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I'm Happy with It...

qWirtzy

Dreamer
I asked my designer for something that was both beautiful and colorful, while hinting at my fantasy setting's involvement with space. I'm launching the book this week sometime (fingers crossed), but it's never too late for feedback, if only to apply to the sequel's cover design.

Your thoughts appreciated!
--RW

Screen_shot_2015-11-30_at_10_57_28_AM.png
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
Beautiful? Yes. And you're happy with it, so the cover's working for you. You should​ love this!

My only criticism is the text. I think the white could stick out over those colors—and in fact I think it would hurt the piece to have letters in the sky. The positioning of the text is fine.

Maybe a font with more uniform thickness, and maybe a one of those messy or brush-like fonts. "Love Ya Like a Sister" is a handwritten font but with typewriter-like letter shapes. "Dead Font Walking" is what I use for the title of my website, but it's a small caps font.

But nothing fancy is needed. I would leave the letters in the center and make the letters solid white. Just have a font that keeps the title readable at thumbnail size, and that'll be an improvement.
 
That really is beautiful. I agree, the text needs to be thicker and possibly larger. But it's great, if I saw this at a bookstore or library, I'd pick it up.
 

Brithel

Dreamer
The only issue is that your name is a bit hard to read as is the subtitle, as the others have said, and I would suggest increasing the fontsize if you go for a similar style cover on the next book(s). The cover is good and eyecatching though and would stand out to me over the generic covers made of stock photos with heavy filters applied over them. All in all very nice.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
I concur, the text should probably be blockier somehow, so you can read it against the shifting colors behind it. I agree, I like the effect of the colors and the imperfect, painted effect. I'd put your name at the bottom, which might look more traditional? then you could make it bigger and readable. As it is, it's hard to read even big, how will it look small on a site?
 

qWirtzy

Dreamer
Wow, nothing like a unanimous opinion! Awesome, I'm so glad it's as eye-catching as it seems to me. My designer says the text should be no problem to fix. Probably I'll keep the font. I think it looks "serious" and it's used on the map and other places in my interior.

Thanks for your feedback, guys, so helpful!

Just for fun, here are the covers for the other two books in the trilogy. When I saw this triptych, I fell in love with the idea. A sneak peak treat :) Thanks again! --RW

soa-covers.jpg
 

Ban

Troglodytic Trouvère
Article Team
Ok, you've convinced me by showing the full trilogy. That is gorgeous. The first one alone had me guessing a bit, but all put together this is wonderful.
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
Given the way the trilogy looks, yes, text centered is best. Still find a way to make the letters stand out more. I think if the letters have uniform thickness, a "typed" font will work. It doesn't have to be a "handwritten" font.

I would add that the font size and two lines of text per title looks good. It's not urgent that you change the font, but it's really the only thing I don't like. I wouldn't go so far as to say the font ruins the piece, but I'd say it's worth plugging in different fonts to see if there's a better one, since that takes little effort. I definitely agree with your designer's choice of color and placement. The titles are a good match for their third of the picture. (Good ocean view for Salt Spray.) The image as both standalone and trilogy—it's beautiful!
 
I really like your cover. It's kind of weird to think that speculative fiction doesn't usually have covers in such an abstract style. I really like the change of pace in your cover [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk
 

KC Trae Becker

Troubadour
I agree that the titles are a little hard to read amid all the color. Thicker letters would help.

And I'm sorry to be the naysayer, but though I really like your titles and am intrigued by the subtitles, these covers would be a turn off for me. I love the triptych layout, but this particular abstract color combination reminds me of Eric Carle's art style and so makes me think young kid's picture book. I would have a hard time picking up this book because of that. (I'd get over it, but I think, for me, it detracts from the seriousness you are trying to present.)

Having said that, I missed the bluing of the ocean in the second book's cover, but once someone pointed it out I liked the subtle shift.

Sorry to rain on the parade.
 

kennyc

Inkling
Given the way the trilogy looks, yes, text centered is best. Still find a way to make the letters stand out more. I think if the letters have uniform thickness, a "typed" font will work. It doesn't have to be a "handwritten" font.

I would add that the font size and two lines of text per title looks good. It's not urgent that you change the font, but it's really the only thing I don't like. I wouldn't go so far as to say the font ruins the piece, but I'd say it's worth plugging in different fonts to see if there's a better one, since that takes little effort. I definitely agree with your designer's choice of color and placement. The titles are a good match for their third of the picture. (Good ocean view for Salt Spray.) The image as both standalone and trilogy—it's beautiful!

Yep. You can make the text pop a bit by putting a contrasting shadow/color behind it.

As far as the triptych, yes I love it, but the best readable text is on the right with black on white.

....I'll leave it at that...
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
True. A shadow might be enough to do the trick with the existing font. It may not be necessary IF there's a font that is easily readable without it.

A soft shadow at zero distance might allow the text to be seen more clearly because of the contrast, and also might be subtle enough that the viewer doesn't really see a shadow.
 
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