His covers really don't do it for me. Maybe if your name is well known, like one of those authors that churn out novels like turning on the tap, but for an unknown author? Some of these covers are absolutely atrocious because they have models that aren't that attractive. (The books are atrocious too, yet they sell. It's disgusting given the good stuff I've read that isn't published. But I digress.) I think you have to be very careful when using real people. I know if I get a publisher they will want to control the cover but I am going to insist on certain no-gos. But I'm also a vote for pay for a professional editor and a professional cover artist if one ends up with self-published. [Sheesh, I found the most bizarre typos ever. I think my brain was on the fritz typing this post.]
Just an aside, but you know that won't happen - at least with a big publisher and probably medium presses too? They won't entertain any of your stipulations. Like, I'm genuinely scared I'll end up with a cover of a shirtless man with terrifying abs, but I've accepted it may happen. Probably will happen...
I'm worried my 16 year old MC will be aged up with flowing brown locks and abs while he rides a Griffin with a castle in the backdrop. There are no castles and his name is Griffin... They better not mess the cover up.
Funnily enough... that represents my hero perfectly! Watch out for Super Chicken Man Does Sex With A Lady in stores near you!
@Tenderiser Well I think with this guy, you get the whole shebang: Uniform, Bad Boy, etc. I am not into guys, but damn.
Does nothing for me! I find big biceps and defined abs off-putting. But I am not a typical romance reader so I will bow to publisher's knowledge...
I ain't no publisher but if I was, there are some books that shall remain nameless (cause they do not deserve the dignity) that I would have warned the entire world of publisher's to not touch.
Well that is fine. You can scan your art and upload it then use Photoshop to position and add typing. You can also improve the original drawing/painting without any particularly good mouse skills as long as you learn some tricks for Photoshop. If you love to learn, especially new computer programs, then it should be plenty of fun walking yourself through tutorials till you got the hang of it. If you aren't a good artist by the time your book is done then I would skip trying to learn how to do this yourself and just pay an artist to do it for you. The price tag is plenty reasonable. I'm such a control freak that I will probably end up sending in plenty of specifics for the artist to follow to make sure I get what I want. Color scheme, layout, setting, font, character/background design, etc. and that would probably add to the price tag but I believe in cover art's ability to sell books so I wouldn't mind spending the extra dough.
And the worst thing about it is, there's no title on the spine and you've relegated your poor knight to the back cover. (Uh, that is the back cover, isn't it?)
I suppose I should have just come right out and said that, eh? Instead of trying to be all ironic about it.
One principle that seems to be overlooked in DIY covers is that the cover does not really have to reflect the content of the book, even if that is counter-intuitive. My favorite examples are modern Russian fiction; the cover artists know that Russians will pick up anything promising some sort of tension, even if it's not the tension in the book itself. This also works for films, if anyone remembers the excellent film "The Kiss of the Spider Woman" with that sleazy title and a similarly sleazy poster, even though the Spider Woman takes up about 90 seconds in a dream. Whatever works.
Wonderful sketch, technically. But-- and I hate to have to ask it--- why is the knight contemplating a grain elevator?
@Catrin Lewis It is suppose to be a castle, that the knight is approaching. Unless you prefer the damsel be rescued from a grain silo.
Modern and sci-fi architecture designs always manage to leak into my drawings. I rarely ever do fantasy/medieval environments.
