Hey, all.
After I posted the preliminary book cover on Facebook and asked for some opinions, a Twitter friend suggested the crow image would look cool with a gun-sight over him. Another Twitter writer friend (who is an ace at graphic design) offered to add the gun-sight for me. Icy Sedgwick did a great job, and even made a couple of monotone versions, which I think are fabulous.
I’m asking for your help. This is all kind of new to me, so, before I show off the new covers, I need some other advice.
What market should I put my baby in when it’s finished? Smashwords, or Amazon Kindle? “Kill the Crow” will be a collection of short stories. Right now, I’m still trying to decide if the stories in the book will be strictly horror or if I’ll also include some sci-fi & fantasy pieces.
Please give me some advice love in the comments below.
Now for the covers:
Kill the Crow Front Covers
Cover #1. Rose background, white text.
Cover #2: Rose background, red text.
Cover #3: Mono background, white text.
Cover #4: Mono background, red text.
Cover #5: Mono background, white text, blurred gunsight.
Cover #6: Mono background, red text, blurred gunsight.
I like the last two, because the blur on the gunsight makes it look more realistic to me.
Which is your favorite?
Also, if you have any links to articles or blogs that can help me as I take my first tender baby steps into the world of Indie publishing, I’d really appreciate it. I have a whole month off from classes coming up, and I intend to read up on self-publishing in my spare time.
Thank you!
I like the second to last! I’m a newbie too and I’m putting my baby into Smashwords to see how it goes, then maybe Amazon.
Awesome, Helen. Thanks for the help with the cover. That next to last one stands out for me, also.
I like the second to last, too. The blur makes it look like a RedDot sight. The white text on black is easier to read than a red text on black, especially for a thumbnail reduction.
Thanks, Tony. I think the white text stands out more, too. And the gun sight provides enough color for those who will be seeing it in color, I think. Thanks for your input. Really appreciate. This is sort of intimidating, this self-publishing stuff.
What market should I put my baby in when it’s finished? Smashwords, or Amazon Kindle?
Both, no question.
Amazon is a far bigger marketplace, but Smashwords offers pretty much all ebook formats. If you go for Smashwords only, you’ll have a harder time being found by Kindle users, if you go for Amazon only, people who have any other dedicated ebook reader won’t be able to put it on there. (Plus, there are shenanigans like them charging $2 more in many countries.)
I keep thinking the gun sight should be bigger to fill more space/be more noticeable, but then, I’ve never shot a gun with a sight.
As Tony said, the white text is easier to read. Keep in mind that the cover serves mainly as an eyecatcher on listings and search pages, so it should “work” at sizes like a height of 110 pixels. Personally I’d try to increase the font size of the title a little still, to make it more easily readable at thumbnail size.
Good luck with your project.
Thank you, Anke. This is going to be fun. It looks like the white text is the winner, and it does stand out better than the red, especially if someone is viewing it in all greyscale. I’m not sure about making the sight bigger, though. I don’t think it should cover any part of the crow’s head. It looks about right if someone were to be aiming at his heart, I think so anyway, though I’m no expert with rifles. I will play with making the text of the title and my name larger. Thank you for your input!
I prefer the monochrome ones with the white text but that’s just me.
Also, I’d put it on Amazon AND Smashwords. Better coverage, gets it into more places, and hopefully nets a wider audience.
I agree. The monotone does look better than the pink background, and the white stands out more. I have downloaded Amazon’s Kindle publishing guide to give it a read. I do know basic HTML, so that’s good, but I may see if there’s something out there like some conversion software. Writing lots of HTML is tedious. I can always look into services for that, if need be, but I can’t afford a whole lot of cash to spend. I will have to see how difficult the conversion process seems, maybe the publishing guide can give me an indication of that. Thank you for doing the gun sight, it really improved it! And thanks for your advice.
Agreed with the others about markets—both Amazon and Smashwords.
My choice leans toward #6. Have you viewed any of them in grey, like they would look on a standard eReader? Open any of them in Preview, select Tools→Adjust Color. On the little window that pops up, drag the Saturation slider all the way left.
Odd how the blur only shows up on the crow. Must be a contrast thing. Icy, do you have any insights? (no pun intended)
Thanks for the viewing in greyscale tip. I just did it. #5 looks good that way, and the white text shows up better than the red. Thanks for the marketing tip, too. I will look to place my book in both markets.
1) My opinion mayyyy be crap, so, fyi.
I’m already liking it better than most covers I’m seeing lately. Dig that it’s a photo and not a 3D rendering. Dig that it’s minimalist. Dig that the image matches the title in significant symbol. White text on black works best for me. I’d like the crosshair a bit smaller, and offset, just to viewer-right a nudge (as if it were a badge of pride, a medal, or fashionable brooch that the figure might be wearing; since it’s a strikepoint). Dig that it\’s the only splash of color. I do like the blur, but, part of me thinks the shooter is unsure: I want the shooter to be stone cold steady.
If I could be so bold as to cough up my big fat opinion even further… What about ”Maria Kelly / Kill the Crow / Collected Stories”; same font sizes as existing. Puts your name first, and gives it a staccato feel to reading the cover; leans on that ”k” sound alliteration a bit.
Sell it _everywhere_ that’s feasible for your effort and resources. Smashwords, Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Ether, look for others. How different are your audiences between blog visits, Facebook, and Twitter? You’ll find different audiences in each of those sale spaces as well. Hit them all, pervasively.
Your opinion is not crap, Daniel. I’m glad you’re digging it on so many levels.
That means I’ve done a savvy job in finding images. There were many rejects before I came upon that beauty. The white text on black is everyone’s favorite hands-down, and mine as well, so that’s settled. I will take your advice on the changing of the wording, and remove “by” as Raven suggests below. I have also noticed that the author’s name appears first on all the books I’m reading now. I tried it that way first and it looked weird and a little arrogant to me, but who am I to argue. If it works for Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, then by god that’s how I’ll do it!
And you’ve given me some new markets to research! I’m not familiar with Kobo and Ether, but I will sure look into them. Thanks, my friend!
Whatever you do, make sure your book has had a thorough professional edit before you post it anywhere. Not just a proof read for typos and spellings. Otherwise you are condemning your work to sink without a trace into the tidal wave of self published dross out there. You would not expect to go to a doctor only to find he had only done a year at medical college. So readers paying good money for your work will rightfully expect a polished work.
I will have to research this. I don’t have a whole lot of money. Not sure how much of a professional editor I can afford. Thanks for the advice. I’m going to do all that I can to make this a successful first venture, because there will be more.
And never use, ‘By Maria Kelly’ ….nothing screams amateur than that…and putting ‘The End’ at the finish of the book….
I did not know that. Just my name, then. Got it. Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen “by” and the author’s name on any of the pro’s stuff. Good advice. Thank you.