feel that's not a sustainable way to publish long-term. But if we're reliant on publishing for a living, we have to work within the environment that exists, not within the more relaxed, less price sensitive, less marketing-driven environment we might wish for.
 
#6 ·
I have no idea what books you are referring to, but that is the formula that was used in romance by scammers and then the books were stuffed. They were also being advertised in AMS at very high CPC... which is what was kind of a red flag because there was no way you could make money at that cost.

So they had the low 99 cent price point to make it cheap for some and help boost their ranking, but were making their money off the page reads of 3,000 page books.

Again, I have no idea what books you are talking about so am not accusing anyone of that, but it is something to watch for.

Also, these bookstuffers target categories where there are readers who like to read a lot and look for frequent releases. Which does fit the cozy genre. 

All of that said... I have my cozies priced at $3.99 for the most part. My first in series is free right now, but only because Amazon is having some "technical" issue with getting it off free. These are around 65,000 word books.

I am considering a shorter length of book for a series I am going to write with a friend. I don't think the books will be short enough that I would price them for 99 cents... but will probably go to $2.99.  99 cents to me (right now) is a loss leader or something short, like 20,000 words or less short.

I might do my first in series full length at that... although my plan for now is to try it at $2.99 if I can get Amazon to take it off the perma freebie that it was on before I put it in KU...

So, I guess the answer to your question after all of that is... as things are right now... No, I would not price all of my cozy mysteries at 99 cents. I would lose my shorts on them if I did. :)
 
#8 ·
DebDougall said:
Hey fellow cozy authors, et al,

There seems to be a trend right now to make cozy covers look as much like another very popular cozy author's books as possible, put the books into KU for $0.99c, and release like crazy.

Not that that there's anything wrong with pubbing as fast as possible - I wish I could write that quick - but if you're a cozy author, how do you feel about this kind of marketing?

I'm kind of reluctant to price my books for less than $2.99 and as much as I love those covers, I don't want mine to look the same as so many others do right now.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks y'all.
That's a horrible thing that scammers do. I know several cozy authors who had their cover design copied so closely that readers questioned them. One was so frustrated that she spent $5k to redo all her covers to a more complicated design. It's not a good strategy, especially if your goal is a long-term career.

It's one thing to follow common cover tropes, like cute cartoon characters, bright colors, etc. But to mimic a successful authors cover so closely that it looks just like theirs is so wrong.
 
#10 ·
Amanda M. Lee said:
No offense, Willow, but how do you think your covers are different from the genre? Other than the fact that you mixed illustrations and real-world photos (which very few people would do), how do you think they're different?
No, I'm sorry, I wrote when I was sick and tired and read my post later and realized that most of it made no sense. I was trying to make the point of, why would you want to copy somebody else's cover and not stick out as your own brand? I can spot one of your covers right away (you're always in the "recommended" section on my kindle app), because of how you branded. I want that too and think other authors should strive for the same thing. Not to just "match" somebody else and hope it gets them sales.
 
#11 ·
PamelaKelley said:
That's a horrible thing that scammers do. I know several cozy authors who had their cover design copied so closely that readers questioned them. One was so frustrated that she spent $5k to redo all her covers to a more complicated design. It's not a good strategy, especially if your goal is a long-term career.

It's one thing to follow common cover tropes, like cute cartoon characters, bright colors, etc. But to mimic a successful authors cover so closely that it looks just like theirs is so wrong.
Thanks Pamela,

I had no idea scammers were doing that in the cozy genre but I knew it was rife in others.

I don't know who you're referring to, but I know a successful cozy author who recently changed her covers to (IMO) dull, dull, dull, when they were originally uniquely themed (self-made) and just jumped off the page because there was nothing else like them. They were probably the cleverest cover design I've ever seen.

Now, they're nowhere near as appealing as they were but I guess if she was feeling some heat, changing them was the only option. She has a huge fanbase so I guess her readers will stay with her whatever she does. (I'm not asking who you're talking about but I doubt we're referring to the same author because I've never seen any other cozies with covers like her original ones).

The writer I was referring to in my OP also writes British cozies. Her/his covers are bright and eyecatching and a ton of authors are producing very similar covers now. I don't think they're scammers, just jumping on the coat tails of someone else's success.

Kind of like Oakwood mentioned with Amanda. She was the Mama of the witch genre covers but I guess there are tons of authors who have used them for reference.

Anyways, interesting and a little concerning. Thanks again.

Edit; I have to say, I don't understand why readers would question a cover with an author when it has another author's name on it. Am I missing something?
 
#12 ·
willow163 said:
No, I'm sorry, I wrote when I was sick and tired and read my post later and realized that most of it made no sense. I was trying to make the point of, why would you want to copy somebody else's cover and not stick out as your own brand? I can spot one of your covers right away (you're always in the "recommended" section on my kindle app), because of how you branded. I want that too and think other authors should strive for the same thing. Not to just "match" somebody else and hope it gets them sales.
I don't think there's any need to apologise to anyone, Willow. I totally got your point so I'm sure others did, too. And your post made perfect sense.
Seeing as you've had so many downloads, seems to me like your cover is different (awesome) enough to stop readers from scrolling on by, and appealing enough that they want to add it to their tbr pile.
I didn't know you mixed real illustrations with real-world photos but maybe that's the appeal? It's certainly different.
Good luck to you! :)
 
#13 ·
DebDougall said:
Thanks Pamela,

I had no idea scammers were doing that in the cozy genre but I knew it was rife in others.

I don't know who you're referring to, but I know a successful cozy author who recently changed her covers to (IMO) dull, dull, dull, when they were originally uniquely themed (self-made) and just jumped off the page because there was nothing else like them. They were probably the cleverest cover design I've ever seen.

Now, they're nowhere near as appealing as they were but I guess if she was feeling some heat, changing them was the only option. She has a huge fanbase so I guess her readers will stay with her whatever she does. (I'm not asking who you're talking about but I doubt we're referring to the same author because I've never seen any other cozies with covers like her original ones).

The writer I was referring to in my OP also writes British cozies. Her/his covers are bright and eyecatching and a ton of authors are producing very similar covers now. I don't think they're scammers, just jumping on the coat tails of someone else's success.

Kind of like Oakwood mentioned with Amanda. She was the Mama of the witch genre covers but I guess there are tons of authors who have used them for reference.

Anyways, interesting and a little concerning. Thanks again.

Edit; I have to say, I don't understand why readers would question a cover with an author when it has another author's name on it. Am I missing something?
Because they might not remember the author name, but recognize the look of the books. It's a big problem. The person I know didn't make her own covers so definitely a different person. There are lots of people dealing with this. A general trend is understood, like witch silhouettes or cats for instance.....but it's more exact layout that is problematic.
 
#14 ·
PamelaKelley said:
Because they might not remember the author name, but recognize the look of the books. It's a big problem. The person I know didn't make her own covers so definitely a different person. There are lots of people dealing with this. A general trend is understood, like witch silhouettes or cats for instance.....but it's more exact layout that is problematic.
Ah, okay. I hadn't thought of that.

Some of the covers I'm talking about are simlar to what you've referred to, Pamela. They're so similar, I've stopped and taken a second look. It's only because the author names are different that I've known they're not written by the same person.

It never occurred to me they could be scammers' books. (Maybe they're not, I have no idea, I just never gave it a thought).

What's wrong with some folks?
 
#15 ·
Amanda M. Lee said:
Being different is all well and good but if you don't hit genre expectations, you won't sell. It's pretty simple.
I think Amanda hit it right on the head! As a reader, I look for styles of cozies before I click to see what they are about. I like cozies with animals, but if I see something that catches my eye (I love the new style of the detailed covers) then I'll click on them. If I see a witches hat I tend to pass unless I know the author (sorry Amanda!).
As an author, I try to have each of my series different, but still within the accepted norms of the genre. Hopefully, that makes the read through easier for the readers-easier to find the next in series.

As to pumping out books, I do what I can, but I don't push. I still have an other business to run. Besides, I feel I'm in this for the long haul. If it takes 10 years to start making $$, that's okay.
 
#16 ·
DebDougall said:
I don't know who you're referring to, but I know a successful cozy author who recently changed her covers to (IMO) dull, dull, dull, when they were originally uniquely themed (self-made) and just jumped off the page because there was nothing else like them. They were probably the cleverest cover design I've ever seen.
I think you're missing a very important point. It doesn't matter what you want. It doesn't matter what you like. It's what readers as a whole want and like. You can find something artistic, and enjoy looking at it, and think it's the coolest cover ever. That doesn't mean it's going to sell. If the author changed the other covers, that's probably because they weren't selling and she/he was trying to improve on it.
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter what singular "you" likes. It matters what readers identify with.
Of course, if you don't care about selling, go nuts with the cover choices. That's certainly an option. If you want to sell, though, you've got to go to the readers because they're not coming to you simply because a cover is different and awesome. They want what they want.
 
#17 ·
No, I'm not missing the point, Amanda. I totally get it.

I'm simply saying, in my opinion, this particular author's covers were absolutely fantastic as they were. They were unique, genre-specific and readers loved them. I've never seen witchy covers like them before.

Readers couldn't, and still can't, get enough of her books, to the extent she's been making bank, big time, from her very first cozy.

Regarding her original covers, personally, I can't see how she could improve on them. They were instantly recognizable as hers, totally awesome and they just screamed cozy.

My point was that I found it strange she changed the covers to what I think are dull designs, when they were obviously doing so well for her as they were, with nothing else like them, as far as I know.

I don't really understand why you're suggesting; "Of course, if you don't care about selling, go nuts with the cover choices."

Actually, I do care about selling. Very much. And I do okay, thanks. But I guess that's because I do care about cover choices.

Like I'm sure you do. :)
 
#18 ·
Victoria LK said:
I think Amanda hit it right on the head! As a reader, I look for styles of cozies before I click to see what they are about. I like cozies with animals, but if I see something that catches my eye (I love the new style of the detailed covers) then I'll click on them. If I see a witches hat I tend to pass unless I know the author (sorry Amanda!).
As an author, I try to have each of my series different, but still within the accepted norms of the genre. Hopefully, that makes the read through easier for the readers-easier to find the next in series.

As to pumping out books, I do what I can, but I don't push. I still have an other business to run. Besides, I feel I'm in this for the long haul. If it takes 10 years to start making $$, that's okay.
Thanks Victoria,

Yes, I couldn't agree more!

What covers are you referring to when you talk about "detailed covers"? Something specific, or is that a general observation?
 
#19 ·
I'm 95 percent positive I know who you're talking about and she's been pretty open about why she changed the covers. She went wide for a bit and came back to KU. When she came back, the books weren't ranking well. She said she decided the covers didn't signify the series well because readers were expecting snarky cozies, which these particular books weren't. She was trying to signify that they were more serious cozies with a food twist. I personally prefer the first covers, too, but her rankings are much better with the new covers, so it seems to be working for her, and she's getting the readership she wants as opposed to readers looking for snarky cozies.
 
#22 ·
DebDougall said:
Thanks Victoria,

Yes, I couldn't agree more!

What covers are you referring to when you talk about "detailed covers"? Something specific, or is that a general observation?
it was a general observation...there are a few that show great detail of the area around the focal point (a garden scene, books in a library, detailed kitchen layout). I guess I'm the type that's always looking for Waldo!
 
#23 ·
Amanda M. Lee said:
Are you sure? Did the original covers look like a candy bar?
Yes, I'm sure, although those candy bar covers were awesome. The new covers of the author you're referring to are cool, but more mature and not quite as charming, IMO. Also, they seem to be part illustration, part actual photo, but that could be my eyes. That's not a criticism, btw, just an observation.
Good on her, though, if the new covers have helped to get eyes on the books from the type of reader she wanted to attract, but the reason for the change in design is surprising. Surprising to me, I mean, as I didn't see the originals as snarky at all. I found them to be more cute, classy and a little bit sassy, but I don't write witch cozies, so I have no clue about how to market them.
 
#24 ·
Victoria LK said:
it was a general observation...there are a few that show great detail of the area around the focal point (a garden scene, books in a library, detailed kitchen layout). I guess I'm the type that's always looking for Waldo!
lol! :D
Okay, gotcha. Yes, I love that kind of cover.
There's a beautiful mystery one I saw recently which is different shades of purple, mainly pastels, with a thin drape billowing into a room filled with books. A broken window is the only sign that something is amiss.
It's quite a simple design but the colors are amazing and your eye is constantly being drawn to all the elements on the cover.
Beautiful covers like that will always draw me to them, whether they follow genre expectations or not.
 
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