Feedback, please: Cover Options-- Round 2

Good morning!

First, I'd like to thank everyone that responded to my blog post earlier this week (through any of my social media accounts) to provide feedback on the cover options for my new novel. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to look through the options and provide constructive feedback. Thank you!!

The following is the vote tally:

Option #1: 5

Option #2: 2

Option #3: 2

Option #4: 6

Option #5: 2

Option #6: 2

As you can see, #1 and #4 were the favorites. But, in both cases, I received suggestions for improving them. 

For example, one reader suggested trying different font colors for option #1. Originally, the title was yellow/gold. I sent her 3 more options: black, pale blue, and purple. We agreed that purple was the best choice. What do you think?

Option #1-- Font Color Choices:

 

 

With Option #4, several people suggested that I recreate the image using the broken mirror. I created this cover last year-- before I brave enough to sacrifice the mirror in the pursuit of art. (It's such a pretty mirror that I hesitated to break it!). Oh-- and before I could recreate the photograph, I had to reassemble the broken mirror. LOL

Since some time had passed, I wasn't able to position the objects in the photo exactly the same as before but I tried. I used 2 slightly different photos.

Oh! I also decided to play with different fonts. At the moment, these two are my favorites.

Cover Option #4-- With and Without Broken Mirror

            

What do you think?

And, me being me, I did some more playing around with both the cover options I shared earlier this week plus a few more. I also added "a novel by" to each of the cover options. So, in addition to #1 and #4 above, there are the following options:

 

Cover Option #2: I added "a novel by"

 

Cover Option #3: I adjusted the author name so it's at the same angle as the book title and added "a novel by"

New Options:

Cover Option #7: Just playing with different photograph and background choices. This one also has a wider feathering effect on the edge.

 

Cover Option #8: For this one, I went with a simpler approach. There's a plain white background and no feathering effect on the edge of the photograph.

 

And, last but not least--

Cover Option #9: This one uses the same photograph as #7, but a different filter. I also used different fonts and colors. The photograph is also smaller, so the emphasis is on the text.

 

 

So, what do you think?  I know it's a lot of options... but, it's good to have choices, right? 

Thanks again for all of your help. I really appreciate it. 

Now to get back to editing the manuscript that goes with these cover choices...

~ H. S. Contino

Feedback, please-- Cover Options

Good afternoon,

I apologize for not posting any new blog posts lately. I've been busy with projects-- including editing my latest novel, "The Other Mae." I'm making progress, and I plan to self-publish it later this year. But, I'm not feeling confident enough to set a release date yet.

I'm currently between drafts, so I thought I'd spend a few days working on the book cover design. I shared a few options last year, but I didn't love any of them. So I've been playing with additional designs, fonts, font colors, and background images.

The following are my current favorites. What do you think? I'd love some feedback!

 

Option #1: I love the swirling font on this one, but I'm worried that it might be too hard to read. 

 

Cover Option #2: I played with placing the title text on top of the mirror in this one. I might adjust the font size and spacing some more. 

 

Cover Option #3: For this one, I played with placing the title of the book on top of the journal (which plays a role in the story). I also zoomed in on the background image, so you can't see the other items as clearly. I was hoping that added some mystery. Each item is relevant to the story.

 

Cover Option #4: This one is from the batch of covers I made last year. I used a feathering effect on the photo edges to make it look a little bit like a watercolor. Overall, I think this cover looks elegant and fits well into the women's literature genre. 

 

Cover Option #5: This one is similar to some of the other options. I used a feathering effect on the image, but this time I didn't zoom in. Instead, I framed the text around the image. 

 

The last cover option (#6) is more experimental, and I'm not sure what I think of it. I was playing with the mirror and distorted images. What do you think?

 

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I really appreciate it!

~ H. S. Contino