Please give me your opinion on my cover [moved from Novels]

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Since I'll be self-publishing this, I had a go at a cover. I think it looks eye-grabbing enough, but it doesn't fit with the genre, which is literary. It looks like a cover for a horror/thriller book, I fear. I would like to hear your thoughts. I wasn't sure if this is where this should go, anyone in charge should feel free to move this or tell me where I should post. Thanks!

http://imgur.com/nLvqQ

(The dimensions are still undecided)

Edit: you need to click the image to go full-size.
 

Cyia

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Keep in mind that your cover needs to be eye-catching at thumbnail size and in grey-scale. I don't think what you have there will be.
 

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And another question: is it terrible to represent a collection of short stories as a novel, if there's a (very) loose narrative thread tying them together? There is in fact a progression in the form of a change of writing style, from realism to surrealism, which compliments said narrative thread.

I'll try to be clear: the book's narrative thread is the approach of Mobius, a planet that will colide with Earth. This collision is merely a metaphor however, and as such it reinforces the postmodern themes present in the stories: realism before the collision, surrealism after.

I guess it would be a lot easier to market the 'hostile planet collides with Earth', but is it ethical? Will readers object? Will they feel they didn't get what they wanted?

Thanks again.
 

Dr.Gonzo

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And another question: is it terrible to represent a collection of short stories as a novel, if there's a (very) loose narrative thread tying them together?

Chuck Palahniuk did it with Haunted. Terrible book, heh, but it's been done.
 

MsDashwood

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It does look a bit like it is in the thriller/suspence genre. Maybe even fantasy..? It has a haunting quality.
I like it. I like the colour and the way the writing goes on the colour.

But no idea if it fits the story :)
 

Orchestra

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And another question: is it terrible to represent a collection of short stories as a novel, if there's a (very) loose narrative thread tying them together?
No, it's not terrible. I've seen several such works and enjoyed a few as well. You as the author get to decide if your work is a short story collection or an episodic novel. The line is fuzzy. Obviously you can't decide how your work is read, but if you think it's a novel, you can say so in the cover.

I think the cover is decent. I'd drop the tagline, make your name slightly bigger and bolder and use the same gradient as you did with the title. The "a novel" bit should not be bigger than your own name, methinks.
 

NeuroFizz

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And another question: is it terrible to represent a collection of short stories as a novel, if there's a (very) loose narrative thread tying them together? There is in fact a progression in the form of a change of writing style, from realism to surrealism, which compliments said narrative thread.

I'll try to be clear: the book's narrative thread is the approach of Mobius, a planet that will colide with Earth. This collision is merely a metaphor however, and as such it reinforces the postmodern themes present in the stories: realism before the collision, surrealism after.

I guess it would be a lot easier to market the 'hostile planet collides with Earth', but is it ethical? Will readers object? Will they feel they didn't get what they wanted?

Thanks again.
You have to play fair with the readers (always). If it's a novel, call it a novel. If it's not a traditional novel, don't call it a novel without some explanation. Your cover has "A NOVEL" in large font. Reconsider this.
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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I wouldn't pick it up because I'd assume it would be horror or sci-fi or something.

I read literary, but I'd think it wasn't. Sorry.
 

quicklime

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You have to play fair with the readers (always). If it's a novel, call it a novel. If it's not a traditional novel, don't call it a novel without some explanation. Your cover has "A NOVEL" in large font. Reconsider this.


this.

If i thought I was getting a novel, and wound up walking away convinced you tried to bait-and-switch me into buying a collection of shorts, even if I LOVED the book, I would walk away with serious misgivings about you as an author. they would taint my views on your work and likelihood to buy again.

That doesn't mean I would never buy again, I might or might not. It just means I would start out thinking you were somewhat shady, and I could only guess what the hell I was buying. I don't like guessing.
 
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jjdebenedictis

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Well, I think it's very nice looking, but I know zero about what goes into a good book design. Best of luck with your book launch, anyway!
 

Torgo

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It looks like a thriller or more likely horror/dark fantasy title. I would also say it looks a little amateurish? Not bad, as such, but you can tell it is self-published and you would guess self-designed. The type is not great.

The book sounds interesting! Difficult to have the word 'novel' on the front in big type if it isn't quite a novel. The strapline isn't great, either.

("But aside from that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you like the show?")
 

brianjanuary

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My first impression is that it's a bit sterile. And I then I realized what it is--it's just too symmetrical. I would stretch out the title so that it reaches past the red image (not sure what that is?) on both sides. Make the author name bigger, and maybe in a different type face ot color. "A Novel" is way too big and perhaps unnecessary--maybe "An End Times Novel" or whatever your genre is. Your cover should easily identify your genre--to me this looks like a red giant sun about to go supernova, so it looks like sci-fi or end-of-the-world.
 

Phaeal

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Red + black does indeed = thriller/horror in the publishing business. Though lately I've been noticing a lot of thrillers that go with orange/umber + black. Innovation! ;)

The little "They said it would happen" blurb reinforces my impression that this is thriller/horror, possibly SF. Literary would be one of my last guesses, based on the cover alone.

The colors I associate with literary fiction are black, white, gray tones, sepia tones, perhaps some muted or grayed-down color. For images, I think photographs, often black and white, often interestingly cut or skewed or distorted. For texts, maybe "hand-written" or graffiti-style.

Your signature describes this project as a collection of flash fiction. It's not terribly uncommon in literary fiction for a string of shorts to be labeled a novel. Not impossible you could get away with it, but I'd resent being led to expect a novel, then getting shorts. Especially very short shorts.

As for throwing out lures that scream mainstream science fiction/fantasy, don't. You'd be making a promise you couldn't keep.
 

Rufus Coppertop

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I would pick it up because I like the cover. The they said it would happen thing is also enticing and I would open it, expecting sci-fi, an urban fantasy or a thriller.

Then I'd put it back upon realizing that it's literary and I might even feel a bit annoyed with you and become suspicious about books having tricky covers.
 

fadeaccompli

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The image you've chosen is very pretty, but does, as people say, suggest horror, or maybe paranormal romance.

The font you've chosen is pretty, but the way it's working on that image? Noooo. It's far from the worst I've seen, but it does not look like a professional combination, and when browsing thumbnails, it'll look even worse.

I don't know enough graphic design myself to explain why the font looks amateur (or at least like a cheap designer handled it); I only know enough to look at the cover and know that my first reaction would be "self-published".
 

IceCreamEmpress

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That's attractive as a design, but it doesn't work for its intended purpose. It's not going to be legible in grayscale; it is in the style of horror, thriller, and paranormal suspense covers; and if your book is a novel in stories (a respected genre in literary fiction), putting "A Novel" on the cover seems odd.

Back to the drawing board, alas. Be sure to look at the design as a grayscale thumbnail to make sure it works, because that's how up to half of the people shopping for it will see it.
 

dangerousbill

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Print it out in color at 6 x 9 inches. See how it looks from ten feet away.

On a store shelf, it wouldn't look that bad. In an online catalog, you'd need to increase the contrast of the title, or make the font lighter and bold, so it can be read when it's the size of a postage stamp.
 

Darkarma

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Um... sorry but color/design wise it has me thinking Demon: The Fallen. If you made it green and a rose thrown in it would be a loose clone of Vampire the Masquerade.

Not sure I can provide more feedback than that without knowing the specific of its contents.

Artistically its good but I'm not sure if the above is what you were intending.
 
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Lseeber

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Personally I like it. The red swirly effect is really cool looking. It would definitely get my "oooo.... shiny" attention at the book store.

But does it say literary? Eh, not really. Personally, I would keep the swirly effect, and change it to a more subdued color. If you want to present it as a literary novel.

just a thought Laura