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[Critique needed] Kindle cover

by vaidab
13 replies
Hi,
I'm a trainer publishing his first book in English. Can you help me out by critiquing the cover?

Is it ok from an American/British perspective to put guide on a new line (1)? Do the different color patterns look good visually? Should I simplify the color by using the pattern at 2 or use the color pattern at 3 for the whole color? Can you help me in with any other points?

I'll test my cover on the kindle store but I'd like to get some input before that.


#cover #critique #kindle #needed
  • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
    What's the point of the numbers and arrows... is their meaning supposed to be evident?

    Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    You're in the wrong section. Warrior Book Club is what you want - specializes in Kindle.
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  • Profile picture of the author IDoTheLegWork
    LMAO, It looks like he's tugging a stiffy.
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    ..and you WILL contribute a verse.
    Indifference is the enemy that must be conquered.
    Appeal to the crowd by addressing the person.

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  • Profile picture of the author vaidab
    Oh boy! I didn't even realize this!!

    So, besides changing the image what else could I improve on the cover? Are the colors, different patterns all right?

    @Alex Cohen : I added the arrows to show my 3 points that I talked about in the first message.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      Originally Posted by vaidab View Post

      @Alex Cohen : I added the arrows to show my 3 points that I talked about in the first message.
      Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by "first message".

      But I do understand this... anybody that sees this cover on Kindle will be confused by the three numbers and arrows.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
        Originally Posted by Alex Cohen View Post

        Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by "first message".

        But I do understand this... anybody that sees this cover on Kindle will be confused by the three numbers and arrows.

        Alex
        The arrows are just there to illustrate the questions he asked in his original post... they're not part of the design.

        Vaidab:

        I think you should probably noodle a little more on the title before worrying about the design.

        The Ultimate Time Management Guide for Workaholics does a good job of nailing down your ideal reader, a busy workaholic. But it does a lousy job of making him/her WANT to read it.

        Think about how you can get some end-result or benefit in there. As the saying goes, don't sell the drill, sell the hole it makes.

        For example:

        Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

        The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

        Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

        See the pattern?

        Nobody pays for orthodontic braces - they pay for straight teeth.
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        Brian McLeod
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        • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
          Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

          The arrows are just there to illustrate the questions he asked in his original post... they're not part of the design.
          Ah, thanks.

          Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author pewpewpewmonkeys
    Without clicking on the image, the numbers and arrows just look like blobs of annoyingness. At first I thought you were going for a Jackson Pollock look.

    It took me a moment to figure out that the guy on the cover was pulling at a clock hand. It makes sense once you know it's a clock, but at first I thought it was a person riding something.

    Perhaps replacing him with a sub-line of "Achieve More In Less Time" would be too cliche.
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    Some cause-oriented hackers recently hacked one of my websites. So I researched what they're about and then donated a large sum of money to the entity they hate the most.

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  • Profile picture of the author vaidab
    Thank you all for your replies!
    And many thanks to BrianMcLeod, I found his answer enlightening.
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    • Profile picture of the author DJ Gelner
      I have a bunch of books up on Kindle, so this is right up my alley

      All of the previous Warriors who have replied are spot-on. There are a few more things that immediately came to mind:

      1) Sounds like you're thinking about re-working the title based on Brian's advice--I think you'd be well-served to. If you keep it as is, though, you want "guide" to either be on its own line, or stand out in some other way.

      2) Color scheme--seems a bit "soft." I think the trend is to bolder colors, one way or another. A good tip that I saw on cover design was to go to kuler.com (free for Adobe users--it used to be free for everyone), find highly-rated swatches of 5 colors, and stick to those for your book cover. That doesn't mean the art can only have those 5 colors--it just helps to have it that way for consistency's sake. At any rate, I'd go with more of a navy blue, and a "warmer" yellow.

      3) Like IDotheLegwork said, your artwork could confuse some people I'd change that too--make it more in line with whatever concept for the cover you ultimately choose.

      4) You need space for your Author Name at the bottom--it doesn't look professional without it.

      5) You could have a pull quote from a review under the title--it makes it look more like a "real" book, since that's what the big publishers do.

      Just a few thoughts--hope this helps, vaidab!

      -D.J.
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      D.J. Gelner
      Copywriter/Storyteller
      www.djswriting.com

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  • Profile picture of the author iClickGraphics
    You can add 9, 12 and 3 to the clock
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    FREE Weekly Book Cover Templates ---> Download now!
    140 CreateSpace PSD Book Cover Templates ---> Click Here
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  • Profile picture of the author vaidab
    @DJ Gelner:

    1) got it
    2) unfortunately kuler.com is down
    I understand the main idea but I'm not a designer so mixing colors is not in my alley. I'll probably change this in a future edition if the book gets a bit of success.
    3) true words .. didn't even think about that
    4) yes, I've already done that for this cover
    5) I've looked at the Kindle's bestseller list and not one cover has a pull quote. My guess is that for a Kindle cover that's seen mainly on Amazon in a small sized image you wouldn't need it. Would definitely implement it once I go paperback (or even on the Kindle cover once my testimonials come from my draft readers).
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