a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
This Heart for Hire by Elysa Hendricks
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 guessing its a Western Historical and the man is hired to protect the heroine or that he's gunslinger type she reforms. I like the cover. Simple. If you were going to make this an ebook, I'd change the font of the title to make it easier to read on a small screen while quickly scrolling for a book.
I love this site! No cover is ever perfect or liked by everyone, but it's great to have a place to get feedback and suggestions on how to improve. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to comment!
I love this cover! Western historical romance, of course. It works for me in every way, and I think it even looks good in thumbnail. Very nice job. If Elysa is listening, maybe she can tell us who the cover artist was.
This cover works for me. It's dynamic, simple enough to work in thumb-nail size, eye-catching, and clear about the genre (western historical romance).
I like the fonts, too. I like that it's upper and lower case (which is easier to read than all caps), and that the font of the title has a hint of historical flavour (e.g. with the serifs and the curlicues), and also that the font for 'Heart' has a feminine flavour which complements the male image and signals romance.
Love the cover, he looks like a real cowboy, not one dressed up in 'western wear' or like he just took the clothes out of a package. Very masculine! Good job, Elysa!
This one is a winner. I like him and his pose. I love that he's offset to the right and the title to the left, it makes a very nice eye flow for the cover. The typefaces are well designed and easy to read. The subtle swirly curls help give it a nice historical feel. I'd call this a historical Western romance.
I like that he's not "perfect." I like his beat up old hat and that there's no mullet or manboobs!
I don't often say this, but there is nothing I would change on this cover. Very good job!
Here's the info for the cover artist. I think she did a bang up job. She's easy to work with, quick, and she's reasonable too. Cover image courtesy of Les3photo8 &| Dreamstime.com Cover by Joleene Naylor http://coverart.joleenenaylor.com/
Gorgeous cover. It's very clearly a historical Western romance, the hero looks a bit dangerous. Such a refreshing change from the usual 'model' cowboy with his shirt unbuttoned!
Nice cover although the gun looks quite fake and the jeans look modern. I can't say I love it, but it's not bad. It does NOT look like a historical novel though. A Western romance is not technically a historical novel because historical novels have to have some history in them. That genre is closer to Regency in adhering to certain genre traditions that have very, very little to do with what actually happened in the West. (ends historical novelist lecture)
Not a bad cover. I suspect it would appeal to Romance fans.
I love this cover, Elysa. Yes, it makes me want to buy. As one commentator said, the hero's clothing doesn't look like a costume or a fake cowboy with tight pants and maybe a gun and nothing more. It suggests to me that I'm going to get an authentic story about realistic people. Janet at twitter.com/JanetOhio(I'm posting as anonymous because I don't have any of these types of accounts).
I, too, value historical accuracy. Since this guy looks authentic to me, I'm intrigued by your statement that the jeans look modern and the gun looks fake.
With so little denim showing, how can you tell these are modern jeans? I had a close look, and couldn't tell.
With only half an inch of metal showing, how can you tell the gun is fake? I couldn't, but then I'm no expert on historical handguns.
I assume you're a remarkable historian to be able to tell a fake gun from just a glimpse of metal.
I'm curious - what exactly is it about the denim and the glimpse of gun that signals 'fake' to a historian?
I'm guessing its a Western Historical and the man is hired to protect the heroine or that he's gunslinger type she reforms. I like the cover. Simple. If you were going to make this an ebook, I'd change the font of the title to make it easier to read on a small screen while quickly scrolling for a book.
ReplyDeleteI love this site! No cover is ever perfect or liked by everyone, but it's great to have a place to get feedback and suggestions on how to improve. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to comment!
ReplyDeleteI love this cover! Western historical romance, of course. It works for me in every way, and I think it even looks good in thumbnail. Very nice job. If Elysa is listening, maybe she can tell us who the cover artist was.
ReplyDeleteThis cover works for me. It's dynamic, simple enough to work in thumb-nail size, eye-catching, and clear about the genre (western historical romance).
ReplyDeleteI like the fonts, too. I like that it's upper and lower case (which is easier to read than all caps), and that the font of the title has a hint of historical flavour (e.g. with the serifs and the curlicues), and also that the font for 'Heart' has a feminine flavour which complements the male image and signals romance.
Well done. 10 out of 10.
Rayne
Absolutely a gorgeous cover! Western Historical works for me too.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover, he looks like a real cowboy, not one dressed up in 'western wear' or like he just took the clothes out of a package. Very masculine!
ReplyDeleteGood job, Elysa!
This one is a winner. I like him and his pose. I love that he's offset to the right and the title to the left, it makes a very nice eye flow for the cover. The typefaces are well designed and easy to read. The subtle swirly curls help give it a nice historical feel. I'd call this a historical Western romance.
ReplyDeleteI like that he's not "perfect." I like his beat up old hat and that there's no mullet or manboobs!
I don't often say this, but there is nothing I would change on this cover. Very good job!
Here's the info for the cover artist. I think she did a bang up job. She's easy to work with, quick, and she's reasonable too.
ReplyDeleteCover image courtesy of Les3photo8 &| Dreamstime.com
Cover by Joleene Naylor
http://coverart.joleenenaylor.com/
Gorgeous cover. It's very clearly a historical Western romance, the hero looks a bit dangerous. Such a refreshing change from the usual 'model' cowboy with his shirt unbuttoned!
ReplyDeleteI will join every else and say that this is a very good cover.
ReplyDeleteNice cover although the gun looks quite fake and the jeans look modern. I can't say I love it, but it's not bad. It does NOT look like a historical novel though. A Western romance is not technically a historical novel because historical novels have to have some history in them. That genre is closer to Regency in adhering to certain genre traditions that have very, very little to do with what actually happened in the West. (ends historical novelist lecture)
ReplyDeleteNot a bad cover. I suspect it would appeal to Romance fans.
Great cover! I immediately know from the title and the cover that it's a western romance. The color choices are really nice, too.
ReplyDeleteI love this cover, Elysa. Yes, it makes me want to buy. As one commentator said, the hero's clothing doesn't look like a costume or a fake cowboy with tight pants and maybe a gun and nothing more. It suggests to me that I'm going to get an authentic story about realistic people. Janet at twitter.com/JanetOhio(I'm posting as anonymous because I don't have any of these types of accounts).
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the lovely comments. Nice to know my cover artist and I have hit the right note with this cover.
ReplyDeleteQuestion for J.R. Tomlin.
ReplyDeleteI, too, value historical accuracy. Since this guy looks authentic to me, I'm intrigued by your statement that the jeans look modern and the gun looks fake.
With so little denim showing, how can you tell these are modern jeans? I had a close look, and couldn't tell.
With only half an inch of metal showing, how can you tell the gun is fake? I couldn't, but then I'm no expert on historical handguns.
I assume you're a remarkable historian to be able to tell a fake gun from just a glimpse of metal.
I'm curious - what exactly is it about the denim and the glimpse of gun that signals 'fake' to a historian?