View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:06 pm Post subject: My Books and Book Covers |
|
|
Is it cool to post and find fan base for NON FURRY books? I am writing a book with korean culture and deaf american culture clashing. It has nothing to do with furries so I was wondering if it's ok or is this strictly only furries?
My other book (with more words ) will involve furries and mystical supernatural stuff. _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
hikaru Administrator
Joined: 20 Nov 2000 Posts: 1581 Location: Kansas City, KS, USA
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
ScottyDM Registered User
Joined: 12 Feb 2005 Posts: 1142 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
|
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 1:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
Since we love posts here, go for it. _________________
Kantaro wrote: | Almost real enough to be considered non-fiction, if it weren't made up. |
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 3:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks. I will do some typing soon. _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:32 am Post subject: Book Covers |
|
|
Okay, first of all. I have been asked to do a book cover which the first one was a test and I don't get paid for it but it is published worldwide right now. You can find those books by the guy who is a furry I knew for many years on Smashwords.com
He has another guy and me doing book covers which that guy was going to do 6 series. For some reason he backed out and the author asked me to do them so I started. I have done the first 2 and I am onto the 3rd that will make 4 book covers in total done so far. The first 1 is published. The second one will be published this week as of yesterday I have completed the cover.
I would like to share the covers with you guys. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ASigurdOlson
"Sam, The Tale of the Mystic Wolf"
"The Shadows Up Caper"
The 2nd book of 6 series will be coming up this week.
I want to share how pleased and proud I am of myself for my work. I am also glad I can use my degree - finally - _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
ScottyDM Registered User
Joined: 12 Feb 2005 Posts: 1142 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
|
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Those are very good looking covers, Jaymee. Huge resolution views:
Sam: A Tale From The Mystic Wolf
The Shadows Up Caper
I recently read an essay on how to design book covers by the guy who (among many other projects) did the cover for Jurassic Park. One of his rules is don't echo the title with the graphic. He didn't give us a pic of a Jurassic park, he gave us a pic of a skeletal T. rex. A potential buyer sees the cover and tile: "What's a Jurassic Park? Oh wait, must have something to do with dinosaurs. Cool."
E.g. let's say you write a novel titled Jalopy (that is totally pluck from air). You could use a pic of a dirt road running through a forest. The pic you choose sets the mood, and even suggests story possibilities.
That looks inviting, almost too perfect. Is this about a trip to the afterlife?
We cannot know what lies ahead, so enjoy the journey.
Woah. Slasher book, right? "Don't go into the fog!" (Eeer, might need a Photoshop touch-up to give it a blue cast.)
_________________
Kantaro wrote: | Almost real enough to be considered non-fiction, if it weren't made up. |
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks I just make the cover as the author describe what he wants then I make few examples and he picks this or that. Poses, all of that.
the next cover will be displaying two females on the ground as one has been stabbed. Soon to come _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
ScottyDM Registered User
Joined: 12 Feb 2005 Posts: 1142 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
|
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 5:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
The thing I liked about your two covers is their simplicity and their black & white with a splash of vibrant color. Their simplicity works well with the e-book format, which is exclusively sold online where having a recognizable thumbnail is critical. Of the two, I like The Shadows Up Caper a bit more.
That book designer I mentioned is Chip Kidd. I saw his TED talk on YouTube and dug a little deeper. I Googled and found an NPR introduction to Chip (8 minute audio, click the white-on-blue triangle) as well as Chip's TED talk (the video). The critical question Chip tries to answer is: What do stories look like?
As an author I don't know beans about book design (but I'm learning). The professional publishers do not listen to author input on cover design. The author's expertise is the story. The publisher has people like Chip whose expertise is discovering what a story looks like.
Let's mock some bad covers.
Paty Jager has self published a number of western historical romances. She has a friend do her covers and most seem just a touch odd. Like something doesn't quite mesh. This one is the worst of the lot. Crude cut and paste of stock photography.
This one is a typical western. But oh ho hum, what you see on the cover is not what the book is about. According to the blurb it's about a gang of cutthroat outlaws. Avian vultures may follow this gang in anticipation of a free meal. But coupled with that title, a pic of rough tough outlaws would be a better choice. BTW, Three Knolls Publishing is a vanity publisher, so this too is self published.
I found this next pair of covers quite by accident. Note the different authors, although both are western romances. For one the publisher is Glass Half Full, for the other the publisher isn't listed (although Google results suggests it was once published eWings Press [with a different cover], then released back to the author who has published it with this cover and a different pen name). Nothing wrong with those covers, typical western romance covers. Except they both use the same models in the same costumes and were probably from the same photo shoot. Makes me wonder if Glass Half Full and Leigh Curtis used the same stock photo company. Don't use stock photos.
This next cover is another Photoshopped collage. No publisher is listed, but some of her other titles have Ruth Ann Nordin's Books listed as publisher, so this may be self published as well. Not really diggin' that creepy disembodied face, plus I think it's supposed to be an Indian woman. Some of her other book covers get the ethnicity much better.
I think that's enough mockery for one evening. Looking for Paty Jager's goofy cover I saw a couple thousand thumbnails on Amazon. Most looked fine (for a thumbnail). And when viewed in full the majority looked good (although some were quite cookie cutter for their genre).
I loved this cover. It tells a story, and you can guess what it's about. Of course you're not sure so you need to read the book. Publisher is Harper Collins.
I think it's fair to say that when it comes to cover design, many authors don't know beans. _________________
Kantaro wrote: | Almost real enough to be considered non-fiction, if it weren't made up. |
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
Oh my gosh I am very very picky about my designs. I make sure NO ONE has the same design before I make them. I use Photoshop on all of the designs.
The second book (up caper) The author wants to use Frank Miller style and I told him I rather make something that shows that it is mine so I used multi tone black and white which shows grey and maybe some blue/purple as shades if noticed.
The author wants everything in "Casablanca style" so I researched about Dick Tracy and I already saw Casablanca for film class so I knew their style but I researched some more. After I was done with my research, i then search for free stock photographs and totally change them into something that barely is noticed as a stock photograph. He wants the short guy to be Asian so I looked for an evil mafia Asian guy or at least one with sullen expression and now it should be noticed as an Asian guy. The rest of the series will be in the same color as the first one. It is getting better and better. My cover designs will improve as I was a bit awkward at first hoping that they will be impacting the readers. I also went to bookstore and studied other covers. I end up criticizing some of them ha!
I know the first book "Sam" one is --eh-- what do you see that doesn't work out well? _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
Does my book cover design make you (everyone who are reading this ) want to read the book ? If no... how can I make it more attracting? _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
New Cover just posted by the author. He hasn't published his book yet but he's posting the cover (2nd book of the 6 book series)
I am working on the 3rd right now this week/next week. The author and i discussed on Skype as I made quick sketches and showed him poses and so on. It's going to be goood A Demon and a Valkyrie[/img] _________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jaymee Fox Site Owner
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 582 Location: USA
|
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject: Character ART |
|
|
I just finished 2 days worth of art work on my two characters for my upcoming book. one is a furry
Please visit my author page and look at the wall for the art.
https://www.facebook.com/EMGeotz
_________________ ~JF
------------------------ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|