Book covers

[valarltd]

Having some thoughts on this.

I've been told photo covers are risky.
I've heard that art covers aren't a draw.
I'm hearing everyone is tired of faceless torsos and mantitty.

What do you think?
Assuming you read the genre involved, which cover appeals most?

A photo cover


A photo manip cover


An art cover


Stock Covers


Poser covers:


I'm torn. I have excellent covers in every category.

And then I have Cody, the Pumpkin Molestor.


So what do you all think? What's your taste in covers?
How racy do you like them?

Comments

[moons-storm.livejournal.com]

I'm biased as we use the drawn covers at SMP as often as time and budget allow. I like the individualistic appeal. There isn't the annoyance of reusing stock images other presses have used since all the novella and novel covers are 100% original.

I don't mind using the photo stock covers so much for the short stories. They have an individual feel, a unique cover instead of one mass-used cover, and it makes the author feel like their short mattered (and it does!). But I shy away from using them for anything over a short story.

[ginamariewade.livejournal.com]

The only cover I don't like is the one for Adventuresses, and that's because it looks like someone's LARP photos on their facebook page. If it was manipulated so it didn't look so snapshotty, it would be better.

[celestinenox]

I like art covers. They look more professional and polished to me. Thus, I like the covers to Sky Rat and Flipped Fables the best, and the only reason Power in the Blood isn't a favorite is that the art isn't my style, but it's still a better cover.

After art covers, properly manipulated photo covers work for me. I loved the work Barry did for CDP. In fact, depending on the way the cover is put together, Photoshopped photo covers can be equal to art covers (assuming all the images are free to use). Can be. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the cover for Adventuresses. It does not look professional to me. It looks like a couple of girls in cosplay who decided to take photos.

I cannot stand Poser covers. I hate them with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns. Poser was never meant to be used as art, and there are very, very few people who can use the program to make the Poser people look sufficiently real enough, and none of them seem to be working for publishing companies. Honestly, I believe the reason so many small, indie publishers use Poser art is because it's cheaper than anything else, and they feel they can--and they do--get away with paying the artists a pittance for their work. This belief is based on personal experience.

I even like the stock covers that have nothing interesting in them better than the Poser art. Even the cover for Queer Dimensions, which sort of oddly looks like the cover for a science textbook.

... I have many opinions on the subject of book covers.

[firefly67.livejournal.com]

I far prefer art covers, if well done, to most any other kind. Some of yours are gorgeous, too. Breathe Deep is especially beautiful. Pharaoh's Manicurists is great & somehow manages to convey a sense of gossip between the two Egyptian characters, and a sense of humor too. "A Sip" is subtle and nice. Don't much go for blunt sorts of photos of the 'characters', as they rarely resemble "how I've imagined them".

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

The Egyptians are actually smooching. That's the tomb-painting equivalent of a tongue kiss. And those actually are the manicurists of the title. I really do like that one.

I got to choose the cover for Breathe Deep. Rather, i chose the picture and then wrote the story around it.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I like them all. The first Dreams of Steam poser cover is all right. Not thrilled with the second.

Queer Dimensions fits the anthology, which is all I ask.

Flipped Fables had to grow on me. My first reaction was "Really? I mean REALLY?!" Then I got it. You know, it's considered porn in Utah (http://literaryunderworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/propay-internets-chastity-belt.html).

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I had to restrain myself from posting all the SMP covers of my stuff. I like Nathie's work.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Well, darn. I like it. It was color corrected and retouched.

[firefly67.livejournal.com]

I REALLY like the notion of writing a story around a chosen cover...what a cool concept. If I'd looked more closely I'd have 'gotten' the significance of the manicurists' pose, but... ! That is a delightful cover nonetheless.

[moons-storm.livejournal.com]

I love working with Nathie and Sylwia (and we're adding a third artist who does the same sort of covers). Nathie is my go-to artist, though. I love Nathie's work, and I just can't not use it. SMP is even publishing Nathie's artbook. :D

As for explicitness... I tend to like a hint of sensuality or a good dose of what's expected in the book (like the Like It or Not cover). Something that teases rather than hits one over the head like a 2x4. XD

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

My 12 thinks the Like It or Not cover is extra hot with hot-sauce. I may have to fight to keep her out of that one.

[celestinenox]

If I had to choose one of the Poser covers, and please don't make me for real, I'd have to agree with you that the first one is better in overall composition.

Flipped Fables is a Torqued Tales anthology, yes? Looks like the same artist did both covers, which is good. Continuity is always preferable. And I like the style, it's appropriate for the subject matter as well as just being beautiful art. Dude in a business suit and dude in overalls, eh, cliched I guess, but I'm sure it fit a story or the overall feel of the anthology (I've read Torqued Tales, but not Flipped Fables).

Queer Dimensions' cover doesn't bother me so much as it just... makes me think science. ::shrugs::

My $0.02

[shinymarigold.livejournal.com]

Art covers aren't a draw, what? Somebody better tell the Big Six then, since they keep hiring illustrators to create cover art. On my own shelves, most of the fiction books have art covers (and not just the SF either). I don't hate photo covers, but I tend to associate them with nonfiction. A good photo manip can be as close to art as makes no difference; the Manicurists cover, I think, is a case in point. That and the Skyrats cover are my favorites, FWIW. And I hate to say it, but I agree with the above poster re: the Adventuresses cover. It's a lovely concept, and it wouldn't stop me from buying the book, but it does have a snapshot-like feel to it.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

It's kind of a sequelo, but with fables instead of fairy tales.

And that's the Town Mouse and Country Mouse on the cover.