The Cover of I Have People
I make a habit of sharing my old and new covers with readers. It's always interesting to hear their feedback. Just like a first draft manuscript needs tons of work, a first draft book cover needs help too.
Book covers are such an important decision. Everyone will judge your book by its cover—as a matter of fact, it will also determine whether or not someone will buy your book or not. If buyers don’t care for your cover, it doesn’t matter how amazing the book is on the inside. No one will ever know because they won’t have read it!
I Have People has a very happy cover. In spite of the very happy cover, the book inside deals with the very sensitive issue of domestic abuse. When I first posted I Have People on Goodreads, someone posted the following message:
I thought the title was I Hate People and loved the juxtaposition of such a saucy title with a color happy cover, but alas, alas, I was mistaken.
Too funny. However, I am a ‘happily ever after’ writer, therefore the happy cover matches the happy ending! I promise!
Back when I was first getting ready to publish, my daughter felt that I should create new book covers--not just for I Have People, but for all of my books. She was right and I’m glad I listened to her. Some of my covers changed drastically with this decision. However, the cover for I Have People kept its original theme. While the covers are very different from each other, I believe the underlying message conveyed to readers remained the same.
Here they are, my old and new covers:
(I Have People was never published with the old cover.)
Old Cover
New Cover
What do you think? Do you like my new cover for I Have People?
I love both covers, but I think the new cover brings all of your books together with the painterly? look. They are fun, whimisical and colorful. They catch my eye quickly, but I find your covers very deceiving. I am always looking for that wonderful surprise hidden in the pages that makes me think - you can't judge a book by it's cover. I love it.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. I wanted my books to 'match,' so I decided if one was going to be animated, they all needed to be animated. (I like the term, painterly, better!) While my books will always end happily--all bets are off in the middle of the book!! I like drama! I LOVE your take on my book covers! Thanks for sharing that with me!
DeleteThat is so true Laura. That's why I love your books. The beginning has me curious, the middle sweeps me away and the ending allows me to sit back with a sigh and feel warm and fuzzy. LOL
DeleteI LOVE that description of my books! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Thank you, Sherry!
Delete^_^
DeleteI agree with Sherry. I just might recognize your future books by the cover art! It is uniquely yours.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Laura! All of the cover art was done by the same artist, except for Sierra. (he didn't have anything resembling a snowy cabin) I stumbled across his work on istock and I love his style. For future covers, I'll try to use him again. It depends on if he has an image that will go with the book, of course! I'm glad it is now recognizable as mine, as that was the intention. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteBook covers are so subjective. I think if you can get a majority rules system where you show 10 to 20 people two proposed book covers and go with the one most like, you should be okay. I like the new one because it's rich in colour and style and suits the genre, whereas the old cover, although well done, tends to lean towards a corporate look. Hope that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it that way, but you're right, the old cover does have a corporate look to it. It feels cold compared to the new one.
DeleteIt's so true that book covers are subjective--one person loves the cover and another hates it. In the end, I go with what I love, but I do ask everyone's opinion before going with it!!! Thanks for your thoughts, Justin! Much appreciated!