a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Rising Son by R.L. Pace
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 would call this a WWII drama based on the flag. The flag itself isn't a bad graphic, but the rest of the cover needs some help I'm afraid.
I don't care for the typeface and I definitely don't like the gold outlined by red, it tends to make my eyes vibrate. It doesn't look historical, it looks blocky and somehow a bit crude. I'm also confused over why the trilogy and the novel name are identical. If it's the Rising Son trilogy, and this book is Rising Son, what were the first and third book names?
I'm not sure why I don't care for the blue gradient; it just may be a bit too plain for me and again, the contrast between the blue and the flag sort of makes my eyes jump around. Maybe if the background was red to match the flag?
Tried a red background, lost the contrast with the flag so much it got lost. Also tried blue w/o gradient (and a few other colors as well) without satisfactory results. I should probably point out this is a mock up for a print book, trade paperback 6X9 and the 'jumpy eyes' problem seems to go away at scale. Book one is called Island Dawn, book two Rising Son and book three (due later this year) Pacific Vespers.
I would call this a WWII drama based on the flag. The flag itself isn't a bad graphic, but the rest of the cover needs some help I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the typeface and I definitely don't like the gold outlined by red, it tends to make my eyes vibrate. It doesn't look historical, it looks blocky and somehow a bit crude. I'm also confused over why the trilogy and the novel name are identical. If it's the Rising Son trilogy, and this book is Rising Son, what were the first and third book names?
I'm not sure why I don't care for the blue gradient; it just may be a bit too plain for me and again, the contrast between the blue and the flag sort of makes my eyes jump around. Maybe if the background was red to match the flag?
Tried a red background, lost the contrast with the flag so much it got lost. Also tried blue w/o gradient (and a few other colors as well) without satisfactory results. I should probably point out this is a mock up for a print book, trade paperback 6X9 and the 'jumpy eyes' problem seems to go away at scale. Book one is called Island Dawn, book two Rising Son and book three (due later this year) Pacific Vespers.
ReplyDeleteRobert, I wonder how this would look with a black background. Have you tried that?
ReplyDeleteI would agree on a different font as well, and maybe bump up the trilogy name a little because you'll lose it in the thumbnail.