Part original photo, part AI design, part Photoshop, this is my first attempt at a cover and title for my volume of movie and book reviews. So go ahead and critique it.
- Is it too AI-looking?
- Is it too egotistical to put my own face so prominently on the cover?
- Does the image creep you out and make you not want to buy the book?
- Should the fonts be different in size, style, etc.?
- Do the graphics overly stress movies without considering books (I review both)?
- Is ...in the Skull too reminiscent of Water from a Skull?
- Does the title capture both books and movies?
- Do you have better suggestions for the book's title?
About that last issue: Finding a totally original title is damn hard. I had originally wanted to go with The Power of Story, but that's taken, and so are many similar variants. I think Skull kind of works given that I've got a movie screen embedded in my head.
Anyway, lemme know what you think, including any thoughts you have that aren't covered by the questions posed above. I'll take your thoughts into consideration. Can't guarantee I'll use a specific thought, but I'll definitely take your insights seriously. If you are, in fact, serious.
Here are my answers to the questions posed:
ReplyDeleteNo, it is not too AI-looking. It looks like AI, but this is 2026, and that's the norm.
It is not egotistical to feature your face — you wrote the book.
The image does NOT creep me out.
Fonts look fine to me.
No issues with the graphic. You see a movie with your eyes; you picture the story in your head when you read it.
Using "skull" is something of a trademark. Your fans will like it, and I don't think strangers will be put off by it.
It clearly states "movie and book reviews," so that should suffice.
I have no better suggestions for a title than what you came up with.
I've always thought your reviews were the best of any I've read, certainly the most detailed and thorough. I don't know what the market will be like for a book like this, especially since the reviews are not of recent films or books, but people may want to read about what they missed. I'll be buying a copy anyway.
Answers follow....
ReplyDeleteIs it too AI-looking? In my opinion, yes. It also looks like a Ryan George thumbnail.
Is it too egotistical to put my own face so prominently on the cover? Yes. Author generally don't slap a big picture of themselves on the cover of their book. But who cares? You do you.
Does the image creep you out and make you not want to buy the book? I'm probably going to have nightmares for weeks now. On a more serious note: It doesn't make me not want to buy the book, but it doesn't really make me want to buy it, either. Covers are hard, though.
Should the fonts be different in size, style, etc.? Too many different fonts will end up looking cluttered, I think. This particular font does feel a little bland, but it is inoffensive (as bland tends to be).
Do the graphics overly stress movies without considering books (I review both)? Kind of, yeah. The idea of picturing a story in your head when reading a book aside, all of the imagery really screams "FILM!"
Is ...in the Skull too reminiscent of Water from a Skull? I honestly did not think of that until I read your list of questions.
Does the title capture both books and movies? Yeah, the title itself can apply to both, especially with the subtitle. By itself it would probably be a little vague.
Do you have better suggestions for the book's title? Nothing specific, but since you are writing reviews, maybe style yourself as more of a critic? Is there any inspiration to be taken from books by other critics?
(Hope I didn't screw up the formatting...)
I put this same content up on the latest Instapundit Open Thread, and here's the first comment I got in response:
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing this and inviting comments. I did the same in 2011 when trying to narrow down concepts for my book's cover. (But after getting numerous responses I found they were evenly divided among six options, so ultimately I was the one who had to decide.)
Anyway, I have no problem with the image. It's rather arresting. Not sure about the fonts, though. Consider going all caps, at least for the title, and maybe not italics. What you have seems to say self-published. Granted, that should not count against it. But for some people it does.
I'm not sure if there'll be much market for this, but hey, I'll buy your book :)
I have close to 500 book reviews posted on Goodreads and have thought about preserving them in some way. This looks like a nice project.
A second comment:
ReplyDeleteI think the image is off-putting. And I wouldn't use three typefaces ... I'd use different weights of the same typeface, probably the Gill Sans, with the title in all caps (its capital letter set is handsome).
I would not trust anyone who calls a font "handsome."
ReplyDeleteMore comments from Instapundit:
ReplyDelete(1) I agree on the comments below on fonts. Nobody knows it's your face or not. I would experiment with making the face a little less photo-realistic. It does suggest movies more than books. Few probably make any connection to the other book title.
(2) The picture is creepy AF, would not buy. How about just a real, smiling picture, so you come across as approachable, and maybe someone who I would like to know?
Some sensitive souls out there, but they're potentially my target market, so I do need to consider their tastes. Good to remember the Instapunditeers are largely an over-60 crowd, so most of them will shrink from my sense of humor. Remember that one of the "Big Five" personality traits is openness to new experiences, and some people are timid, so they easily and reflexively react with revulsion.