I'm trying to get Not Pink done by Christmas. The major hangups have been the ending and the cover. I've done about four covers and I've sort of settled on this one. Right now I'm not sure if I'm interested in spending any money on the cover. So again it's Photoshop. What my concerns are for now is - I don't want it to look like a children's novella - which it isn't, nor do I want it to look like a graphic novel. Well anyway here's the latest cover. For some reason I can't seem to add the photo in here so here's a link.
Huh. I'm a notoriously non-visual person, so my opinion probably isn't worth too much. That said - I kinda like it! A lot of blank space, obviously, but that makes it stand out from busier covers. I wonder if the title and author name are big enough? We're told our covers have to be clear in full size but also in thumbnail size, and I'm not sure this would be. But I'm honestly not sure how important thumbnails are... I'm pretty sure I mostly ignore them when I'm book shopping? In terms of genre, I'm predicting a sort of light-hearted scifi novel, Hitch-hiker's Guide or equivalent. Or maybe a slightly less bitter Vonnegut? I'd definitely read the blurb based on this cover, at least at this image size.
Yeah, I like it too. I definitely didn't get either "for children" or "graphic novel" from this. It has a strong aesthetic of "humorous sci-fi", so if that's what you were going for I'd say you've hit the nail on the head. And it looks professionally done, etc.
BIG ISSUE: The shadow of the brush and the actual brush don't touch! This means that either the robot is holding his brush above a space underneath the words, or (more visually certain) the words the robot is sweeping up are floating half a foot off the ground! Other note: Lets look at this in thirds: Looks like the robot's head is halfway up the page, it's a good start, but when it comes to negative space, it's "go big or go home". I would recommend editing it so that most of the robot is in that left-bottom box and they just open all the rest of the cover as empty space. I would also put that perspective warp on the author's name, but align it with the right margin of the title. If we understand the letters on the ground as physical in the image, than all the text should be similar and obey the same laws.
A question is, how will it look as a thumbnail? If it's going to be novella and mainly sold online, that will be important.
I don't think it fits the story. I don't think lonely sweeping represents Not-Pink. I liked the old cover better. Do you have any other options you are considering?
Hi, Sorry to be negative but it doesn't do a lot for me. The drawing looks amateur to me. It doesn't capture my interest. The colours are drab. It doesn't tell me anything about the book - which is critical especially when the title doesn't tell me what the books about either. And in thumbnail I'm fairly sure I won't be able to read the text. I'd say have a rethink about what you want your book to tell prospective readers then go to a cover artist. Cheers, Greg.
I like the shade of grey you used. It sets the mood for a bleak sci-fi, if that's what you were going for. The robot and broom is an interesting image and drums up my imagination and curiosity. I do have some suggestions though. I like all the elements but the composition could be better. You could try moving the entire thing to the top without adjusting anything else. This puts more focus on the image rather than the empty space and gives the cover more depth. While keeping the image position the same, another idea is to make the "not pink" text just normal like the author's name and place in the top right while making the font larger. Then put the author's name underneath it. Keep the simplistic font though. I like it. I'm sure the angled title near the broom has a deep meaning with the story, but the title just doesn't stand out enough. If you did move it to the top right, you could put some other image beside the broom. Another idea is to add black wire frames of buildings in the background or foreground to create more depth. It would add more detail without detracting from the focus. Something like this: http://previews.123rf.com/images/poetic2d/poetic2d1103/poetic2d110300006/9432690-Architectural-drawing-housing-project-by-wireframe-style-generated-by-computer-Stock-Photo.jpg Drawn in similar style to your robot. Not too much, just enough here and there to add to the atmosphere.
Hey, it's R2D2's cousin. JK I don't know much about your book, but I'm not too attracted to the cover.
Thanks everyone! I do have a few more ideas up my sleeve that I'm trying out. Though I do love this cover I was concerned it's not representing the story right. If all else fails I'll look into hiring an artist.
I would be more attracted to it if the robot were sweeping away something that is pink, especially with the neutral tones all around it. Also, it looks like the robot is sweeping right on the words, but his (its?) shadow says otherwise. That's not necessarily relevant, though. Lol bottom line: I like it. I would read it based on the cover, but it would be difficult for the cover to stand out among shelves and shelves of competition.
I would like it if it was more colourfull, maybe all of the pic in shades of pink except the text itself - that would also make some sense.
Hi! I do my own covers too To be honest, I do not think I would stop to read the book with this cover, sorry (no offense, it's just that the cover doesn't say anything about the book). Do you have other cover ideas? Maybe it would help if you were to post a blurb of the book, just to get the idea what the book is about. And, yes, I do have to agree with others, the text seems a bit too small.
I have to agree with some of the more recent comments here. After reading earlier in the year about what you need to do make your cover art stand out, this doesn't stand out for me. Something more eye-catching may be necessary until the point when you have Stephen King levels of fame and the cover won't matter anymore.
