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Been having a play...

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The problem with the middle one is that your eye has to go from The all the way down to Trouble. Watch the way print leads your eye. For that reason I like the first-but add a pop of colour. Maybe in the book? The 3rd is a bit generic and outdated.
 
Am gonna be v unpopular and say I'm not massively keen on any of them (but I think they are good first tries).
And the reason is this - none of them reflect the humour and style of your book.
Your humour is your USP.
I want a cover that shows that. And also make that tagline much more prominent.
Back (literally) to the drawing board?
xxx
 
Vagabond Heart said:
Am gonna be v unpopular and say I'm not massively keen on any of them (but I think they are good first tries).
And the reason is this - none of them reflect the humour and style of your book.
Your humour is your USP.
I want a cover that shows that. And also make that tagline much more prominent.
Back (literally) to the drawing board?
xxx
Click to expand...
Probably.
The trouble is I think to capture the humour, I'm going to need a custom artwork... Which I can't afford.
 
Jake E said:
Probably.
The trouble is I think to capture the humour, I'm going to need a custom artwork... Which I can't afford.
Click to expand...
The humour is in the tag-line - make that more prominent.
I like the first two, but the second one is harder to 'get' the tag-line, and the first one doesn't have it! And the second one has a strange smoke effect.
They're not the worst I've seen (and better than I've done with any of mine).
 
I would go with @Brooke. But maybe just tone down the smoke, not eliminate it, make it a haze. The tag line tells readers the book is humorous and that it addresses serious themes. Can you make the tag line more prominent? Move it into the center of the circle, with the hand pointing up to it?

As the middle cover stands, I would pick up the book and start reading. There is always room for improvement. If you cannot afford custom artwork, then forget about it. You are doing it yourself. You are publishing under a nom de plume, so if the book flops you have lost nothing. If you gain a readership, you have everything.
 
It's good, but ... it still doesn't say fantasy to me. (Nor do the blue ones.) Sorry. I know it's frustrating.

I also wonder if it'll disappear once it's a thumbnail on 'Zon. I suspect it'll fade away against the white of the Zon.

Start with a pic that screams comedy fantasy, then add the text. Look at the fonts that other fantasy books use.

There's no rush. Take your time finding the right one. It'll be out there.
 
And maybe consider saving up some dosh to get one done professionally. Consider it an investment. Or find someone with whom you can trade skills.

It might be worth it in the long-term.
 
Barbara said:
And maybe consider saving up some dosh to get one done professionally. Consider it an investment. Or find someone with whom you can trade skills.

It might be worth it in the long-term.
Click to expand...
Perhaps.

it'll be a hell of a long time before I've got enough to pay a professional. Several months at least, and only if nothing unexpected comes up.
I also don't have any skills to trade lol.

I shall struggle on.
 
Brooke said:
i actually really do love the new blue one-- i think it captures the energy of your book very well.
different people will have different opinions on your cover, but it's important to know that people don't only judge a book by its cover!
Click to expand...
I am torn.

My wife likes the one with the spell book on (she reads a lot of fantasy), but she's not my target audience (She hates Pratchett and Gaiman).

I don't know if I like any of them at present. I did when I made them, but after discussion here, I think there may be better options.
I think the main issue is that I don't have a clear vision for what I want. I'm just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.
 
Jake E said:
I think the main issue is that I don't have a clear vision for what I want. I'm just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.
Click to expand...
i think the important thing is that you like the finished product. you don't want to finally hold your book in your hands, the thing you've worked on for years, and be unhappy with its cover because others like it. it's your book, and you know it better than anyone, so IMHO, your opinion trumps anyone else's for this! keep drafting ideas, and when you hit on one that you really like, stick with it. you owe it to yourself after all this work to give yourself something you like.
 
Brooke said:
i think the important thing is that you like the finished product. you don't want to finally hold your book in your hands, the thing you've worked on for years, and be unhappy with its cover because others like it. it's your book, and you know it better than anyone, so IMHO, your opinion trumps anyone else's for this! keep drafting ideas, and when you hit on one that you really like, stick with it. you owe it to yourself after all this work to give yourself something you like.
Click to expand...
I mean, yes. Lol.
But I'm not the one who's going to buy it. It needs to appeal to others.
 
I like them, but the book one needs a darker background so it doesn't disappear into the white background at Zon. To me, they do say fantasy trope. The cover isn't for you, or what you think it should say about the story. It's about how to catch the reader. What is your target audience? Would they like it? Do you have a social presence, and can you post the examples there to ask for feedback? You may be surprised.
Also, look up covers in Zon for that genre/subgenre/sub-subgenre and see what they've got. You might also note that the Pratchett covers are not like the others - but don't get too carried away with being different.
Remember, the humour is on the inside, and the category and keywords are what is found when browsers search.
 
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