Just for the heck of it - another cover concept?

[mary_j_59]

I love deirdrej's cover art, in the icon - it says so much about the story and its themes. But covers are difficult! I don't suppose I will have much say in any of my covers, if my books get published, but I've been wondering exactly what a good cover should do. It should intrigue potential readers, convey a mood, and give some information about the book - genre, possible themes, and so on. Deirdre's design does all of that, IMHO, except for one thing. It's not at all clear that the book is SF, set in the future. That's why I began playing around in photoshop. This is what I came up with. Thoughts?



I love the colors Deirdre uses; they are very meaningful if you know the story. But I think maybe a simpler image, like this, would work better for those who don't know the book. Of course, the boy is too young, but he'd do for my MC at ten or so.

Comments

[duniazade.livejournal.com]

I like your cover concept much better - it's intriguing and it would make me buy the book. The other one makes me go "oh, just another heroic fantasy" (sorry!).

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Um - thanks! The thing about Deirdre's concept is that it makes the most sense after one has read the book. A cover, though, has to attract someone who knows nothing about it. In the case of my concept - I wish I'd been able to detach the kid from his original background more cleanly and that the two moons in the background were clearer. But I do think it conveys the MC's serious character, the mood, and the genre(s) pretty well.

I adore my sister and her artwork, and I really love the colors she chose - they are reflected in my author page. But covers are tricky. I wonder what I'll actually end up with if/when I get published?

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

BTw, did you take a look at my book trailer on my author page? Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself! But I'm rather proud of it. :) The page is http://mjohnsonstories.net

[duniazade.livejournal.com]

I have now - nicely done!

I couldn't find where to subscribe to the blog, though.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. I thought I'd included an RSS feed button? If not, I'll go and correct that.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Found it! If you click on the link "Book reviews...", there is an RSS button you can click on to subscribe. BTW, I should probably change the title, "Book Reviews and other thoughts", since I'm linking to my Goodreads reviews and haven't actually posted any reviews here!

[duniazade.livejournal.com]

Got it - thanks!

[anne-arthur.livejournal.com]

I love the boy's expression - so serious and determined, it seems just right for Kiril! - but, oddly, to me this seems much less SF than Deirdre's cover. The clothes are a bit too like contemporary fencing costume, and its being a photo also makes it look much more 21st century. If you look closely you can see the two moons in the background, but this just doesn't scream 'sci-fi' at me. In fact, if I glimpsed it quickly in a library or bookshop I think that I would assume that it was the story of a future Olympic fencing medallist. But I like the design - the boy staring out of the jacket at you - and with less contemporary clothes/sword/haircut, I think that it would work very well.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

You're right about the fencing costume, Anne! The background's a little too vague - I'm no expert in Photoshop - but I really think with different clothes and a more clearly "outer space" background, this design would work well for me. Deirdre thinks she can improve it for me, so I'm going to see what she comes up with!