Book Cover Mockups

[Hawkzombie]

Ok, so I'm chugging along with the book, but now I'm working with a guy for the cover. I need to get some feedback from people.

Cover A
http://32ft.com/uploads/onebleeds2.jpg

Cover B
http://32ft.com/uploads/onebleeds3.jpg

I would appreciate any and all feedback.

[Hawkzombie]

And they would be cleaned up a great deal, and made to look far nicer than they do now. But it's the general gist of things.

[evilgoodwin]

Second one looks too generic. I've seen a couple of books that are white with a closeup of a woman's eyes.

[JayVe]

The first one is much more striking. The splash of red will draw someone's attention from across the room.

[Wilkz07]

cover A. B looks to generically twilight.

[Ink Asylum]

The first is much better than the second. Not so sure about the font. If it's just a mockup I would also hope that the blood splatter is made to look more natural.

[Voodoo]

How about the woman with her face facing upwards, open mouth and a hand from the top, mildly limp with blood dripping down from the ring and middle fingers?

[Hawkzombie]

I thought about that, Voodoo, but it kinda gets away from the symbolic nature of the bleeding. Not that the first cover doesn't do that either :p

Still, at first I didn't like the first cover, and thought the 2nd was too generic. But now I'm really starting to enjoy the first.

[AntonThaGreat]

Cover A... but from a graphic designers perspective, get rid of that font. Something more bold. A nice big bold font will look fantastic on a white background.

Quick and dirty example using the Giovanni font:
http://i.imgur.com/RjVYu.jpg

[violent]

The first is better but I don't like the realistic eye juxtaposed with the cartoonish blood. Make the splatter/drip a little more realistic.

[resikel]

Font selection is weak.

And the one eye looks like a vagina. If you are going for the sublime, mission accomplished.

[txshurricane]

I agree with violent. I like the concept; now make the eye match the blood design. But definitely cover A.

[Hawkzombie]

http://32ft.com/uploads/bleeds_cover.jpg

An update to Cover A.

I noticed the little jaggedness to the line of blood and the spacing on C.M.W. Hawkins seems a little off (as in it looks more like C.M.W.Hawkins) but otherwise, I'm honestly happy with this new cover.

[Ink Asylum]

Much better now that the blood splatter matches the eye. I think the font needs to be bolder to avoid getting lost in the negative space, though.

[JayVe]

Nice nice.

Like the eye. Not a fan of the font. I know others wanted more 'realistic' blood splatters, but I'm not a fan now that I see them. I really appreciate the clean, stylistic red circle approach of the original.

[Hawkzombie]

See, the initial looked too fake to me. I much prefer this.

As far as font...I kinda like it, but it COULD get lost in the space there. I just dunno what would really make it 'bolder'

[JayVe]

Maybe some <B> tags?

;)

[Hawkzombie]

LMAO, if it were only that simple :p

I asked the guy to change the font a bit, make it stand out a bit more against the stark white of the cover. But otherwise, aside from a few minor tweaks, I think this is the cover folks.

[Xerxes]

I would have suggested merging the two. The blood splattered right eye (our left) and the clean closed left eye.

[KidCactus]

The new blood splatter looks better, but the dripping doesn't really match the splatter since the splatter itself doesn't seem to be on a vertical space. And I also think the font size is waaay to small.

[Spectre-7]

You're planning to sell primarily over the internet, correct? If so, you should keep in mind that your cover is usually going to be seen as a thumbnail first, so it's important that the design reads well at small sizes. Most folks' first impression of your book will be either something like this:

https://sites.google.com/site/spectre7/Home/HZ_bleeds_cover_med.jpg

...or worse, like this:

https://sites.google.com/site/spectre7/Home/HZ_bleeds_cover_sm.jpg

There's also a small matter that a lot of storefronts (Amazon, for instance) use a white background, so a cover that also has a white background will sort of fade into it.

https://sites.google.com/site/spectre7/Home/HZ_Store_Mockup.png

Not ideal, IMO.

Anyway, I spent a few minutes mucking around with alternate text layouts this morning, and I'm not entirely pleased with any of them, but I thought I might as well share. This was not my morning for typography.


https://sites.google.com/site/spectre7/Home/HZ_Cover_Mockups.png

[Xerxes]

Put "To Feed The Other" under a bigger One Bleeds.

[muddi900]

Spectre's mock-ups are great, but do invest in fonts or look for decent free fonts. Since font-embedding is standard now in web browsers, there are quite few resources for that.

[Ink Asylum]

Great points, Spectre. You clearly speak from experience. I wonder what the cover would look like with the red and white reversed....

[JayVe]

Great points, Spectre. You clearly speak from experience. I wonder what the cover would look like with the red and white reversed....
This is a bloody brilliant idea.

The book should be red, and the 'splash' is white... negative space. The viewer's brain puts the negative space, the color red, and the word 'bleeds' together. I love it! It is much more interesting and engaging. By the time the viewer clicks (or picks up the book) they have already 'solved' the puzzle and feel nice and clever about themselves AND the material.

[JayVe]

I took a quick stab at it myself.

Just a quick and dirty mockup to give the idea of what it would look like with a red background.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/Amazon.png


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/OneBleedsToFeedTheOtherSmall.png

[VerseD]

I've always liked a red book. I approve this color.

[Karak]

Wow
RED is way better. As someone who buys for their job every day I can tell you man...that red one. That grabs you. Fix up the eye with some definition. But the red one for sure.

[Hawkzombie]

Holy crap. I totally missed this in the past few days.

I fucking love that red one. Seriously. Fucking love it.

Uh...wanna do my cover for me? I already paid the guy (sorta. And by sorta the agreement was when my new roommate buys his old couch, instead of me keeping half, I give it all to him. Only the couch hasn't been bought yet. lol) for doing the one, but...uh...I love that one way more.

EDIT: I've already ordered a proof copy, but that is easily a write-off and only is ok'd so long as I approve it. Meaning I can edit and adjust things as much as I want before finalizing the book. Then it'll be available through most retail channels (Not promoted, mind you, but available to be ordered, I believe).

I'm looking forward to finishing this, honestly. I want that red cover so bad it HURTS. And fuck the eye. It's lost the significance it once had :p Especially when I look at that red cover. It just pops.

[Hawkzombie]

Double Post! This is how the cover looks now. Only I think it may be slightly off as a preview image seems to have minor issues near the edge of the front, making me wonder if the artist I got to do this followed the dimensions and specifications I gave him precisely or not. I'll know for sure when the proof copy arrives in a day or two.

God...I can't get over how awesome the red cover is. It really does pop more than the existing one.

EDIT: Ok, photobucket seems to be down so I can't upload the image right this moment. But i'll put it up ASAP. It's the front, spine, and back cover to the book. I'd also like an opinion on the text on the back of the book as well.

[JayVe]

Heh

I'd be happy to do the red one for you.

Can you send me the original one to work with? What format is it in? Any of the original assets will be helpful.

Thanks to Ink for the awesome idea. :D

Edit: Think I could get a 'cover by' line in the book? That'll get me to buy a copy for myself. :D

[Hawkzombie]

He sent it to me in PDF. PM me your e-mail address and I can send you the stuff he sent me.

Also, Photobucket fixed itself:

http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/Hawkzombie/onepiececover.png

[Ink Asylum]

You're welcome. :) The thought just popped into my head after reading Spectre's post about the white background. It was a CoG team effort!

[Hawkzombie]

I'm putting a special mention to CoG in the book now :p

THEY'RE AWESOME AND I LOVE THEM. LOVE THEM.

[evilgoodwin]

Holy crap. I totally missed this in the past few days.

I fucking love that red one. Seriously. Fucking love it.

Uh...wanna do my cover for me? I already paid the guy (sorta. And by sorta the agreement was when my new roommate buys his old couch, instead of me keeping half, I give it all to him. Only the couch hasn't been bought yet. lol) for doing the one, but...uh...I love that one way more.

EDIT: I've already ordered a proof copy, but that is easily a write-off and only is ok'd so long as I approve it. Meaning I can edit and adjust things as much as I want before finalizing the book. Then it'll be available through most retail channels (Not promoted, mind you, but available to be ordered, I believe).

I'm looking forward to finishing this, honestly. I want that red cover so bad it HURTS. And fuck the eye. It's lost the significance it once had :p Especially when I look at that red cover. It just pops.

My book of poetry will be called "Fuck the Eye."

[VerseD]

I don't know if I would read a book of verse if it was titled "Fuck the Eye." An album, maybe.

[evilgoodwin]

That's ok, I'm not good at writing poetry anyway :D

[JayVe]

That's ok, I'm not good at writing poetry anyway :D

Well then, at least nobody could sue you for false advertising. :D

[JayVe]

Here are the PNGs of the latest mockups

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/OneBleedsForTheOtherCoverA.png

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/OneBleedsForTheOtherCoverC.png

[Xerxes]

I miss the eye.

[JayVe]

The eye reminds me of Evil Avatar. :D

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/EvilAvatar.png

[Hawkzombie]

I don't miss the eye so much...had a huge falling out with the girl who WAS the eye. It's messy and complicated, and I'm glad it's over and done with.

Only now who the hell do I dedicate my book to? :p

I'm going with the first of the two covers presented by JayVe (Awesome stuff) and have already made the revisions to the book online. Once I get paid next week I'll be ordering a new proof copy and making sure everything is tip top. Then? We're golden! FINALLY.

[JayVe]

I don't miss the eye so much...had a huge falling out with the girl who WAS the eye. It's messy and complicated, and I'm glad it's over and done with.

Only now who the hell do I dedicate my book to? :p

I'm going with the first of the two covers presented by JayVe (Awesome stuff) and have already made the revisions to the book online. Once I get paid next week I'll be ordering a new proof copy and making sure everything is tip top. Then? We're golden! FINALLY.

Woot! Glad I could help!

[Hawkzombie]

The eye reminds me of Evil Avatar. :D

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/goodavatar/EvilAvatar.png

LMFAO

Thank you, for further ruining the eye for me :D

[Xerxes]

But now what bleeds to feed the other.

[JayVe]

You gotta buy the book! :D

[Hawkzombie]

Well, the original proof copy showed up today. It looks awesome, except the spine is off slightly. Dunno how, since lulu gave me the exact specifications...

But it ultimately doesn't matter so much anymore because I've got the new cover. The interior looks awesome.

[JayVe]

Well, the original proof copy showed up today. It looks awesome, except the spine is off slightly. Dunno how, since lulu gave me the exact specifications...

But it ultimately doesn't matter so much anymore because I've got the new cover. The interior looks awesome.

Oh good. I was having trouble getting my design to line up with both the specs AND the original design. I went with the specs, and hopefully everything will come out awesome when you get the new proof.

[Hawkzombie]

I'm hoping maybe he did something wrong, but I don't mind investing in a few proof copies to get it right.