a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Surrender of Persephone by Selena Kitt
What's the genre? What is it you like or don't like about this cover? Does it make you want to know more about the book? Does it make you want to BUY the book? Discuss.
I'm not really sure what to think about this cover at all. The red orb behind bars resembles either a Christmas ornament or an onion.
The only thing that comes to mind when I contemplate what the book could be about, from the title, is that this is some sort of BDSM/Torture erotica.
I do really like the title and I think that with the typeface, it's really appealing. I'm not sure how much I like the oversaturated face. In the thumbnail it looks fine, but zoomed in I think it might be a bitch much. It does have a really malevolent
This one I don't have a clue about. A face, bars and a sort of round shape that I can't figure out what it is.
I will respectfully disagree with Joshua and say that I don't like the type face and/or the color with the type face. I found it hard to read. I had to stop and read it slowly.
I know Selena writes erotica so I want to assume just by seeing her name that it is in fact erotica (maybe BDSM) but the "mood" of the book cover looks more Horror than anything else.
I like this cover, it is sinister and compelling in darkness/ sexuality. And I wonder, if the buyer would understand the highly symbolic context which I love in this cover... but does everyone know that Hades, the dark God abducted Persephone against her will, and when ordered by Zeus to return her to earth IF... if she had not eaten anything in the underworld,... Hades forced a pomegranite into her mouth on the way up in his chariot, and she swallowed six seeds, meaning she would then have to spend 6 mos in the underworld, and six months above ground. The myth is far more detailed... but this cover symbolizes some of the major features of the ancient myth the red pomegranite, being trapped in the underworld, Hades somewhat demonic longing for a 'pure' young woman.
Yeah this is a highly symbolic cover. The pomegranate behind bars and the face, along with the flame colored font places this in the realm of the mythical. The title made me think "Story of O" and my overall impression is Bondage-Erotica. I'm not getting the SM vibe here altho that might just be my own naivete in the genre.
I like the face and the way the title's done, but when in thumbnail, to me it just looks like someone's holding an onion captive. What did the onion do? Was it a rebellious onion? Will the book feature the onion's prison break by the help of a quirky second character, and after training with a wise cabbage, return to claim the throne?
But then I see it's be Selene Kitt, and I'm thinking I reeeeally don't want to know why the onion's in jail.
My first thought was that this was a horror or thriller. Then I saw the title and, since I know the story of Persephone, thought bdsm abduction romance. Ok, and I also recognized the author's name, which also made me think it might be more along those lines.
Stylistically, I love the fonts and the man's face, and the hellish lighting effects on both. The overall color scheme is striking. Since I know the myth well, I understood the symbolism of the pomegranete in the cage, although a torrid love scene might have worked better to immediately indicate "surrender" in the sense that I think is meant.
I cannot guess the genre of this book by the cover alone. I see Persephone on the title, so I think it has to do with Greek Mythology.
I was able to make the connection between Persephone, Hades and the pomegranate behind bars, but it still didn't tell me anything about the genre.
From the mythological hint on title, I wonder if it could be Fantasy... but the cover doesn't support that. Hades is looking pretty menacing so I am temped to say Horror but than again, I would expect nothing but a menacing look from Hades, so I don't know if Horror is right...
Then I see the name Selena Kitt. A-ha! This is erotica. OK, the only indication I had that this could be erotica is the authors name. The cover doesn't support that.
Although I enjoyed the concept of this cover, I don't think it is conveying the erotica genre at all.
Damnit, there goes my iced tea, all over my laptop! *snerk* Someone in a Barnes and Noble review thought it was a balloon behind bars. Bad balloon! Bad!
Like the others, I thought horror first. With Selena as the author, maybe BDSM or bondage erotica. I have to say I'm not a fan of the dark cover, though it might fit the subject matter. I think it's too black and I had no idea what was behind the bars.
@ Selena. I'm glad you are good humored about it. Onion, cabbage and now a balloon!
I didn't have any problems recognizing the pomegranate but, I am familiar with it and I know what a pomegranate looks like. Unfortunately, there were a few people who are not able to decipher it and that is a bad sign.
On a positive note, now you are aware of the confusion about your cover. And as they say, knowledge is power.
I like this cover. I have to say, though, my guess would have been horror if I weren't familiar with the author's name and her usual genre.
I'm not sure it matters if readers are familiar with the myth behind the images or exactly what that is behind those bars. Maybe the mysteriousness of it would entice them to take a closer look.
Would it be interesting to know this is one of my lesser selling novels? But the other in the myth series (the song of orpheus) sells even less than this one. And at least there's a naked woman on that cover. ;) So it's hard to tell if its the cover or the myth theme... or something else altogether. I recently kicked them down to $0.99. That's helped Persephone but not Orpheus.
It's a very interesting composition. I like it. But it doesn't say 'erotica' to me. I would expect maybe a paranormal thriller or horror novel. BTW, I recognized the pomegranate. That wasn't a problem. The title is a *little* difficult to read.
I looked at Song of Orpheeus and I had to search for the naked woman. It was hard to see. Nakedness alone does not convey erotica to me. It has to be clearly a hot guy or a couple/trio/whatever in an embrace or sexy pose. I think that's what both of these covers lack.
I agree with Tara, even though the naked woman on the cover of "Song of Orpheus" is on the foreground, it still took me a couple of seconds to actually see her and then she looked like she didn't have a head, which I found odd.
I don't think it's the mythology theme. It's something else... it's a little hard to pinpoint the problem because both covers look nice enough but, they are not conveying your genre.
They are not sexy. Not even sensual (despite the naked woman).
Song of Orpheus, for me, Selena, and by the way, thanks for being open to this... is many leitmotifs on one cover without telling a story that I can immediately grok. There's the reptile, the naked woman, the stairway, and water, the agitation of the water, the glyph, the lettering which is very design-y, the sense of maybe drowning? The colors dont feel integrated... and the colors seem random a bit. I'd have to read the flap to know what this book is about just by cover alone, and I would ever be willing to read flap copy... and certainly all covers dont need to tell the story. But given that Orpheus is a well known myth/ story... maybe tweaking the cover a bit by deciding on a central symbol would help sales. Just my .02
David Daglish: truly I hope you are writing humor. You cracked me up
It's dark, seductive, maybe satanic. I gathered that from the face in the top half. I didn't have a clue what the bottom half was about. I'm not familiar with the myth of Persephone though after skimming through the other comments it's come back to me a bit from a book on Greek myth I read decades ago. The top half works for me; the bottom half? maybe a more literal representation of Persephone?
Ok, I got dejected when blogger ate my first response, and now I'm back to try again...
Ok, the only things in life which are consistently flat-lit and photographed standing tall, front-and-center are mug shots and ID photos. This is a mug shot of a pomegranate. I don't know about y'all, but I don't think mug shots are sexy...
I know this is probably a sexy book, because it's by Selena, but I don't get a sexy vibe AT ALL. More horror. The disembodied weird head is icky.
The bars are rather on-the-nose for the subject matter.
For those who are making covers themselves, please note some basic rules of composition:
First, the rule of thirds: Major bits of a work and the surroundings of those major bits should take either 1/3 of the canvas or 2/3 of the canvas. Vertical or horizontal, doesn't matter. These 2 images take up two approximate halves and are centered. Not good, compositionally.
Next, there is a school of thought that says that the image should lead off the page. The idea is that you should indicate that something REALLY EXCITING is happening *just* off-camera. The reason I think this rule applies to books is that the author is supposed to be telling us all about that REALLY EXCITING STUFF in the book. The cover is supposed to show just enough, and it needs to pull us in to find out what it is that's so EXCITING! These images do not lead off the page. There is no sense of what is happening off-camera, mainly because the images are floating and truncated.
How I would fix: Scrap all but the lettering, which should be bigger, and pull in a touch of pomegranate red.
I'm going to see if I can get my hand on a pomegranate and take a photo of a very manly hand holding said pomegranate along with some nice, solid silken cord. If so, can I redo your cover Selena? Then see if you like it? And post here to see what people think of the rework?? PLease?!?!?
I'm not really sure what to think about this cover at all. The red orb behind bars resembles either a Christmas ornament or an onion.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that comes to mind when I contemplate what the book could be about, from the title, is that this is some sort of BDSM/Torture erotica.
I do really like the title and I think that with the typeface, it's really appealing. I'm not sure how much I like the oversaturated face. In the thumbnail it looks fine, but zoomed in I think it might be a bitch much. It does have a really malevolent
This one I don't have a clue about. A face, bars and a sort of round shape that I can't figure out what it is.
ReplyDeleteI will respectfully disagree with Joshua and say that I don't like the type face and/or the color with the type face. I found it hard to read. I had to stop and read it slowly.
I would pass on the book because of the cover.
I know Selena writes erotica so I want to assume just by seeing her name that it is in fact erotica (maybe BDSM) but the "mood" of the book cover looks more Horror than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI like this cover, it is sinister and compelling in darkness/ sexuality. And I wonder, if the buyer would understand the highly symbolic context which I love in this cover... but does everyone know that Hades, the dark God abducted Persephone against her will, and when ordered by Zeus to return her to earth IF... if she had not eaten anything in the underworld,... Hades forced a pomegranite into her mouth on the way up in his chariot, and she swallowed six seeds, meaning she would then have to spend 6 mos in the underworld, and six months above ground. The myth is far more detailed... but this cover symbolizes some of the major features of the ancient myth the red pomegranite, being trapped in the underworld, Hades somewhat demonic longing for a 'pure' young woman.
ReplyDeletedr.cpe
Yeah this is a highly symbolic cover. The pomegranate behind bars and the face, along with the flame colored font places this in the realm of the mythical. The title made me think "Story of O" and my overall impression is Bondage-Erotica. I'm not getting the SM vibe here altho that might just be my own naivete in the genre.
ReplyDeleteI like the face and the way the title's done, but when in thumbnail, to me it just looks like someone's holding an onion captive. What did the onion do? Was it a rebellious onion? Will the book feature the onion's prison break by the help of a quirky second character, and after training with a wise cabbage, return to claim the throne?
ReplyDeleteBut then I see it's be Selene Kitt, and I'm thinking I reeeeally don't want to know why the onion's in jail.
My first thought was that this was a horror or thriller. Then I saw the title and, since I know the story of Persephone, thought bdsm abduction romance. Ok, and I also recognized the author's name, which also made me think it might be more along those lines.
ReplyDeleteStylistically, I love the fonts and the man's face, and the hellish lighting effects on both. The overall color scheme is striking. Since I know the myth well, I understood the symbolism of the pomegranete in the cage, although a torrid love scene might have worked better to immediately indicate "surrender" in the sense that I think is meant.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@David. I read everyone's comments after making my own, and your speculations about the captive onion and wise cabbage really had me chorteling.
ReplyDelete(Let it be said, I recognized it at once as a pomegranete!)
I cannot guess the genre of this book by the cover alone. I see Persephone on the title, so I think it has to do with Greek Mythology.
ReplyDeleteI was able to make the connection between Persephone, Hades and the pomegranate behind bars, but it still didn't tell me anything about the genre.
From the mythological hint on title, I wonder if it could be Fantasy... but the cover doesn't support that. Hades is looking pretty menacing so I am temped to say Horror but than again, I would expect nothing but a menacing look from Hades, so I don't know if Horror is right...
Then I see the name Selena Kitt. A-ha! This is erotica. OK, the only indication I had that this could be erotica is the authors name. The cover doesn't support that.
Although I enjoyed the concept of this cover, I don't think it is conveying the erotica genre at all.
Damnit, there goes my iced tea, all over my laptop! *snerk* Someone in a Barnes and Noble review thought it was a balloon behind bars. Bad balloon! Bad!
ReplyDeleteLike the others, I thought horror first. With Selena as the author, maybe BDSM or bondage erotica. I have to say I'm not a fan of the dark cover, though it might fit the subject matter. I think it's too black and I had no idea what was behind the bars.
ReplyDelete@ Selena. I'm glad you are good humored about it. Onion, cabbage and now a balloon!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have any problems recognizing the pomegranate but, I am familiar with it and I know what a pomegranate looks like. Unfortunately, there were a few people who are not able to decipher it and that is a bad sign.
On a positive note, now you are aware of the confusion about your cover. And as they say, knowledge is power.
Cheers,
I like this cover. I have to say, though, my guess would have been horror if I weren't familiar with the author's name and her usual genre.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it matters if readers are familiar with the myth behind the images or exactly what that is behind those bars. Maybe the mysteriousness of it would entice them to take a closer look.
Would it be interesting to know this is one of my lesser selling novels? But the other in the myth series (the song of orpheus) sells even less than this one. And at least there's a naked woman on that cover. ;) So it's hard to tell if its the cover or the myth theme... or something else altogether. I recently kicked them down to $0.99. That's helped Persephone but not Orpheus.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very interesting composition. I like it. But it doesn't say 'erotica' to me. I would expect maybe a paranormal thriller or horror novel. BTW, I recognized the pomegranate. That wasn't a problem. The title is a *little* difficult to read.
ReplyDeleteI looked at Song of Orpheeus and I had to search for the naked woman. It was hard to see. Nakedness alone does not convey erotica to me. It has to be clearly a hot guy or a couple/trio/whatever in an embrace or sexy pose. I think that's what both of these covers lack.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tara, even though the naked woman on the cover of "Song of Orpheus" is on the foreground, it still took me a couple of seconds to actually see her and then she looked like she didn't have a head, which I found odd.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's the mythology theme. It's something else... it's a little hard to pinpoint the problem because both covers look nice enough but, they are not conveying your genre.
They are not sexy. Not even sensual (despite the naked woman).
Song of Orpheus, for me, Selena, and by the way, thanks for being open to this... is many leitmotifs on one cover without telling a story that I can immediately grok. There's the reptile, the naked woman, the stairway, and water, the agitation of the water, the glyph, the lettering which is very design-y, the sense of maybe drowning? The colors dont feel integrated... and the colors seem random a bit. I'd have to read the flap to know what this book is about just by cover alone, and I would ever be willing to read flap copy... and certainly all covers dont need to tell the story. But given that Orpheus is a well known myth/ story... maybe tweaking the cover a bit by deciding on a central symbol would help sales. Just my .02
ReplyDeleteDavid Daglish: truly I hope you are writing humor. You cracked me up
dr.cpe
It's dark, seductive, maybe satanic. I gathered that from the face in the top half. I didn't have a clue what the bottom half was about. I'm not familiar with the myth of Persephone though after skimming through the other comments it's come back to me a bit from a book on Greek myth I read decades ago.
ReplyDeleteThe top half works for me; the bottom half? maybe a more literal representation of Persephone?
Ok, I got dejected when blogger ate my first response, and now I'm back to try again...
ReplyDeleteOk, the only things in life which are consistently flat-lit and photographed standing tall, front-and-center are mug shots and ID photos. This is a mug shot of a pomegranate. I don't know about y'all, but I don't think mug shots are sexy...
I know this is probably a sexy book, because it's by Selena, but I don't get a sexy vibe AT ALL. More horror. The disembodied weird head is icky.
The bars are rather on-the-nose for the subject matter.
For those who are making covers themselves, please note some basic rules of composition:
First, the rule of thirds: Major bits of a work and the surroundings of those major bits should take either 1/3 of the canvas or 2/3 of the canvas. Vertical or horizontal, doesn't matter. These 2 images take up two approximate halves and are centered. Not good, compositionally.
Next, there is a school of thought that says that the image should lead off the page. The idea is that you should indicate that something REALLY EXCITING is happening *just* off-camera. The reason I think this rule applies to books is that the author is supposed to be telling us all about that REALLY EXCITING STUFF in the book. The cover is supposed to show just enough, and it needs to pull us in to find out what it is that's so EXCITING! These images do not lead off the page. There is no sense of what is happening off-camera, mainly because the images are floating and truncated.
How I would fix:
Scrap all but the lettering, which should be bigger, and pull in a touch of pomegranate red.
I'm going to see if I can get my hand on a pomegranate and take a photo of a very manly hand holding said pomegranate along with some nice, solid silken cord. If so, can I redo your cover Selena? Then see if you like it? And post here to see what people think of the rework?? PLease?!?!?
Jenna
@lundeenliterary