Cayman Covers
Behind the scenes, I am finishing The Cayman Proxy. In the near future I will be offering print editions of my book. I love the Cayman characters and I have to see them in print. I won't do paperbacks until the stories are complete. Ergo, I'm working overtime to do the finale of the first book I ever wrote.
In the meantime I have some cover ideas that I'm exploring. Above is a sample of the new Subterfuge cover. If you have a second I would love your feedback. Could you tick off the survey below? ...and if you want to elaborate it would be great to read your thoughts in the comment section.
I did like the collage of imagery, particularly what looked like a sunken ship on the lower left. If the cover is intended to catch the eye, like most of your books seem to do, it could do with something a bit deeper and more foreboding. Maybe that is why the sunken ship image hit me.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I liked too. It's hard to find images that have a sense of doom, but also seem tropical. Plus there's an important scene in Subterfuge where the four of them are on the tour sub and Omar contemplates why he was invited for the free vacation. He lightens when he sees the sunken ship, despite his claustrophobia, because there's curious destruction in it and that interests him.
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ReplyDeleteMy two cents. I love what you did with the ‘Subterfuge’ cover. To elaborate on your last question about caring, I only care about a cover because I know you do. I think a lot of authors just go with some sexy stock (for lack of a better word) photo of a woman/man with little care about how it relates to the story. Maybe you use “stock” photos too, but if you do, you do it with much more noticeable attention to detail on what you ultimately decide upon. I know there is an intention to each image on this cover. The stingray, the ocean. Is that the villa? The point is, I have to read in order to understand what that meaning might be. I think other authors do a great job of writing, but I’m not as sold on their choice of covers, maybe they all are just blending together too easily in my memory, for me to appreciate the nuances. Other authors seem to be more like "See this pretty woman in lingerie? Click to read something tangentially related!"
DeleteA question I have for you is, now that we're talking about this, are the women on your covers your visualization of the women in your stories? Up until 'Tempting Maggie' I never really used the covers to help illustrate who the women are in your books, but the reason ‘Tempting Maggie’ is an exception probably has mostly to do with how detailed the profile is of the woman on the cover. Nia was never really that woman in your covers, but the woman (or an amalgamation of them) that you describe in your story. But I’m weird.
I don't necessarily care that the cover isn't dripping with sex, but maybe some symbolic gestures to what we're in store for would be nice. From knowing how ‘Subterfuge’ plays out and seeing the images you chose, I think you clearly get that. Like Guhrka points out, the sunken ship makes me think! The Stingray is a nice reference when you land on that part of the story. It gives it some powerful value when you can connect the image on the cover to the subsequent story, even if the importance of that part of the story is a red herring, which I think you like to plant every now and then.
One thing to consider, now that I've turned into a fucking critic all of a sudden, we are able to evaluate and take in the detail of this cover so well because of how blown up it is. The detail on this cover might work well on a laptop or tablet/kindle, but maybe not so well on a phone?
DeleteThanks! This poll has been really helpful.
DeleteThe yellow hut is supposed to be the place they ate breakfast. The boats in the water are a Stingray City, where tourists gather to play with stingrays.
The women on the covers are vague representations of the character. They're not meant to be the character. LHW2 cover girl isn't really Nia, but the hair is a good stand in, the skin tone, black eyes. Doesn't really look like her. I'd prefer no faces on the covers, I don't like them but I'm starting to think they get noticed better, especially at smaller sizes. Faces generally should be avoided in my opinion, the reader is responsible for that part. I used a face in TM because the character is Eurasian and I wanted that to be apparent. She doesn't really look like Maggie. Doesn't even have blue in her hair!
(Another side note, I looked at doing different covers for each of the LHW2 books, looked up that model and she is pregnant now!)
I like the top image but maybe there should be something steamier to it. I'm not sure. I will have to take more time with it. Wait for more survey results, feedback. I've looked at it in smaller versions and the face stands out, but the smaller images aren't really legible. They look nice, the colors are very tropical. But on other books, like Blackmail, the colors might be a dingy London gray and not look so nice. All the covers have to work the same sort of template so I'd have to do the others before I make a decision.
I do like your covers they do what they are supposed to.
ReplyDeleteadd interest and eye catching appeal.
To be honest the LHW1 covers is what got me to read that first book. I'm a leg man, can't help myself. Yea them ribs but oey them legs. I'm no literary or photographic genius or anything but that's what drew me into your world and I'm glad for it.
After that first cover though, it was all about the stories and I didn't focus too much if at all on the covers. The covers after that first book were just the cherry on top.
So I guess my question is do you want the cover to draw in more readers or reward a loyal fan base? I understand you like that it should relate to the inside as well as provoke curiosity. It's a dam tough balance considering the relating to the story style new readers won't understand it until after the fact.
Perhaps the cover for LHW2 could be the same but instead of a bed she'd be on the roof of a houseboat or the hood of a black BMW. Covers both inside and out. Cayman series well there's alot there how to keep it pertinent, sexy and not too busy is the challenge.
If I may make a suggestion.
Either take out the stingray or the harbor (but I'm thinking stingray since you already have an excellent undewater shipwreck scene). Add in (bias coming) a pair of legs tanning in the sun, or some other anatomical pic.
Good luck!
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ReplyDeleteI like a physical anchor for the stories. Nothing too explicit but something sensual or suggestive. I have plenty of imagination to fill in the blanks but a nice curve or two helps my visuals when I read.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Covers when reading about Nia. Truly smoking.