Self-Publishing Would you be happy if this was your book cover?

[Pamela Jo]

Someone on another writing group posted this. Whoever okayed this cover doesnt understand how the human eye works.

 

[Claire G]

It doesn't appeal to me but I suppose its unusual layout makes it stand out from the crowd.

 

[KateESal]

The text is confusing and it takes an effort to read it.

Funnily enough, it's similar to mine in terms of the layout, but I went with horizontal writing:

which is much easier to read.

 

[Pamela Jo]

The text is confusing and it takes an effort to read it.

Funnily enough, it's similar to mine in terms of the layout, but I went with horizontal writing:
View attachment 16399
which is much easier to read.

OOH. This is simple but eerie. What I learned doing layouts was NEVER make someone turn a book or page to read. To me this isn't similar at all. It's easily readable at first glance. Maybe if the eye was slightly lighter it would pop out at you a bit more. I didn't see it until I'd read all the title. But I think it captures the feeling of your book. Did you do it yourself?

 

[KateESal]

Yes, I did!

Happy that the eye is a little indistinct because it goes with the mystery within the story.....

 

[Pamela Jo]

Yes, I did!

Happy that the eye is a little indistinct because it goes with the mystery within the story.....

I come from a magazine cover background so I'm going to lean toward seeing something as you rush by a newsstand. I love the choice for a book cover. Well done.

 

[Tazmania]

I feel like it makes me put in too much work to find the info I want to know. I do like the choices of color and imagery though.

 

[RK Wallis]

Maybe it's deliberate? It has been made into a blockbuster movie, so it obviously didn't hurt sales.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Maybe it's deliberate? It has been made into a blockbuster movie, so it obviously didn't hurt sales.

No. It was rushed out after the movie became popular. THIS is the original cover.

 

[Barbara]

I'm going to be the odd one out here. I think this cover is a lot cleverer than it may seem. It "works" for me. I wouldn't choose it for my book but it does something many other books don't.

The words "Openheimer" and "American Prometheus" are easy to spot/read/see. If that grabs me (were I interested in that kind of thing), I'd now have to "work" to read the rest of the cover because the rest is sideways. Doing that makes me "engage" with the book. I have to do something (turn the book, or my head, or my attention sideways) which means I'm now interacting with it and therefore give it more attention. In a shop, it'd be in my hands (and when we hold books we tend to flip them and read the back) and that is an important step in the selling / buying.

 

[Pamela Jo]

I'm going to be the odd one out here. I think this cover is a lot cleverer than it may seem. It "works" for me. I wouldn't choose it for my book but it does something many other books don't.

The words "Openheimer" and "American Prometheus" are easy to spot/read/see. Now I know if this is something that interests me. If Oppenh were my thing, I'd now have to "work" to read the rest of the cover because the rest is sideways. Doing that makes me "engage" with the book. I have to do something (turn the book or my head or attention sideways) which means I'm now interacting with it and therefore give it more attention. In a shop, it'd be in my hands (and when we hold books we tend to flip them and read the back) and that is an important step in the selling / buying.

Ah! I'm sure you've hit on the rationale for going with this cover. And I think it shows this cover is targeting a specific audience. Those who've seen the film and now want to know more. Those who would never have picked up the book without the film. I would argue with the text being easy to read, but I bet the instructions are to place this book on a table where it can be read at all angles. As you say interacting with it.