Hi folks,
I talked to my publishers of my forthcoming literary noir novel, THE RAPIST, about having a contest here for folks to vote on the four possible covers for that novel. Here’s what Eddie Vega, one of my two editors/publishers (along with Cort McMeel) had to say when I broached the idea to him.
Les,
Yes, by all means. You can actually put it up for a vote and chances are the final results will be consistent with the final selection. Why? Because the final cover will be use elements from all of the covers. So everyone wins. I am very partial to the image of No. 3, the lettering of No. 4 (but without the fingerprints), the placement of the author’s name at the top of the page used by No. 1 (though I would move the BKP logo to the left hand corner so it would not compete with the illustration).
In your blog, please do point out that we used the earlier suggestions made by your followers: the floating body, the light, and the turned hands. So they will know we do more than hear, we listen. Please, also include a call to “like” Noir Nation on Facebook. Prague is almost done the layout. We are less than two weeks away from glory.
Eddie Vega
They really do pay attention to what you guys have to say. Eddie really liked the suggestions you made awhile back when I posted the initial mockup of this cover.
What I’m going to do is if anyone makes a suggestion that they use on the final cover, we’ll send them a free copy when it comes out.
For those who may feel off-put by the title, please rest assured it’s probably not what you think. My wife Mary resisted reading it for a long, long time, thinking it was some gruesome and graphic account of a rape, but when she finally did read it, she told me she absolutely got drawn into the world completely and she said it was like “the protagonist (Truman Pinter) had entered her own mind and revealed her deepest thoughts better than anything she’d ever read.” To tell the truth, I was shocked and extremely pleased that she “got it.” I shouldn’t have been surprised—Mary’s very intelligent. The rape in it is fairly akin to the mother's death in Camus' The Stranger--it serves the same purpose. This book is the best thing I’ve ever written and I don’t think I’ll ever have the energy again that it took to write. Cort McMeel and Eddie Vega both feel it’s going to be a game-changer in literature. We’ll see…
Anyway, here are the four versions of the final cover and the end result will probably be at least a bit different than any of these, especially after Eddie reviews comments from y’all. The covers are all from the Prague firm of Butterflies and Hurricanes, who’ve been working on it for months. Bare Knuckles Press has spent a significant amount of time, money and other resources to come up with a distinctive, one-of-a-kind cover. I know I’m impressed!
In order, from top to bottom, they're numbers 1-4. Thanks for taking a look and providing comments!
Blue skies,
Les
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17 comments:
Like number 2 myself, but I'm worried about the publisher's wife's reaction to the title. Aren't middle aged women the biggest buyers of novels? Just saying ...
Yeah, I get what you're saying, Jack, but we don't see that as the audience for this. We see significant sales in European markets for one--kind of the same readers who own copies of The Stranger.
First and the fourth. Depends on what you're going for.
Is it going to be print published or e-published? :)
Let me know if you need a reviewer--I'm always up for a good read and review. Otherwise, I can't wait to see it on the stands! :)
Hi Les,
I like #4 - the lettering blends nicely. It delivers without taking away from the overall image. I do agree that your name should be at the top (a little bolder, maybe) and the BKP logo on the front is a little distracting--on the spine, perhaps? The floating body ties in nicely with the story. The hand placement (up turned), though it doesn't seem to mean much, really adds to the feeling of anguish (dare I say persecution?) that your protag feels.
You have a lot to be proud of--like your Mary, I was a tad hesitant to read it but I'm glad I did. It's the most unflinchingly honest thing I've ever read. My only hope is that someday, I can write something half as good. You the man!!
Maegan
Having read The Rapist, I'd go for number four.
Thanks, Kari--we'll take you up for your offer to review! As to your question, it'll be both e-pubbed and a print version. The print version may come a bit later after the ebook version.
Thanks, Maegan! Jack, Maegan's one of the audience you mentioned... except she's young and not middle-aged, but otherwise...
Thanks, Paul. Like most of you here, I kind of like most of the fourth one also.
Definitely keep your name at the top. Definitely. The lettering needs to be bigger and lower down. Where it is will get chopped off and all but disappear on thumbnails. I don't like the lettering of no 4. or no. 3 either of the others. Why is the guy floating in mid air?
And how come so many people have read it already and not me?
Hey Les,
I like #4 the best, I think the lettering and the image work together very well, whereas the others there's too much visual competition between the title and the illustration.
Like others who have commented, I think the publisher's logo is way to dominant and needs to be smaller or preferably, somewhere else. People who like the book (as I do) will happily flip the book over to the back cover to see the name so we can look up other titles they have (which I'm also going to do).
I, for one, like your name under the title, but I suppose it would work at the top as well, if the publisher's logo was moved.
Thanks, James. Good suggestions. The guy is floating from a suggestion we liked when the original cover was put up from a follower here. Part of the plot is that Truman has rediscovered his ability to fly while in jail... sort of... He can hover and do some other things...
Most of those who've read it are family and folks who I work with on their novels and they do the same with me. Some are prominent people in the field who were kind enough to furnish reviews, etc.
Thanks, Erin. Great points! The logo kind of dominates, doesn't it...
These are really great suggestions, and you can count that we at Noir Nation we will implement some if not all of them. Moving our publishers logo to a corner so it does not detract from the cover art, done. Keeping the lettering of No. 4, done, moving the author's name up to the top, done. We are seriously weighing the others.
These are really great suggestions, and you can count that we at Noir Nation we will implement some if not all of them. Moving our publishers logo to a corner so it does not detract from the cover art, done. Keeping the lettering of No. 4, done, moving the author's name up to the top, done. We are seriously weighing the others.
I think the first one, hands down. It's got something the others don't in that it really pushes the title, which I think it most important.
Plus, it pops the most when smaller, thumbnail size on Amazon.
These are great suggestions, aren't they, Eddie!
Judd, good thoughts, man! Thank you!
#4 all the way. I like the the contrast of the central figure and placement of the title and logo
Thanks, Keith! Good suggestion!
First. No question at all. Off-kilter, fits with the protagonist mentality and hoarding of weird mementos
Thanks, Carl!
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