a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sick by Jen Smith
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 getting a real disconnect on this cover. The puffly clouds and painterly background, then what seems to be an attempt at punk/grunge/graffiti in the foreground.
I can just barely read the subtitle, and all of the words in her body are too faded out. It is an ambitious attempt which unfortunately falls flat. This is a cover that could benefit from a single, stark, compelling image. The title is actually pretty nice, now make the graphic match that power.
Without the subtitle (which would be unreadable in thumbnail) I would have no idea on the genre. I think the image might work better if the title and sub were moved down to above the author's name. It's too hard to discern now...
I have some issues with this cover. The success of this cover totally rely on the subtitle and the problem with that is that you can't read it.
The text inside the body is also hard to read and I don't think that it is necessary or helps.
I would suggest going much simpler with the graphics and not try to cram so much into it. Lose the busy background, lose the text inside the body and make a simpler subtitle.
I can see what people are saying about the detail being hard to make out in a thumbnail, but I think this would work well as a paperback cover. The single word "Sick" could be interpreted many ways, but the subtitle clues in the reader beautifully as to how it is intended to be interpreted. Interesting that the first commenter said she was getting a "real disconnect". I think that's a good thing. Shows the contrast between the world outside the narrator and the turmoil she is experiencing inside. I also like the way the words inside the silhouette are faded and a little hard to make out. Again, suggestive of inner turmoil. You don't want those words shouting at you - you want the title to be the most prominent. The overall effect to me says "literary", and I would expect the contents to be thoughtful and well-written.
I'm getting a real disconnect on this cover. The puffly clouds and painterly background, then what seems to be an attempt at punk/grunge/graffiti in the foreground.
ReplyDeleteI can just barely read the subtitle, and all of the words in her body are too faded out. It is an ambitious attempt which unfortunately falls flat. This is a cover that could benefit from a single, stark, compelling image. The title is actually pretty nice, now make the graphic match that power.
Without the subtitle (which would be unreadable in thumbnail) I would have no idea on the genre. I think the image might work better if the title and sub were moved down to above the author's name. It's too hard to discern now...
ReplyDeleteI have some issues with this cover. The success of this cover totally rely on the subtitle and the problem with that is that you can't read it.
ReplyDeleteThe text inside the body is also hard to read and I don't think that it is necessary or helps.
I would suggest going much simpler with the graphics and not try to cram so much into it. Lose the busy background, lose the text inside the body and make a simpler subtitle.
I can see what people are saying about the detail being hard to make out in a thumbnail, but I think this would work well as a paperback cover.
ReplyDeleteThe single word "Sick" could be interpreted many ways, but the subtitle clues in the reader beautifully as to how it is intended to be interpreted.
Interesting that the first commenter said she was getting a "real disconnect". I think that's a good thing. Shows the contrast between the world outside the narrator and the turmoil she is experiencing inside.
I also like the way the words inside the silhouette are faded and a little hard to make out. Again, suggestive of inner turmoil. You don't want those words shouting at you - you want the title to be the most prominent.
The overall effect to me says "literary", and I would expect the contents to be thoughtful and well-written.