Picking Their Brains: Scott Kaelen on Cover Design

Wrapping up this week’s advice topic of book cover design, let’s hear from Scott Kaelen, author of The Blighted City...

Just to show how awful the initial attempts at cover creation can be, here's the first cover I made (it's for my short story which was renamed "When Gods Awaken" prior to publishing). 

My advice would be to not mess around with trying to make your own book covers if you haven't had professional experience and don't have access to the best programs to use. I ultimately made all my own covers, which is fine for short stories, etc. but not for a novel if you want it to get the right sort of attention. Pay the experienced artists (NOT the mediocre ones) to create a compelling cover image AND cover text for your book. It won't look professional unless it's done by a professional. And don't listen to any praise your friends give you about your self-made cover - they're only saying it to make you feel good and because they don't have the backbone to tell you the truth. I know this because all my crappy self-made covers got positive praise from my online acquaintances, but I knew the covers were shite. Only listen to critical and responses from qualified and unbiased professionals connected to your writing genre, who you trust will give you the hard truth when necessary (peers, designers, book bloggers, etc.) 

The first two (actually, three) covers [for The Blighted City] were done by an artist based on what I asked him to do, but the last one (the current one) is a small area of a stock photo I'd been holding onto for several years and I did a lot of work on it myself.  

First version for The Blighted City cover art

This is the first one I had the artist make. It was intended as a full cover (front, rear, spine). Ultimately the consensus of my betas and a few others I asked was that it didn't fit with the tone/setting of the novel. So this one was shelved.  

Second version

I decided to try a different angle with the second cover, based on suggestions from a beta. This one depicts the end of the Chiddari Crypt. But after it had been published for a while, the main feedback I got for it was that it felt more like straight-up horror than dark epic fantasy, and that the image really didn't gel with the book title. So this one was replaced. 

 

Third version

The third cover only lasted a few weeks, but it did sell one paperback in that time, which is the only physical copy of the second published cover edition in existence. Maybe worth a small fortune if I ever get successful! For those who look closely and with the keenest eyesight (not me!), they might be able to tell that it is really a small section of the city in the background of the first (never published) cover. But it's been further tweaked from the original.The consensus for this one was that it felt more like a historical fiction than a secondary-world fantasy. So, scrapped this one, too. 

Current cover

And this is the fourth (third published) cover, the currently published one. This one had much better reception than the previous covers, although, to my mind, it still doesn't give a true depiction of the setting which it's based on. But hey, artistic licence and all that. If the cover helps to sell copies, it's doing its job. 
 

Picking Their Brains: Ulff Lehmann on Cover Design

Continuing the advice topic of book cover design, let's hear from Ulff Lehmann, author of Light in the Dark series...
 
Book covers, to me, should always reflect the spirit of the story. Same as the titles... when I first thought of the titles, long after the first book was finished and I was somewhere in the middle of what now is the third book, I came up with the titles... Yes, I know it's about covers but this goes hand in hand.

I wanted a progression, the dichotomy of words that upon closer inspection would surprise you, only if you paid attention, of course.

Current covers of Crossroad Press editions

Shattered Dreams, Hopes, & Bonds. Nightmares, False Hopes, & well bonds is kinda obvious.

I wanted the covers to mirror that.

Since the story revolves around Drangar, I wanted something to represent him, hence the sword. I liked the covers of the The Last Kingdom etc, but I didn't want to imitate, so I came up with the blade across the middle. I wanted the sword to represent Drangar's conscience over the telling of the tale, well, kinda... blood smeared, a little cleaner, clean. Night, dawn, noon as respective backgrounds.

I spoke to the lady who designed the first two covers (yes, Hopes had a cover before I signed with Crossroad) and told her the concept. Then I told her to make it her own. The only thing that mattered to me was the broader concept.

Covers of previously self-published editions

Picking Their Brains: Matt Gilbert on Cover Design

Continuing the advice topic of book cover design, let's hear from Matt Gilbert, author of the Eye of the Lion Saga...

As a video game programmer, I have a lot of contact with artists. I was able to locate someone by consulting with colleagues, but if you don't have that option, deviantart.com is a great place to look. There are forums where you can post looking for artists to commission, and they have examples of their work online.
 

A huge thing to consider up front is to make sure your artist is the sort of artist you want. Yes, that's right, there are lots of different kinds, and they are better at some things than others. One guy may be a whiz at 3d modeling, another may be jam up at painting and 2d, etc. It pays to understand that. If you are not sure, find a book cover you want yours to resemble and ask your artist if that's his thing. A pro will tell you if it's outside his skillset and recommend you to someone else, or be able to show you a portfolio that backs up his claims.

If you have a vision you want to see realized, words are good, but pictures are better. To get the right look for my Xanthians and Nihlosians, I did a lot of description, a lot of 'this is how they feel', snippets of description from the books. I also did a lot of google image search to say, "Like this guy in this movie, only sort of like this other guy in this other movie."

A good artist will work with you to compose the scene, and get you roughs to approve before real work begins.

Expect at least a few hundred for a good cover. You can keep that low if you allow the artist to use the cover in his portfolio, rather than demanding it be totally exclusive. Also, a lot of artists support indy art (including writing) in general, and will work with you on the price if they know you're an indy, so don't be shy about it.

Picking Their Brains: Book Cover Design

I had a wonderful time interviewing cover designer Jenny Zemanek earlier this month, so the topic I chose for Picking Their Brains is book covers! Indie authors had lots to say about this. I actually have three author spotlights coming up that go into more depth on the topic. Here are a few brief thoughts on cover design to get the ball rolling.

"I used thebookcoverdesigner.com, loads of different artists and prices ranging from cheap to not so! I paid about $35 US for mine tops. My only regret is the font I chose for the covers, but then it’s kind of become my thing. I’m already looking into changing them but it won’t be for several years." —Paul S. Lavender, author of Tales from Ashen Falls

"I’m not published, but I have done mock covers for when I want to post about anything I’m working on such as this one:

I think they give you something to work toward. As for what should go into it, something that feels emblematic of the story to you. If you can also get something that will draw attention and you get folk interested in reading it, then that’s extra motivation too."
 —Drew McVittie, The Scribblings

"I did something similar a while back as a rough up, to see if public domain images in a 'historical' style was feasible with IT skills I haven't used in a decade on some archaic software. It also looked better when running a scriv compile for my phone. Don't rupture anything." —S.D. Howarth, World of Sanctuary

"My first covers were a job lot. £60 for all three. Then I spent some time with paint and put some text on the art and called it done. I'm honestly amazed I sold even 1 copy. They looked awful. They were unprofessional. In the current market everyone would skip right on past. Your book is your child. It's a little bit of you you're pushing out into the world and hoping people will read and like. Why not give it the best chance of success you can? That includes hiring a great artist and a top notch cover designer. It doesn't have to cost thousands, but it should probably be costing you hundreds. Oh, and Shawn King is the best cover designer out there. Hire that man now!" —Rob J. Hayes, author of The Ties That Bind series

Which books would you be most likely to pick up? 

It sounds like a common temptation for indie authors to create their own covers, but it doesn't always work out and can be difficult to create one you're happy with!

More cover design advice coming as we continue exploring this challenging arena...

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Matt Gilbert

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Ulff Lehmann

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Scott Kaelen

Interview: Cover Designer Jenny Zemanek

Today I have the wonderful pleasure of interviewing Jenny Zemanek, award-winning book cover designer from Seedlings Design Studio.


How did you get into book cover design?

I started a book review blog in 2010 as an additional creative outlet to working as a graphic designer. I’ve always been an avid reader and book lover, so the blog gave me the opportunity to not only do something I loved, but also interact with people who shared that same love. Over the course of the six years I ran the blog, self-publishing and indie publishing became increasingly popular, and suddenly a long-shot dream of designing book covers seemed possible.

I started by re-designing the covers of some of my favorite books and began posting them on the blog both for fun and to build a portfolio of work. My very first client saw one of those posts and got in touch to see if I might be interested in designing the cover for her book, and I nearly fell out of my chair in my haste to respond with a very enthusiastic YES! Shortly thereafter, a small publisher ran a cover design contest open to anyone and everyone, and I decided to try my luck. I had the very surreal experience of winning that contest, and was commissioned to work with them on the final design. Winning the contest and the interest of that very first client (thank you Intisar Khanani!) gave me the courage to shift my freelance design business from wedding stationery and corporate branding to full-time cover design, and it’s been one of the very best decisions I’ve ever made.


What's your process like? What can a client expect when working with you?

I start each and every job by sending clients a short artwork form to fill out to give me an idea of what they’re looking for in their cover design. Every client is different – some provide a great deal of very detailed information and have definitive ideas as to what they want, and others have absolutely no idea where to start and look to me for guidance. The form helps both types of clients (and everyone in between) get a few thoughts down on the page to give me a starting point.

After reviewing the form, I put together idea boards. The idea boards consist of raw stock images, rough sketches and existing covers for inspiration grouped together into various design concepts for the client’s review. These boards are meant to get ideas flowing and to give the client a variety of design options to consider before we move on to comps. I always strive to make my process collaborative, and I want my clients to feel comfortable both expressing ideas and providing feedback.

Once a client and I have discussed the concepts presented on the boards and we’re both comfortable with a chosen design direction, I move forward with comps. Since I work in a variety of styles from photographic to illustrated to typographic, the comps can take various forms, but they’re all essentially rough drafts submitted to clients based on their feedback from the boards. I typically then make revisions to the comp of a client’s choosing and move forward with final front cover artwork.


Any favorite genres you prefer to work in and why?

Each genre comes with its own set of challenges and I love getting the chance to push myself to try a variety of new things, but I do have a soft spot for the fantasy genre (YA and adult both). I love the broad scope of visual creativity that accompanies this genre, from vast or unusual worlds to mythological creatures and magic; there are so many opportunities for me to take an idea and just run wild with it.

What do you do to recharge your creative energy?

I of course love to read, but I also really love taking classes. I find nothing inspires me more than learning something new, I get that giddy sense of anticipation and can’t wait to put what I’ve learned into practice.

Right now I’m absolutely obsessed with lettering, and I hope one day to get proficient enough at it that I can create completely custom title work for my book covers. Lettering is a very time-consuming process though, so right now more often than not it just makes more sense to find a gorgeous font and use that as a foundation.

I’m also really focused on illustration at the moment, and am actually going back to school in October, November and December of this year to broaden my skill set in that area. Illustrated covers are my passion, and as with lettering, I hope to be able to create more custom artwork for my clients in the future rather than relying on stock illustrations as the starting point for my design work.


Where have you drawn inspiration from when developing your style?

I’m hugely influenced by the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic, which I think really comes through in my illustrated covers. My illustrations tend to be very stylized and graphic, dominated by more simplistic shapes and bold, flat color. I love bringing in texture to add interest as well, so my illustrated covers usually have a lot of grit accompanying the smooth vector-drawn shapes.


What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t be so afraid to takes risks! I dreamed about working on book covers for years before I finally took the leap and gave myself permission to try something new. It’s so easy to settle into a routine, and it can be hard to justify walking away from a job that’s making money for something with no guarantee.

I’ve taken risks twice now in my design career, first when I left my corporate job to go full-time freelance (yikes!) and then again when I shifted my freelance business from stationery to cover design. There was so much stress both times, so many what-if questions and second-guessing, but I’m humbled every day by my clients. Their enthusiasm for my artwork and their trust in me to give them the best cover I’m capable of creating makes every stress-induced chocolate-eating binge worth it!


For more from Seedlings Design Studio visit:

seedlingsonline.com

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