Made up my mind what I'm going with. Don't need any more feedback. Thanks very much for all the help!
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#2
Thanks!
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Thanks!
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Suspense thriller cover feedback? Got what I needed--thanks!!
- Thread starter Gregg Bell
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I like #2 better. The yellow cast on the bottom image ties it in better with the top.
The overall composition is great and looks very professional to me.
I have a problem with the cutout letters showing the background image. It's an imaginative effect and well done, but the background image is just busy enough to muddy up the letters so that I have to concentrate to read the title. I wonder if making the background image more transparent or darkening it a bit or otherwise reducing its contrast would allow the letters to stand out better.
One last thing, minor nit, the font used on your name is thin enough to cause what look like breaks on the letters, especially the G's. If you have a slightly more robust version of the font, possibly bolded, it might get rid of that.
The overall composition is great and looks very professional to me.
I have a problem with the cutout letters showing the background image. It's an imaginative effect and well done, but the background image is just busy enough to muddy up the letters so that I have to concentrate to read the title. I wonder if making the background image more transparent or darkening it a bit or otherwise reducing its contrast would allow the letters to stand out better.
One last thing, minor nit, the font used on your name is thin enough to cause what look like breaks on the letters, especially the G's. If you have a slightly more robust version of the font, possibly bolded, it might get rid of that.
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Thanks a bunch, Dennis! I experimented with darkening the background image (the face) and making it more transparent, and yes, the letters do darken but just to that degree do I lose the woman's image. I'm okay with it because the idea is for the top half of the cover to somewhat portray a sunrise. (Hence the brightness in the center emanating outward.)
I took your suggestion about the wavery nature of my name and replaced what I had with a bolder font. I really appreciate the suggestions!
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I got a fair amount of feedback thinking that the guy in the bed had been murdered and that the book was a murder mystery. (The book is a suspense thriller.) So I did a version without the blood. (And I figure with "Bloody" in the title may that may cover me for the purists who say there's no blood on the bed.) Think this new version flies? Thanks.
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Without the blood he just looks asleep or passed out. Which lacks suspense and makes me wonder what the female face is so upset about?
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I think the blood is better, it looks like that the sun is about to rise, and why he's bloody is the mystery. The screaming face in the letters is a little off-putting to me for some reason (hard to tell what they look like) but then maybe that's the point!
I don't know if it'll help, but I'm not all that excited about the overall design. The title is okay, I actually missed the girl screaming at first glance, so it didn't distract me from reading at passing, but the overall composition is confusing. When I look at the main image, I'm getting murder mystery (with the blood) or romance (without the blood) as my first emotional response. The name then hits me and instead of clearing things up, it tosses more confusion in. What I'm not seeing is "suspense thriller" in any of it.
Course, that's just my little opinion, and I'm probably the outlier, judging by the other responses.
Course, that's just my little opinion, and I'm probably the outlier, judging by the other responses.
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Thanks Undercover. I like #2 too but I also think the blood is a little distracting somehow (maybe in that nobody sees the wine glass and bottle) and that the guy does look dead.
Thanks Zoe. I'm hoping the title being a little off (with the screaming face) will be provocative. As in, 'what's with that title, something's not quite normal-looking').
I agree, Marty. I agree with the confusing comment too. Like you said, something's not quite saying thriller. I'm posting a new one that simplifies things. Appreciate the feedback.
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Thanks Cindy. I like the blood too but the cover with it isn't quite working for me. I'm posting a new one.
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Hi Gregg! Haven't seen your thread here until today. This cover is arresting, but I'm not sure it says "crime/suspense/thriller" (like the earlier cover options did). The guy behind the title makes it look more like a political thriller. If that's what it is, thumbs up because it definitely catches the eye. I only wonder because it's so different from your first options.
Hi Elaine! Nice to see you.
Thanks so much for the feedback. This cover is giving me fits. I like this sparse one the best. It's not a political thriller but I like "arresting." It'll have to rely heavily on the title. It will work well as a thumbnail. I added a tagline, that I really like but I'm not sure if it works. I'll post it.
Two thoughts and please take this with a grain of salt, since I'm definitely not a designer. First thought: I'd be careful with yellow - at least here in Denmark it signals discount prices and people will typically associate certain shades of yellow with something cheap. There may be "expensive" yellow, but that would probably be of a more subtle hue either darker or lighter. Second thought: Few things draw attention as well as human faces (blood, weapons, and nudity being other candidates). While you do have an expressive face on there, it's kind of hidden and you don't necessarily see it at first. Maybe dimming the background would make it more immediately visible.