As I was saying, this was the first cover I came up with for the novel. I usually put something together, something not too good or poor, which only needs to convey the title and genre. As you probably know, I like to send out a preview, a sparse few chapters, in an attempt to draw in subscribers. What I’ve learned is that most of my readers are similar to me, those who once aspired but may or may not be in the best position to partake.
I know your pain believe me.
As the story develops, I usually come back to the cover once or twice, all the while plotting the idea for the final cover used for production. Sometimes, I do multiple covers when I’m feeling extra creative, but I’m getting the sense that it’s not such a good idea. So far, it hasn’t changed my sales at all whether I change the cover or make multiple covers available. I’m not one to go overboard, so if the same results can be had with less work, I’m usually right on board with such a solution.
This was the second incarnation and the one I rolled with while writing the novel. It’s perfect for the preview and conveys the story if not the genre. Genre should be expressed above all within a cover (sales avenue) but originality still counts as far as I know. I haven’t heard anything bad about it, and so far, I’ve gained a steady stream of subscribers, roughly a dozen a month, since I deployed it earlier this year. Most of those subscribers are still with me today.
I’ll let you in on a little secret about my covers. You probably can tell this already, but I thought I’d enlighten you as promised (it’s about fulfillment).
What I do, for the most part, is lettering. I can draw pretty well with pen and paper, but learning that over in the digital realm is a task I’m not looking forward to. The funny part is that I’m doing that anyway, regardless, as some techniques are apparent and others work their way in as if our relationship is symbiotic. So, I stick to what I know and how things are supposed to look, and like everyone else of my vintage, we’ve done enough of this in our youth to do it with our eyes closed.
Within the world of Comic Books, the tasks are usually divided between sketching, inker, and coloring, and I believe someone dealt with lettering, although I can’t place the exact title for now. At any rate, that’s where I got it from, a world I long to return to, which is the motivation for most of what I write.
If you’re here, then you’ve already seen the final result. However, just in case:
BLAM!!