a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Returned by C.L. Scholey, Drea Riley, and Naomi James
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.
With three authors, I'm guessing a romance anthology, given the two lovers in a sensuous embrace. I like most of the cover with the exception of the Roman numeral clock watermark. It adds a bit of unexpected busy-ness and draws away from the couple, for me at least.
Yes, romance anthology. I like the color scheme, I like the typography of the title itself. The blurb above the title is unreadable in electronic form, I'd drop it. I don't really care for the way the author names are done; poor Naomi is really lost in the top of his head and the ornaments are just gratuitous extras.
But lord almightey that's an awkward embrace. He looks like he's trying to snap her neck or her back or both. At best, he's going to drop her with a big ol' thud. And the top of his head is right where your eye goes; and it just sort of looks funny, his hair. I also don't care for the blue jeans.
This sounds super negative, but I can tell a professional did the cover and it does have some lovely pieces. I don't mind the clock at all. That pose would *have* to change if it were mine though.
Closer to erotica than romance maybe with a touch of supernatural? What is it that all women on these covers have to be passive/submissive? Does that really work better? It doesn't for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't make out the log line without really straining. It would be completely illegible in thumbnail. Can't say this cover does anything for me, but it's not terrible, I suppose.
The Heimlich? ROTFL. He's doing it the Rong Way Round; let's send him back to First Aid class. I didn't see the clock. I thought they were supernaturals sharing a halo.
House? Lighted bridge? I thought that was the base of the bed. I thought the two were standing in front of a bed, which might cushion their fall if they had the sense to move closer to it.
@Rayne and Eric, look at it in closeup. You can see the bridge part better if you look at the background just above the title; it's a suspension bridge and there you can see the lights arch up to a tower. And then you can tell that the bottom part is water reflections.
I actually don't mind the background and I like the color scheme. It's their back-cracking pose that bugs me.
Oh dear. If I have to study a cover in a certain way in close-up to understand what certain elements are meant to be, then it doesn't really serve to hook a reader who views it for a fraction of a second in thumbnail size surrounded by dozens of other covers at Amazon.
From a marketing perspective, that's a 100% fail. Never mind the toppling couple.
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With three authors, I'm guessing a romance anthology, given the two lovers in a sensuous embrace. I like most of the cover with the exception of the Roman numeral clock watermark. It adds a bit of unexpected busy-ness and draws away from the couple, for me at least.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I like it.
Yes, romance anthology. I like the color scheme, I like the typography of the title itself. The blurb above the title is unreadable in electronic form, I'd drop it. I don't really care for the way the author names are done; poor Naomi is really lost in the top of his head and the ornaments are just gratuitous extras.
ReplyDeleteBut lord almightey that's an awkward embrace. He looks like he's trying to snap her neck or her back or both. At best, he's going to drop her with a big ol' thud. And the top of his head is right where your eye goes; and it just sort of looks funny, his hair. I also don't care for the blue jeans.
This sounds super negative, but I can tell a professional did the cover and it does have some lovely pieces. I don't mind the clock at all. That pose would *have* to change if it were mine though.
Closer to erotica than romance maybe with a touch of supernatural? What is it that all women on these covers have to be passive/submissive? Does that really work better? It doesn't for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't make out the log line without really straining. It would be completely illegible in thumbnail. Can't say this cover does anything for me, but it's not terrible, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis cover is ok for a print book sold exclusively in brick&mortar stores, where viewers see it in full size.
ReplyDeleteBut for e-book sales, or print book sales at Amazon etc, it's ineffective. All this text is unreadable at thumbnail size.
The pose also worries me. I can't imagine anyone standing in this pose without falling over.
I also thought:
ReplyDeleteThe Heimlich. U R Doin It Rong
The Heimlich? ROTFL. He's doing it the Rong Way Round; let's send him back to First Aid class.
DeleteI didn't see the clock. I thought they were supernaturals sharing a halo.
I'm not the target audience for this book, but it seem alright for a romantic book. I don't pickup any vibe about paranormal or time travel.
ReplyDeleteAs had already been said the small text above the title is totally unreadable. For the e-book upload I would suggest just taking it off.
I would also do something for the poor author's names, the bottom two are really hard to read.
The house in the bottom left is really lost in everything else.
@Eric, I don't think that's a house. It's a lighted bridge, on top of some sort of lake/wide river.
ReplyDeleteHouse? Lighted bridge? I thought that was the base of the bed. I thought the two were standing in front of a bed, which might cushion their fall if they had the sense to move closer to it.
Delete@Rayne and Eric, look at it in closeup. You can see the bridge part better if you look at the background just above the title; it's a suspension bridge and there you can see the lights arch up to a tower. And then you can tell that the bottom part is water reflections.
DeleteI actually don't mind the background and I like the color scheme. It's their back-cracking pose that bugs me.
You are right.... It is a bridge.... Wow.
DeleteIf we can't tell what the heck that is then it's a bad image.
Oh dear. If I have to study a cover in a certain way in close-up to understand what certain elements are meant to be, then it doesn't really serve to hook a reader who views it for a fraction of a second in thumbnail size surrounded by dozens of other covers at Amazon.
DeleteFrom a marketing perspective, that's a 100% fail. Never mind the toppling couple.