Cover Update Opinions (I lied before!)

4712 Views 31 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Lummox JR, Jan 30, 2013

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · Jan 29, 2013

4

Despite the thread a while back we had were we ended up deciding not to fool with our covers, my wife and I decided to test out just some different coloring and typography on cover one. Mainly due to it now being in every virtual store, perma-free, and finally getting around to doing paperback.

What is everyone's opinions on these four covers (Full size and thumbnail), compared not only to one another but to the original cover in my signature?

Thanks, as always!

(PS, in cover 4 we currently have the text higher than the others.. but that can be easily changed if needed!)

**Edit - Put both rows in same order.

**Edit - Added a revision.

See less See more

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

Lisa Grace

· #2 · Jan 29, 2013

The last one. I love the color. Really makes it pop.

NoCat

· #3 · Jan 29, 2013

#4, but drop the text a little so her hand is nice and visible.

Although I can't tell what she's holding now, it just looks like a black thing?

db-book-covers

· #4 · Jan 29, 2013

2 or 3. 1 Blends with the background too much and 4's typography contrasts way too much with the elaborate background.

Zoe Cannon

· #5 · Jan 29, 2013

The last one is the only one where the text is readable enough, but I really don't like the font on that one - it makes the cover look unprofessional to me. If you outlined the text on #2 in black, that would probably be perfect.

I also like "Book One of the Nevermore Series" better than "Nevermore, Book One." It sounds more official.

Mathew Reuther

· #6 · Jan 29, 2013

Readability is best on 4. It's not that pretty though.

I'd drop image height to 180 on every option you make, and if it's not readable it's not a good cover. Go from there, and do what you need to make it both stylistic and legible.

(The complexity of your image does not help here, so my suggestion is to stop fighting with the image and use something to offset the type, like a banner.

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 29, 2013

Doomed Muse said:
#4, but drop the text a little so her hand is nice and visible.

Although I can't tell what she's holding now, it just looks like a black thing?

It's a black feather. Harder to tell in 4 even knowing.

Zoe Cannon said:
The last one is the only one where the text is readable enough, but I really don't like the font on that one - it makes the cover look unprofessional to me. If you outlined the text on #2 in black, that would probably be perfect.

I also like "Book One of the Nevermore Series" better than "Nevermore, Book One." It sounds more official.

We tried that font due to a lot of comments on making the font 'plainer' than the original (for readability at thumbnail sizes). Not sure what other 'fancy' fonts would work. My wife really likes the current fancy font on 1-3 hehe. And I agree with the Book One of the Nevermore Series.. it is just a little long so the text has to be super small if we keep it with that.

And thanks to everyone's replies so far! I hope this will be the last cover update/change on this book

dalya

· #8 · Jan 29, 2013

I hope you don't mind me posting my interpretation, but I feel like when the background is more blurred behind the title, it makes the title more legible.

In this sample, her arm disappears a bit within a blue fog. She's not armless, but the arm isn't breaking up the dark space with a fleshy stripe.

(I was in a tiny-author-name phase for a bit, but the author name could, of course, be much larger, LOL.)

See less See more

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 29, 2013

Dalya said:
I hope you don't mind me posting my interpretation, but I feel like when the background is more blurred behind the title, it makes the title more legible.

Don't mind at all, all input is welcome - and you helped us in the past too!

We thought about that a little, or doing something like:

Meaning the title bar thingy, only less floofy and at the bottom.

See less See more

Mathew Reuther

· #10 · Jan 29, 2013

Dalya said:
I hope you don't mind me posting my interpretation, but I feel like when the background is more blurred behind the title, it makes the title more legible.

This was what I was talking about. Making the words stand out by setting them off.

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 29, 2013

2

How about

See less See more

Ian Marks

· #12 · Jan 29, 2013

Nice - if busy - image, but I can't tell what the girl is holding. My first thought was that it was some kind of chocolate-dipped ice-cream-on-a-stick thing, but that might be because right now I'd really like to be eating one of those.

Typography... bad. Can't read it.

Sorry.

Mathew Reuther

· #13 · Jan 29, 2013

For the record, Adam, I can't see the new version you posted so I can't tell what you may have changed.

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 29, 2013

Mathew Reuther said:
For the record, Adam, I can't see the new version you posted so I can't tell what you may have changed.

Strange, I can see it. Let me try again..

Scarlett_R

· #15 · Jan 29, 2013

Number 4 because of legibility.

You don't have to go with something so condensed, would you consider Futura, or Gill Sans, with some nice spacing? They're fonts that I believe will work with the design instead of clashing against it, while maintaining their readability.

jesrphoto

· #16 · Jan 29, 2013

The cover looks great, but I agree with others that on all options the title is very difficult to read, and there needs to be more contrast. Try a dark overlay over the background area of the image, and adding an outline and glow to the text. With a little bit of tweaking, that should fix it for you.

Adam Poe

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 29, 2013

2

Are these updates viewable now, and how are they?

Also, I will relay the fonts to my wife (who is the one actually doing the covers while I get opinions

) and see what she thinks of the ones you mentioned as well, Scarlett.

See less See more

Scarlett_R

· #18 · Jan 29, 2013

This is too much now. The decorative font and the filters and the glow you have detract the effect of the rest of the cover.

In this instance you don't want your title to take the attention away from the image. On some covers you do but this image is very specific and has a lot going on already. Go back to the simple, block colour, flat text. I feel this new one is way over the top.

Mathew Reuther

· #19 · Jan 29, 2013

I personally find the new version an improvement. I think that the legibility is better maintained at small size through the use of the banner element and I like the scrollwork on it.

It is "perfectly" legible, no. But I think it's in the realm of acceptable.

Just my opinion of course.

jesrphoto

· #20 · Jan 30, 2013

I would agree that this is an improvement. The title is drastically more legible.
I personally would choose a more simple font. Are you working in Photoshop? If you'd like I'd be happy to help out. Email me the PSD at [email protected] and I'll play with it a little bit.

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.