So...two questions:
1. How important is the cover and packaging to you when you are book shopping? Why?
2. And...which of my book covers do you like the most? Explain.
Please Consider this Powerful Ministry
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What's in a Cover?
Most people really do judge a book by it's cover, don't they? At least at first. If the story within isn't what you expect, you'll feel cheated and probably avoid that author in the future. I've been blessed with a publisher and design team that understands the importance of packaging. So, I feel very blessed with the covers I've been given.
So...two questions:
1. How important is the cover and packaging to you when you are book shopping? Why?
2. And...which of my book covers do you like the most? Explain.
So...two questions:
1. How important is the cover and packaging to you when you are book shopping? Why?
2. And...which of my book covers do you like the most? Explain.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
33 comments:
Oh! That's a hard question! I have to pick?! Hm, I still say Rise of the Wyrm Lord is my favorite. For one I really love the way the copper foiled letters pops against the purple of the cover. For another, the sense of danger and adventure is more obvious than on the cover of The Door Within. The Final Storm while cool has a green on green tone and I can't shake the feeling of Helm's Deep every time I look at the backs of the soldiers in their armor. I really like Isle of Swords cover colors but the images are just okay. Isle of Fire, if they keep with the exploding windows on the houses is going to be just okay as well.
HMMMM...i would say that the packaging is very important...because for me it gives a sense of "where" you are...my favorite is gonna have to be...Isle of Swords....the pictures are real, or atleast dont look animated / drawn / etc......and it gives the "exact" place they find Cat a "look"...its definately my favorite....
I like the colors on Isle of Swords... (One of the things that drew me to it.)
I think I like The Door Within's cover best out of that trilogy. Then Rise of the Wyrm Lord.
I'm still not sure if I really like Isle of Fire... The skull's prominence and coloring still give it a feel more like that of a forensics book.
If I've never heard of the author before, the book's cover is going to be the thing that draws me in (that, and the blurb on the back). If I've read the author, the cover isn't as important.
My favorite cover still has to be the first one for the Door Within. It's what first drew me into the series. The staircase just draws you in to see what other mysteries are in the book.
Both of the "Isle of..." books have the best covers. The "Door Within" covers also rock, but if I had to pick a week one out of the bunch I'd say "Rise of the Wyrm Lord." The claw coming up from the depths of such and such is a bit cheesy and too in-your-face, while the other covers do a good job at *hinting* at danger.
Overall, packaging is very important. Until an author can develop a name like King, Rowling, or Whedon, the packaging almost needs to be well done to even attract a reader's eye. Because there are just so many books.
I like either Rise of the Wyrm Lord of the Final Storm.
When I'm book shopping, I look for both a cover and a book title that catch my attention. If the cover doesn't speak of excitement and adventure, I might just shrug and pass it by. Of course the title is important to me too, and sometimes that can make up for one of those "okay" covers.
My favorites would be "The Door Within" cover, then "The Final Storm". The staircase with the torches and the suite of armor just drew me right in when I first saw it. The staircase feels like it's leading you into an adventure. And "The Final Storm", it just makes me think of battles and fantasy action. It's the kind of cover where you're friends might go, "Ooh, what are you reading?"
~a fellow writer and your biggest fan
In answer to question one, I would have to say that whats on the cover makes up 90% of my like/dislike of the book. I love to do graphic design, so I'm drawn to books with well-done covers, could go either way with average covers, and am repulsed by books with covers that look like a two-year-old had a field day with MS Paint.
Your books, for me, are above "well-done". I absolutely love the covers :D That had a big factor in getting me interested in TDW when I found it in that bookstore.It's hard to choose, as I love all of them, but my favorites are Final Storm and Isle of Swords.
Book covers/packaging is important (in my opinion) because it
1)catches the shopper's eye
2)provides a "glimpse" into the story
3)lays a foundation which the reader will use to paint scenes in his/her mind
My favorite would probably be Rise of the Wyrm Lord because of the ominous claw reaching up from the swirling darkness. The use of purple gives it a darker feel as well.
I like a cover two be colorful and have a interesting design. Having said that some of my book have a very plain cover, but I still love them! And I love The Final Storm because I LOVE green and it reminds me of FOTR with all the Elves in the battle with Saron. I also like Isle of Swords, it looks very piratey! ^-^
Aubenre' Ancalimon @-`---
I looooove the Final Storm's cover. It makes you worried, scared and excited all at the same time. I also love the other DW covers, but the Final Storm is my all-time favorite!
The Isle of Swords is my favorite "pirate" book. The cover drew me in, and as I read the book it deffinatly spoke volumes!
I look for the title and the bookcover. I mean if a biology book or a math book had a real interesting cover, I definitely wouldn't read them, unless i liked those subjects. Another thing that I look for in books, is that they don't have any bad words or immoral use in them
(not talking about stories of good vs. evil, but how evil is portrayed, sometimes, the people go too much into detail). Those type of books are really worth reading for me.
I'd have to say, that I like the Door Within cover the best. It just speaks mystery to me and I love mystery. I keep trying to look around the corner and see whats in the corridor behind the door and the way the steps twist and turn is just delightful.
As for the piratety-books, I like The Isle of Fire best. I really like the scope of it, how you can see the ship afar off and the colors. I love the colors.
You write books well Mr. Batson, and both your books and your covers are inspiring masterpieces.
A cover catches one's eye and attention. It has to stand out. My favorite? Hmm...that's hard, but probably the Final Storm or The Door Within, because those are the ones I saw first.
Definately The Final Storm and Isle of Swords.
Covers are an important aspect of any sales item. You couldn't sell that much if the cover was a blank sheet of white, right? A cover needs to portray the spirit of the book. Mystery novels usually have a darker shade, and action/adventure novels usually have a more detailed depth.
To your other question:
I find the Door Within's cover the most intriguing. The shade of blue contrasted with the flame on the wall. And the knight against the wall, it holds a sense of 'Cool, I gotta check this one out.'.
My least favorite is the Isle of Fire. The whole scene seems a bit redundant and cliched, and many other books hold the same thing. Perhaps if you gave a bigger sense of mystery and fear. This is the Isle of Fire no?
Overall, your covers are of exceptional quality.
Good work!
Covers and packaging are very important because they usually give a first impression of what might be in the book and whether or not it will be interesting, and therefore worth buying. I like the cover of The Door Within the best because of all the trilogy books it was what caught my eye(at a time when I wasn't even looking to buy any books) and made me think "That looks like something I'll like!" I also really like how the staircase draws you in and the bend in the corner invites you to open up the book.
I like the Isle of the Swords the best. i haven't read the book yet, but a cover like that draws me into it. it's the perfect fantasy scene with the sunset (I love the reds, oranges, and yellows!). The palm trees off to the side look almost real. Covers of books are very important. If it looks boring then I usually think if they didn't put much into the cover then the writer didn't put much into the book.
If i don't know anything about the book, the thing that really draws me is the title. Something catchy or something that seems to have a backing, like 'The Door Within' is good. Or something enigmatic, like 'Citizen 16933'. The next thing that draws me is the description on the back or inside the cover. If it doesn't have that, i usually forget about the book. I like TDW cover the best.
That is indeed a difficult question...
I would have to say that The Rise of the Wyrm Lord and Isle of Fire are my favorite book covers.
I'm a an avid book cover judger. I'll do it even there's a plank in my own eye.
When I'm buying a book, I absolutely act on the notion that the best books have the best covers, whether it is true or not. Even if a book is recommended or given to me, the cover makes a difference. I'll start the good cover books sooner than the bad ones.
I've read good books with bad covers... and guess what? It still bothers me that such good content was packaged so carelessly.
I'm weird, huh?
Oops - I forgot to pick. It is a tie between Rise or Final. Foreboding, danger, risk, action.
Right on.
I liked The Final Storm and Isle of Fire...because they just stuck out to me more than the others. Maybe all the action in the pictures or maybe the danger underneath the pictures....either way they are tied....
Never Alone!
Although I kinda feel bad for saying this, the cover of a book is very important to me. If I don't like the cover, I won't buy the book. I may read the book (and even love it), but I probably won't buy it.
I think my favorite cover is Isle of Swords. The warm colors appeal to me (reds and yellows, I think, fit the adventure genre better than blues and greens), and pirate-y stuff is pure win on anything. XD
I definetly like the Final storm the most. When a books cover has an insanly giant battle about to take place, you instantly want to read it.
I think that the Final Storm and the Door Within are probably the best.
Thanks for all the insights. I have to agree with most of you. The cover really does matter. When I go book shopping my order of operations is usually:
1. Look for cool covers
2. Read the blurb on back and beginning of first chapter.
3. If hooked by all three, I buy.
Well, when im picking out a book the three things i look at are thr blurb in the back, the cover, and the author. Oh, and to seeing what genre it is. I personally love The Door Within's cover because your thinking where does this passage lead, What is the Door Within?
Great questions. . . . . .
1. I'd say VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY. . . . important. If I don't have a book recommended to me I usually just browse the shelves at the library or bookstore looking for cool covers or catchy titles. For example, If you had called the door within "The Knight from Maryland" I would never have read it, even though it was given to me as a gift.
2. Definitely the Final Storm. Just the scene of knights in shining armor facing off with a mass of dark soldiers and dragons screams awesome fantasy book to me. but I also like the element of mystery in the Door Within and Rise of the Wyrm Lord covers, with the door leading up into ?somewhere? and the talon rising out of the ground. Your book covers are amazing!!!!!
Hmmmm....I'd have to say The Final Storm because it shows the ultimate fight between good and evil, and I just love to look at knights. LOL. BTW, awesome work Mr. Batson!!! :D
When I look at the cover of the book, I really want it to capture my attention. For me, that usually includes anything that looks fantasy-ish. My favorite cover is The Door Within, because I started to wonder what was on the other side of the tunnel. Also, there was a knight by the door, and I like anything to do with knights. What caught me on The Isle of Swords was 1), I love swords, so the title grabbed me, and 2), the little skull with swords crossed behind it. Once again, the swords.
I think I will have to say The final storm for my favorite cover. I just really like storm look and that a battle is happening.
it is very important because it shows sometimes what the story is about. and I like to go back and look at the picture when I'm reading it, to see what it looked like.
I definitely agree about the cover being important. Whenever I'm in a bookstore, I look at the covers/titles of books and see which ones leap out at me.
My favorite covers of yours (this is hard!) are probably The Fianl Storm (I love the knights), and Isle of Fire (the color is brillant!) But all of them are very good ( very eye-catching0!
~Hannah
The cover of a book is really important to me because (especially if you're looking books up on-line) sometimes that is all you see! I mean, who wants a book that is all white with the title in black and nothing else? That's so boring! And I would never read it. Ever. But covers that pop are what attract me.
- And I'd probably say that the Isle of Swords is my fave. I really love the colors and I love how the pictures of the ships look like real photos. (and it's about pirates. What can I say? I love pirates!)
Post a Comment