E-Book Covers: opinions please!

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

Hullo, writers! I lurk periodically here on AbsoluteWrite because I hope, someday, to actually write. But for now what I do is make purdy pictures. I'm an illustrator/freelance artist. I work for a handful of e-publishers creating covers, and as of late, I've come to question all the hard work I put in.

As writers/readers, how much impact does the cover have on you folks? I've become really frustrated with publishers not wanting to invest in good cover design (at least with e-presses.) They work with the artists who low-ball their rates, and most of the time it LOOKS like it. The covers are not great. I fear the quality of the cover just doesn't matter! Will a merely adequate design suffice? Do polished, professional covers make readers more likely to buy? I could really use some advice here. Thanks in advance!

~Cris
http://christinegriffin.artworkfolio.com/

KMTolan · Jan 19, 2010

You've heard the old saying - "Don't judge a book by its cover." The reason this saying exists is because people do.

The very first impression is the cover art. Next, comes the title. After that, the blurb.

In my experience, a well-done cover can make the difference in sales. I'm sure some folks don't want to hear this, but I'm living it now with a second novel in a series that appears to be generating far more interest than the first novel - all because the second artist did an incredible job. Oh, the first novel's cover wasn't bad, but it didn't grab as much.

While a good cover alone won't sell - you still have to write well (grin), a bad cover can make the book scream "Noob!" and drive readers away.

It is part of a writer's homework to check out the publisher they are sniffing at. Do their covers look unprofessional? If so, then maybe the publisher is equally inept. You can (and I have) find an independent publisher who contracts out to very good artists.

Kerry

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

Thanks, Kerry. Why, then, don't e-publishers understand the merits of a good cover? Heck, for that matter, why do they let the authors art direct?! (For folks who don't know, many e-publishers let the authors tell the cover artists exactly what they want on the book.) Not that writers can't have a good eye, but does it make sense? Maybe it really does! I'm just trying to figure it all out, and come to terms with the fact that no matter how great a job I do, it will only ever make a pittance unless I can break into the print biz with a big-time publisher.

veinglory · Jan 19, 2010

I think the bottom line is that most epublishers don't sell enough copies to pay for good covers. If a book will sell 20 copies with a bad cover and 30 with a good one that doesn't give them enough extra revenue to bother. If the different is 2000 versus 3000 it is. These few, better selling, publishers may have "cheesey" covers but they are often deliberately styled that way.

p.s. hi from Epilogue. I hope you hang around here we often need a pro illustrators input

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

I'll hang around! I think you may have been the one who clued me into this place many moons ago. I lurk often. Some day, I'll need a writer's experienced eye to help me in my futile attempt at putting pen to paper! In the meantime, I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth still doing e-book covers. The pay-off just doesn't seem to be there. Boooooo.

veinglory · Jan 19, 2010

I think it is a bit like the deal with writing ebooks. It may be worth it if you are a fairly quick worker and limit yourself to a few of the top companies. There are a few prolific but talented cover artist/designers that I think do a great job, like Anne Cain and Crocodesigns--but they tend to lean pretty heavily on stock photos as a design element. I don't think the money is there to do a lot of illustration from scratch. (Disclosure: both of these have done cover art for my work, but paid for by my publisher--I list them because I like their stuff.)

PortableHal · Jan 19, 2010

For me, a book's cover doesn't matter if it's an author I know and enjoy -- Stephen King, Donald Westlake, Carl Hiaasen...put a smiling lobster on their books, I'm still there.

If it's an author I don't know, you better believe the cover matters. I do judge a book by its cover. If a publisher doesn't know how to select cover artists, I assume they don't know how to select their writers, either. This isn't a fair judgment to make but there you go.

As to why they let their authors art direct? With my first and only book, the editor asked my partner and I what we wanted and the artist followed our instructions to the letter. We love our cover (liked it so much, in fact, that we contacted the artist and bought it from him) but I wondered, too, why we were allowed to pull those particular strings. I was told that most artists don't want to read the actual manuscript they're illustrating; they want to paint an image and be done with it.

You do good work, Christine. Don't lose heart.

mscelina · Jan 19, 2010

Not all e-book covers are of inferior quality. Several of my epubbed book covers are incredible works of art. Like these (all IMO, naturally)

The same artist did both these covers and I adore them. In our company, authors fill out a cover art request form and the artist produces the cover from that. If an author doesn't like the cover (which has happened to me and not with this artist) they can try to convince the art director to try something else, but the art director has the final say.

thothguard51 · Jan 19, 2010

Christine, I agree with Portablehal, you do good work. I would be happy with a cover from you and I am very picky about my cover artist.

Now, I don't know much about the pay scale between print and e-publishing artist, but I can tell you that everytime I find a new artist, (after they have become somewhat successful), they are usually out of my reach. I don't begrudge them their fee's, but with small publishers, the fee's are often time a make or break on the profits, unless the book goes ballistic in sales...

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

I personally know Anne Cain and the woman behind Croco Designs...both are wonderful people; I love 'em to death! (And I'd throw April Martinez into the 'great e-cover designers' category as well.) You have every right to crow about their handiwork. I can tell you that they, too, are annoyed with the e-cover situation. I know how we feel about the companies' lack of investment, but I wondered what the writers and readers thought about it.

Sometimes I think authors are so tickled to get published, they don't really give a floopy what's on the cover. Which is kinda sad. They sell themselves short. As Hal mentioned, if you aren't a 'name' yet, you have GOT to have good marketing, and that includes a kickin' cover. (BTW, congrats on the success you had with your book and cover, Hal! Thanks for the encouragement.)

I wonder if it's a uniquely e-publishing phenomena. They crank out so many titles a month (sometimes a week!) that the publishers can't truly art direct every one of them. So they let the authors call the shots. And that's probably also why they can't invest real money in the art. Some companies oversee the art better than others. Some are smart enough to hire artists that don't NEED much direction! But shouldn't those particular artists be valued and therefore paid better? Sadly, what happens is when a cover artist tries to ask for better pay, they're simply replaced by cheaper artists (who may not be trying to make a living off their talents...they're "armchair artists".) And that's when the quality takes a dive.

I hate to be competitive about e-covers. I want us all to be cooperative and help each other get better. But I sure as heck won't train someone who will gleefully undercut my prices! If 'adequate' is good enough for e-books, why work hard? Have any of you guys ever gotten a cover you hated, and just bit your tongue about it?

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

Whoops! Some folks snuck in there as I was typing! Thanks for the input. I did a cover for Aspen Mountain several years ago, and the author paid me himself. Sounds like they're typical of almost all e-pubs. Maybe I'm being too hard on the companies...expecting too much?

I know it's hard for small companies to get off the ground. I think they also underestimate how much money it takes to get by (don't we all?), especially with a market getting more and more saturated by young e-presses. That's where your marketing and quality makes ALL the difference! But I'm preachin' to the choir, aren't I?

veinglory · Jan 19, 2010

Ebooks are clearly a volume market, so creative professions have to defend their own bottom line and not just take what publishers offer (hence my site ERECsite.com which tries to help authors with this).

I have found that better epublishers like Loose Id and Samhain have let me have "supervised input" to cover design. Mostly it worked out okay. I also learned that what I thought was a good cover is not always what helped sell the book (yes readers clearly do like "mantitty"--tricky as some of my unglamorous characters have titty that is not the right sort....). However, without naming names, I had some covers I really did not like that also did not sell well in comparison to other comparable books.

I think some publishers don't have the expertise on board they really need in terms of art, so they have a higher bar for their writers than their artists--for a few it is the other way around--for a good many it is more limbo than high jump for both. I used to subscribe to a magazine called 3rd Alternative which has some great UK fantasy writing in it--I eventually stopped because the art was just so terrible I could not take it any more.

quickreaver · Jan 19, 2010

Wise words, Emily. Problem is many hobbyist cover artists are quick to undercut the market. And honest to God, you get what you pay for.

If you're not gonna be able to make a pretty picture for the cover, I think you'd be better off with just some great fontwork, yeah? Then you won't risk making the writer within look amateurish.

I'll have to check out your site, Emily. I thank you for providing a good place for honest information! The world needs more of 'em.

Annayna · Jan 19, 2010

You have some beautiful work!

brainstorm77 · Jan 20, 2010

quickreaver said:
Hullo, writers! I lurk periodically here on AbsoluteWrite because I hope, someday, to actually write. But for now what I do is make purdy pictures. I'm an illustrator/freelance artist. I work for a handful of e-publishers creating covers, and as of late, I've come to question all the hard work I put in.

As writers/readers, how much impact does the cover have on you folks? I've become really frustrated with publishers not wanting to invest in good cover design (at least with e-presses.) They work with the artists who low-ball their rates, and most of the time it LOOKS like it. The covers are not great. I fear the quality of the cover just doesn't matter! Will a merely adequate design suffice? Do polished, professional covers make readers more likely to buy? I could really use some advice here. Thanks in advance!

~Cris
http://christinegriffin.artworkfolio.com/

Great covers

David McAfee · Jan 20, 2010

KMTolan said:
You've heard the old saying - "Don't judge a book by its cover." The reason this saying exists is because people do.

The very first impression is the cover art. Next, comes the title. After that, the blurb.

In my experience, a well-done cover can make the difference in sales. I'm sure some folks don't want to hear this, but I'm living it now with a second novel in a series that appears to be generating far more interest than the first novel - all because the second artist did an incredible job. Oh, the first novel's cover wasn't bad, but it didn't grab as much.

While a good cover alone won't sell - you still have to write well (grin), a bad cover can make the book scream "Noob!" and drive readers away.

Kerry

What Kerry said ^^^

quickreaver · Jan 20, 2010

I'm really interested to see this second cover, Kerry!

BarbaraSheridan · Jan 20, 2010

quickreaver said:
Heck, for that matter, why do they let the authors art direct?! .

Hey Chris! :hi:

I have never understood the way some pubs (well knowns, even) actually let authors complain enough to have a completed cover redone by either the same artist or get an entirely new one.

Maybe I'm just easy to please because I've been on the receiving end of the major print publisher "Here's the cover, suck it up" way of operating. Unless something is really really "off" in the artwork I'm pretty happy.

veinglory · Jan 20, 2010

I have had a few cases off totally off artwork, actually just two. The artist doesn't always have time to see what the book is really about.

quickreaver · Jan 20, 2010

Was I one of 'em, Emily? Tell me...I can take it!

veinglory · Jan 20, 2010

LOL, no--but out of discretion I shouldn't say any more.

But one reason to have author input at some reasonable level is for those little things like--um, I did mention the hero is black, right? And so forth.

quickreaver · Jan 20, 2010

*phew!* Oh, I totally understand! And I DO think the author should have input. Only she knows the book inside and out. I just don't think she should have say-so over the cover design. I've had authors tell me exactly the poses they want for the characters, which limits me to death. It's one thing to say "Hey, I want a BladeRunner vibe", and another thing entirely to insist "Character 1 must be in profile yet somehow looking at Character 2, who is behind #1. Oh, and the setting is a snow-swept mountain but I want #2 bare-chested. And #1 looks just like Keith Urban." Except later you find out he look just like Keith Urban, but with black hair. And could you make him look a little more sexy? You know, like George Clooney?

If e-pubs had REAL art directors on-board, this wouldn't happen. Well, not as often! (EDIT: Not all e-pubs have art directors w/o a clue. I work for three who do a great job in general! Had to get that in there.)

Hey, since I've got writers here, I have another question. How much editing goes on by the various companies you guys work for? Do they simply check for spelling and grammar? Or do they catch awkward phrases and syntax? Would they ever ask you to change plot points? Are there some publishers more difficult to get accepted into than others? Do androids dream of electric sheep?

veinglory · Jan 20, 2010

I had to learn that I knew jack about cover design--somewhat to the detriment of my first book where I had too much control and picked something far too low impact. Live and learn. (a.k.a. how I learned to stop worrying and love the mantitty).

quickreaver · Jan 20, 2010

Mantitty. Huh-huh...huh...

BarbaraSheridan · Jan 20, 2010

quickreaver said:
Hey, since I've got writers here, I have another question. How much editing goes on by the various companies you guys work for? Do they simply check for spelling and grammar? Or do they catch awkward phrases and syntax? Would they ever ask you to change plot points? Are there some publishers more difficult to get accepted into than others? Do androids dream of electric sheep?

I sent you a PM on this.

Well, except the androids, jury's still out on them. :tongue

E-Book Covers: opinions please!

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

No drama

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

volitare nequeo

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

volitare nequeo

Not-so-new

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

volitare nequeo

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

Vampire

practical experience, FTW

God of Squirrels

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

*insert catchy phrase here*

volitare nequeo

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

volitare nequeo

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

volitare nequeo

Neo-beatnik, drab but hip

*insert catchy phrase here*

insert catchy phrase here

insert catchy phrase here