Monthly Archives: December 2011

I have been asked to critique the cover for Love Pains, and this is going to be somewhat short, because there is a lot I like about this cover. It’s very clear, it tells me it’s short stories about love gone wrong in a humorous way. The typeface fits the book and is super easy [...]

A post on facebook today from psd tuts+ is well worth looking at. It’s a look at photoshop manipulated movie posters. But many/most of these would also make brilliant book covers. Look them over. Study them closely. Look at the way the artists have used the typefaces to offset the graphics or, in some cases, [...]

I’m noticing a trend in some ebook covers. It’s the Kitchen Sink syndrome. It’s kind of understandable. The author has told this story that has all kinds of specific detail; it could be a dog and a pony and a boy and a pond and a red barn in the story, so they decide they [...]

I have received my first cover to critique! This cover is for a novel called The Breadwinners. The author sent me the cover blurb along with the cover, and it’s one of those epic multi-generational family dynasty stories, this one beginning in the 1920s and concerning two bakeries (bakery? Breadwinner? Get it?) You know, I [...]

Sometimes what makes the difference between an average cover and a good cover is the most subtle of effects. A good drop shadow is one of them. See the drop shadow in the header of this post? Okay, maybe it’s a little difficult to see. That’s the whole point. But to make it easier, let’s [...]

Really, the web is pretty damn-fine cool. In addition to lots of sources for stock art and commissioned artists, there are also a tremendous number of sources for free materials, tutorials, etc. out there. For instance that amazingly cool header image. Can’t you see that on a Sci-Fi book? Well maybe not exactly that, but [...]

NPR just published their “10 Best Fiction Novels of 2011″ list. It popped up on my Facebook page. I am actually not much of a lit fic fan; it seems to me that for the most part, if a novel ends happily it’s not allowed to be lit fic. And some lit fic authors are [...]

It sounds like a great idea, right? Sign up for 99 Designs, get a bunch of great artists to compete for your cover, and get to look over their work then decide which one fits you best. You get a great cover for an inexpensive price. How cool is that? Let me tell you that [...]

I thought I’d write a bit about my criteria for listing cover artists. Some folks have contacted me that I have not listed, and I’m feeling kind of bad about it, so I’m going to try to ease my guilt a bit by trying to pin down for you what I’m looking for. It’ll still [...]

I’m excited to add another cover artist to our roster. Sylvia does mostly fantasy and romance. I like her artistic style and quirkiness. You can reach her through her facebook page.