Feedback on my cover

five1eleven · Jun 28, 2014

I would love your feedback on my book cover.

I liked it and thought the image really reflected the story but then I had some non-specific feedback that people didn't think it was 'marketable' - but just trying to work out why. I think perhaps it is because it's not classic 'new adult' in appearance. I'm not sure where to classify the book between NA and Women's fiction, and I think the cover is reflecting my confusion...

I'm just a bit thrown now, and appreciate any feedback you have!

Here is the description of the story:
It's your typical Girl meets Boy. Except Girl is already engaged to someone else. And when Girl starts her very first teaching job she discovers Boy is actually one of her students. It was all impossible from the start.

And yet, Ashley keeps finding herself drawn to Ethan. Life keeps them on a collision course, forcing them to confront their feelings, their choices and their regrets over the span of years. Is it their fate to be together, or will bad timing and bad choices drive them apart for good?

Ashley has never quite known which path to take. She feels the pressure of the one everyone else wanted for her and the one that is risky and unknown, beckoning her with unrealised dreams. But she is stuck — stalled at every crossroad.

How can she choose the right path, when life seems to throw her a curve with every step?

In the space between choice and chance, fighting and giving in, Ashley must learn to find her own way, guided by the dreams — and the people — written on her heart.

Edit: In light of feedback suggesting it might not look modern enough, the alternative if I keep all the elements the same and just change the colouring...?

Polenth · Jun 29, 2014

Names beginning with E seem to be really popular for male characters in student-teacher romances. Whether it's the Pretty Little Liars connection or not, I don't know. But it stands out to me as a trend, and I don't read them.

On the cover though, I like it, but I'd be expecting something more literary in style and fairly homely. Whereas the description says student-teacher romance. On the other hand, it might not be a bad thing to stand out as a little different to the other student-teacher romances out there. It's not an easy call to make.

Though if you're self-publishing an ebook, it's easy to change covers later if they don't work out. So you could try it and change it if it doesn't work.

five1eleven · Jun 29, 2014

Polenth said:
Names beginning with E seem to be really popular for male characters in student-teacher romances. Whether it's the Pretty Little Liars connection or not, I don't know. But it stands out to me as a trend, and I don't read them.

That's interesting. I haven't really read and/or watched them either - unless I've picked up on something subconsciously!

And thanks for the feedback. I think what the cover is communicating is not entirely wrong - it is a little more 'literary' than people might expect from a NA, and so I don't mind standing out a bit. But only if that works for me, which I guess I will just have to wait and see on that.

cornflake · Jun 29, 2014

I think the b&w one looks even more 60s/70sish than the colour, fwiw.

Ok, what bugs me about it isn't the picture, but the mismatch. Crossing paths and fork in the road are both on the cover.

Yet the cover has one woman on one single, non-forked path. I get she's looking back, presumably at someone who crossed her path, but her posture/stance reads more like, 'was that a monkey on a unicycle? Did I just see that?' or 'oh, shit, did I forget to turn off the coffee pot? Do I have to go back, I'm gonna be laaaate...' or, possibly 'where the hell was that bathroom? God I have to pee,' than anything else to me.

Putputt · Jun 29, 2014

I love the colors in the first picture, but I find the model really distracting. It's a lot of things...her clothes (which don't fit well and make her look about 14), her pose (the raised shoulders that make me think she just got startled by some loud noise), and her hair (which looks untidy). I just don't buy her as a teacher. I think it's mostly the pose...it says "Omg I's scared and helpless and small

" and I just want to shake her and go, "You're supposed to be a teacher, dammit!"

Jerboa · Jun 29, 2014

I agree that the lady in the picture doesn't look very old. And that she's also had to step out of the way quickly for someone speeding past (and that's what she's looking at). I like the text and the positioning of it.

girlyswot · Jun 29, 2014

If it were me, I'd also get rid of the subtitle. 'Life, Loves and Forks in the Road' makes it sound like it's going to be middle-aged navel-gazing of the Eat, Pray, Love kind. It's cliched and boring.

I actually really like the coloured version of the cover, but it doesn't fit your blurb at all. I thought it was a YA book.

SBibb · Jun 29, 2014

My personal preference is for the second one. It looks more professional in my opinion. I like how the pink stands out. I second the idea of removing "life, love, and forks in the road." That, or maybe playing with placement elsewhere.

My main concern is that the i is overlapping the title, and the way the 't' in paths overlaps the 'i'. Perhaps play with the spacing of letters?

Also, possibly lighten the girl just a bit so she stands out a bit more?

Other than that, I like the concept.

veinglory · Jun 29, 2014

I like the cover, and I like it in color. I would suggest removing the subtitle.

JulianneQJohnson · Jun 29, 2014

The cover doesn't draw my attention. If it was on a shelf with many other books, my eyes would slide right by. I think that my biggest problem is that it isn't a very eye-catching photograph. It's very flat, no light and shadow. The model is in a very static pose, feet together, hands together, stiff and straight. I get the looking over her shoulder thing, but in this photo it means I don't even have facial expression to add some sort of interest. The color scheme is very flat as well. There is no color that is strong enough to add contrast.

The idea is there, I think trying again with a better photograph would help a lot. Your book sounds the opposite of flat, work on getting a picture that goes with that.

Look at some covers with me. These are images I googled, not my books, not my pictures.

http://peterchad.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/winter-sunshine-book-cover.jpg
Look at the contrast in this photograph. Light and shadow, bright vs dark colors. Look at the lines of movement that draw the eye around the picture.

http://www.creativindie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/lb+crowley.jpg
Figure on a road. See how the contrast draws your eye to the figure.

http://nailyournovel.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/chasing-amanda-cover-6_2013.jpg
Good contrast, draws the eye, and look how expressive that simple pose is.

Just one person's opinion, of course. Hope it helps.

veinglory · Jun 29, 2014

To me the figure is very uneasy, she is looking back as if someone might be there, there is a lot of emotion in the picture.

night-flyer · Jun 29, 2014

IMVHO, I think you should lose the subtitle, also everything is so jammed up in the lower right corner in the second cover that that is where the eye is immediately drawn, and of course-- that's where the color is. You want the title and author's name to stand out, but you don't want it stealing the limelight, so to speak.

You can barely make out the author's name on the first cover. I'd suggest picking a different color or darkening the background and maybe separating the title from the author's name.

And I can't help but think that the girl looks way too young for the part. It may be her stance or her clothes, but to me she looks really young.

All in all, I like the first cover better, I do like the colors, I just think more contrast would make it better and I like the color/font chosen for the title.

JournoWriter · Jul 2, 2014

Looks rather 70s-ish, both the photo and color schemes (and fonts, kind of). I agree that the clothes don't say teacher. And the leaves in the left corner are distracting me.

Gale Haut · Jul 4, 2014

It took me a bit to realize she was even looking over her shoulder. The model's posing gives me an unfortunate "cousin it" impression as is.

For me, not a fan of the photo but I think you made some interesting type choices.

DarthLolita · Jul 4, 2014

I love the colors in the first one, but if you're going for the black and white one, might I suggest a bit more contrast? It feels a bit flat right now, even if the pink does pop.

Feedback on my cover

five1eleven

Polenth

Mushroom

five1eleven

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Putputt

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg

Jerboa

frelled

girlyswot

SBibb

veinglory

volitare nequeo

JulianneQJohnson

Ferret Herder

veinglory

volitare nequeo

night-flyer

roasting cows

JournoWriter

Just the facts, please

Gale Haut

waxing digital artistic

DarthLolita

Razor Girl