What can you do with a mediocre cover?

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jjdebenedictis

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I have not had the good fortune to be published, so take this suggestion with a grain of salt.

The publisher has to pay the artist regardless of whether they decide to use the cover that artist created. That means they've paid twice now for cover art.

If the excellent suggestions about how to you and your agent can approach the publisher in tandem to try to get this cover changed don't work, and you're really desperate, maybe ask the publisher if they will accept a different cover image provided you pay the artist out of your own pocket, and the publisher has the right to refuse it.

That way, it doesn't cost them a dime to consider the possibility of changing the cover image.

Unlike some of the commenters here, I think if you're that unhappy with the proposed artwork, you should do everything you can to get a better cover provided you don't alienate the publisher in the process--you do want to keep that relationship healthy.

Best of luck with this. I really feel for your plight.
 

quicklime

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http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n1/n5591.jpg

and

http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/8/8f/BKTG22151.jpg

I'm betting?

'Cause I did, too. The books were pretty good, as I recall.

But yeah, basically, I will squirm with sympathy over a bad cover, but it won't stop me from looking at a book.



holy hell....yes. Wierd

by the way, I was like eleven, maybe even nine or ten, and a much better Catholic boy than I am now. So when I got to the sex scene I was both fascinated and horrified...."what the hell? why would he kiss her there?"


I like girls much more now....and understand them marginally better :tongue
 

ccarver30

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I agree with previous posters. If it really bothers you could raise the issue with the marketing department- in a tactful and professional way. You don't want to come across as arrogant or spoilt- just imagine if the marketing department had given you advice on how to write your book. You would probably be a bit pissed off.

It doesn't do any harm to ask or inquire, if you are polite about it. Perhaps you could ask them why they chose this cover? It might be that they have a good reason for doing so.

I'd be interested to see the cover as well :)

Yeah!
 

MarkEsq

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I was incredibly anxious about the cover for my book, desperately hoping my publisher wouldn't give me something awful or cheesy. I got very lucky, and I'm very relieved, so I can totally understand your ire.

But. Is it at all possible it's not as bad as you think? If you're allowed to, maybe post it here and get some input.
 

Bufty

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What is your Agent's advice on this second version?
 

tko

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good answer

You could certainly discuss it with your publisher. But remember the purpose of a cover may not be what you think it is. The cover is the 2 second hook that tells a prospective buyer the genre and probably content. Romance, science fiction, thriller, literally, all have unique patterns, color, and hardness that clues the reader in. As a new author, the title and cover may be all prospective readers look at before moving on.

If you feel seriously about it, have you considered finding a graphics arts friend who would quickly throw together a cover you could present as a concept? It's not that hard.

One thing to ponder is that the author is not in the best position to know what cover will sell copies. There are a lot of covers in every genre that I would classify as "Apallingly Fugly" and yet they draw in their intended audience. A cover isn't really supposed to capture the magic and wonder and uniqueness of the book, so much as persuade the people who will like it to purchase it.
 

Old Hack

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Possibly get an artist-friend of yours whose skills you trust to do the cover art?

I'm sure this was suggested with the best of intentions, but it's not really appropriate in this case. Good trade publishers have their own art departments, and really don't want the authors they sign up to start commissioning cover artwork.
 

stopdropreload

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I second Bufty's curiosity as to what your agent thinks of the new cover. Does he/she also think it's awful, or do they think it has merit?

Remember, too, that aesthetics are subjective. There have been covers I thought were terrible that other people loved, and vice versa. I think a bigger concern than whether the cover is precisely the way you imagined it is whether the cover misrepresents the genre or tone of the novel. An ugly YA urban fantasy cover is a pity. A YA urban fantasy cover that makes the novel appear to be women's fiction is a problem.
 
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