Comments on: Demon’s Bane Book Cover Contest

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:14:30 +0000

Thanks, José! I have actually revised the cover and it’s now an illustration… I’ve just put the new post’s link here.
http://traveldave.com/index.php/2009/11/demons-bane-book-cover-contest-2/

By: José

José — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:56:18 +0000

Hi Dave,

I agree with the other guys. When using a photo, use a landscape with no characters, or in alternative, characters very far away (not the case).
As for Jason´s idea, eyeball and stuff, that would be great and highly appealing. Although I realize you are a writer not an image artist. Sorry I cant help you with that. I´m more of a reader.
Hoping for the final version

By: Badsis

Badsis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:56:56 +0000

Hi, do not know anything about covers but I read a lot and I would give this a miss because it is telling me what you have in your mind and that is oh so not selling it to me, it looks like a childish boy’s story, sorry not good at expressing… good luck!

By: Nuno

Nuno — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:59:01 +0000

Can’t wait to check it out!

Put it here ASAP!!!!!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:20:08 +0000

Thanks, all, for the further comments! I’ll update the blog post later this week with a real illustration of this scene, more fantasy-oriented, dark & evil, action-packed, and imagination-grabbing… courtesy of the fantastic artist who volunteered earlier in the thread

By: JasonT

JasonT — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:45:27 +0000

Tonya (who has read more fantasy than me by a factor of 2) says her first impression was no. It looked posed and fake. We did just go to the Renaissance Festival in Crownsville MD 3 weeks back, and it looks like a picture we took with the fill in flash. Sorry…

By: JasonT

JasonT — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:42:20 +0000

Dave – my first impression was no. I don’t like it. With a title like Demon’s Bane and from the limited excerpts that I have read, I expected something a little more meaty. Something like a superposition of the demon spirit inside of the bear – think backlit aura and evil looking. Or maybe a closeup of an aninmal’s eyeball like a big deer eye with the demon form captured in the pupil. Something artistic for sure. The best part of fantasy is that nobody sees the characters the same and it kind of ruins it when you add so much photographic detail – especially at night. I like the idea and the passages I read though. – Keep at it – I am jealous – I have always wanted to write a fantasy book.. Later

By: Neville Thompson

Neville Thompson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:55:56 +0000

Hi Dave,

I think it was a good effort for someone who is not a professional illustrator but I must agree with everybody else that it doesn’t really seem to be a good cover i.e. one that will get people to buy the book.

Perhaps you should try with fewer subjects on the cover, say just the wolf and one person and then use the hints already given in other posts.

Best of luck with the book.

Neville

By: Sheryl Smith

Sheryl Smith — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:12:00 +0000

Hi Dave,

Sorry! Gotta agree with the others. Loved the writing, don’t like the cover. I like the idea of using a scene from the book for the cover, but it’s got to look like art and not a photo. I think even a stylized/modified photo is not good enough, no matter how good the mods are. Generally, fantasy books have people with unrealistic body shapes and other-worldly scenery which is beyond photo modification. Sounds silly, but it’s true. I hate to say it, but I think you should start again from scratch rather than trying to modify the existing. Sorry to disappoint you, and also sorry to disappoint your friends who posed for it.

Wishing you every success!

Sheryl

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:45:15 +0000

OK Justin, will do… Folks, stay tuned for a new revision… of course the drawing is still on for those who wish to comment+enter to win!