[Kathleen Valentine]

Even though I think my novel Depraved Heart is one of the best things I've ever written, it has been a slow seller. The people who read it say they love it but sales have been very tough. I decided maybe the cover was too esoteric or not sufficiently "sexy". So I made some changes. Any thoughts?

 

[dalya]

The review quote is easier to read without the ivy, but I'm not loving the girl's nose being cut off. I don't know. I don't think this is drastic enough to really shake things up, i.e. be worth uploading everywhere.

 

[KellyC]

I agree with DaIya about the nose being cut off, but overall the new one definitely stands out more than the original.

 

[Monique]

The review quote is easier to read without the ivy, but I'm not loving the girl's nose being cut off. I don't know. I don't think this is drastic enough to really shake things up, i.e. be worth uploading everywhere.

This.

Overall, it feels too busy. I also don't think the typography is working.

Maybe try afresh. Something singular and simple. Elegant.

 

[48209]

Do you mean literally "sexy" - because, the cover doesn't read sexy to me. But, I ditto Dalya.

I'm making bumper stickers that say that.

 

[dalya]

Do you mean literally "sexy" - because, the cover doesn't read sexy to me. But, I ditto Dalya.

I'm making bumper stickers that say that.

Heheh. I should also note that few of my many cover changes has made any noticeable difference to my sales. Still, no reason why we can't keep shooting for perfection!

 

[Jena H]

I do like the "cleaner," less-busy bottom portion, and the review quote is much easier to read. I don't mind the fact that there's a girl on the cover, but why are you cutting off her nose? (To spite her face? ha ha!) I don't like the font; other than the two capital letters, the font is way too small (imho). If the girl is made smaller (or deleted completely) the font can easily be made larger and still fit.

 

[41413]

I have to second the folks who say it's too busy.

 

[dotx]

I think if you're going to change the cover, you might as well try something VERY different. These two are very similar.

 

[Hudson Owen]

It depends on what you mean by 'depraved.'  Do you mean a few steps off the randy path?  Or, a soul-sucking demon in a long skirt?  Neither the figurine nor the girl says the latter.  The building says Rebecca.  That novel would not be considered depraved today.  If you want to show godawful depravity, a woman who would wreck worlds and shame the Devil, you need a model that reflects such a character, I would say.

 

[unkownwriter]

Could you make it look more like Each Angel Burns? Sort of misty, ghostly, haunted? I think the current cover is too stark.for the story -- too bright.

And I'm not crazy about cutting off the woman's nose, either.

 

[HAGrant]

The cover has a harsh, busy look. My eye doesn't know where to go. The bright blue/sunshine colors and tones don't appeal to me. They're the type of colors and tones you see in travel posters, without the serenity of the sea, etc. The statue disappeared against the background, so the blonde is better because I can see her. Your other covers have a misty, mysterious look that says the stories have psychological layers.

One more comment: the detailed white typeface looks a lot like the white details in the landscape and sky.

 

[Guest]

It depends on what you mean by 'depraved.' Do you mean a few steps off the randy path? Or, a soul-sucking demon in a long skirt? Neither the figurine nor the girl says the latter. The building says Rebecca. That novel would not be considered depraved today. If you want to show godawful depravity, a woman who would wreck worlds and shame the Devil, you need a model that reflects such a character, I would say.

I agree with this. Depraved Heart to me says someone is some sort of sexual misfit/killer/crazied person and neither cover says that to me. I think as a reader, based purely on cover alone, I wouldn't really know what to expect from the title/cover. That's an opinion without looking at the description though.

So i just went on to read the description on Amazon, and that too is quite busy with lots of detail. This section..As the heat of summer intensifies Tempest discovers more about the secrets, deceptions, love affairs, madness, and mysterious deaths of Hathor's residents. And about Syd Jupiter who is as enigmatic as he is alluring......to me was the best line of the description because, history aside, it gives me an idea of what to expect from the book, but this wasn't my impression of what to expect from the cover.

I agree with those who said the cover was a bit busy.

 

[jvin248]

.
Take off everything except the picture of the house, run a band across it like your 'crazy lady' cover, and boost the font. I'd change the font to match (looking up romantic suspense on amazon...) something like the Marie Force covers I see. You can also see how Stephanie Bond books are all text with only a little artwork.
.
.

 

[Lexi Revellian]

The cover has a harsh, busy look. My eye doesn't know where to go. The bright blue/sunshine colors and tones don't appeal to me. They're the type of colors and tones you see in travel posters, without the serenity of the sea, etc. The statue disappeared against the background, but the blonde is better because I can see her. Your other covers have a misty, mysterious look that says the stories have psychological layers.

I agree - and I don't like the blue border. I think there's a temptation to try to get too much information into a cover, and make it totally accurate like a still from the film of the book. But less is generally more (think Twilight covers) especially given the tiny size Amazon uses.

Lexi

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

Thanks for all the comments. FYI "Depraved Heart" is a legal term. The protagonist of the story, Syd, has just served 15 years in prison for the "Depraved Heart Murder" of his brother-in-law. This is the opening of the book:

LEGAL DEFINITIONS: Depraved Heart Murder n. A murder resulting from an act of reckless disregard for the safety of others. Also known as Depraved Indifference Murder. Depraved-heart murder is recognized in the Model Penal Code § 210.2(1)(b). The Model Penal Code considers unintentional killing to constitute murder when the conduct of the defendant manifests "extreme indifference to the value of human life."

I did not mean sexy literally, probably "snazzy" is a better word. I will take a look at other fonts for the title although I sort of like the "depraved" look of the current font. I'm also going to see what I can do about her nose - I really don't want to show her face - maybe I can fade it more.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

Why isn't Syd on the cover?

Cause I couldn't find anyone gorgeous enough to be him.

 

[Honeybun]

I'm going to throw my vote in that there's too much going on - on the cover.  Covers that are simplistic in their imagery often have the strongest impact.  Consider the Shades of Grey series and the Twilight (the books, not the movie) series.  Both of those had professional cover artists and they both have very clean yet impactful cover designs.  Have you considered taking a fresh go at it?

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

Okay, I made the woman a bit smaller and moved her to the left. I also made the lower case in the title a different font. All of my covers have collages on them so I don't want to change that - it is my signature. I'm not sure what else I want to do. The good news is the second cover is up on Amazon toay and I sold a few books.

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

I'm going to throw my vote in that there's too much going on - on the cover. Covers that are simplistic in their imagery often have the strongest impact. Consider the Shades of Grey series and the Twilight (the books, not the movie) series. Both of those had professional cover artists and they both have very clean yet impactful cover designs. Have you considered taking a fresh go at it?

Somehow I don't think the success of 50 Shades and Twilight had much to do with their covers!!!