Hmmm…I don’t think cover is even close to as bad as most covers displayed here. It wouldn’t stop me from buying the book (unlike most of your covers), given that I were interested in the subject and able to stomach the horrific cliche (which I’m not). Not saying I like the cover – too cliche and too devoid of creative/intelligent design for my tastes – but I wouldn’t say it’s that bad.
Incidentally, I would find this site more interesting if it featured more covers like this one – I mean, covers that have some chance of redemption – instead of ones that have fallen beneath the 7th Rung of Cover Hell.
It’s the same principle for critiquing someone’s writing, in my view: really horrible, ungrammatical writing isn’t worth critiquing, but writing where it’s *almost* there can be (though most authors, in my limited experience, react to any criticism by aiming a nuke in your direction).
The really bad covers fall under the Traffic Accident category. They are so bad that you must stare at them as you scroll by, slack jawed as drool hangs from your quenched and gaping maw that forever refuses to close due to the terrible horrors you have witnessed.
The so close covers hit a completely different chord though. They hurt a little bit. They are far more gut wrenching than the trash, because they are so close to being good and you can always see exactly how to fix the problem! We can’t do anything to help the poor things!
I wished more authors showed up on here, well maybe not. Different authors. Not the crazy ones that defend the mad messes of covers (even if it is entertaining) I want the ones like RL Blackhurst to show up (possibly). For them to come here and read the comments subjectively and realize what they could do to make almost covers completely alright.
This cover isn’t going to win any awards for example, but it is so very close to being more professional. Just off the mark by a little. To be passable, albeit still cliche, all you need to do RL is to make the title look like a book title. Take an afternoon, look at good covers, look at the type, then do something like that and you have a completely passable cover that ‘probably’ wouldn’t have shown up here… we have a thing for wolves though, so there is that.
Come on R.L. Blackhurst! You can do it! *cheer*
So… yeah. No nukes if you show up RL! Don’t make me stuff my helpful words back into my parched and cracked maw.
Well, authors could be invited, but most of them would be far more interested in defending their covers than in listening, I’m afraid. But perhaps writers who are, by appearances anyway, mostly sane (such as Blackhurst), might accept such an invitation with good grace. What “sane” author wouldn’t want to know if her/his cover isn’t stifling sales? I know I would if I were sane. š
Lawrence, I believe that’s where Nathan’s other site, CoverCritics, comes in. It gives authors a chance to get some feedback on their covers before they unleash them on the world. That site is completely different in that there is no snark and all the commenters are trying to help out.
![cover[1]](https://lousybookcovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cover130.jpg)
Hmmm…I don’t think cover is even close to as bad as most covers displayed here. It wouldn’t stop me from buying the book (unlike most of your covers), given that I were interested in the subject and able to stomach the horrific cliche (which I’m not). Not saying I like the cover – too cliche and too devoid of creative/intelligent design for my tastes – but I wouldn’t say it’s that bad.
Incidentally, I would find this site more interesting if it featured more covers like this one – I mean, covers that have some chance of redemption – instead of ones that have fallen beneath the 7th Rung of Cover Hell.
It’s the same principle for critiquing someone’s writing, in my view: really horrible, ungrammatical writing isn’t worth critiquing, but writing where it’s *almost* there can be (though most authors, in my limited experience, react to any criticism by aiming a nuke in your direction).
The really bad covers fall under the Traffic Accident category. They are so bad that you must stare at them as you scroll by, slack jawed as drool hangs from your quenched and gaping maw that forever refuses to close due to the terrible horrors you have witnessed.
The so close covers hit a completely different chord though. They hurt a little bit. They are far more gut wrenching than the trash, because they are so close to being good and you can always see exactly how to fix the problem! We can’t do anything to help the poor things!
I wished more authors showed up on here, well maybe not. Different authors. Not the crazy ones that defend the mad messes of covers (even if it is entertaining) I want the ones like RL Blackhurst to show up (possibly). For them to come here and read the comments subjectively and realize what they could do to make almost covers completely alright.
This cover isn’t going to win any awards for example, but it is so very close to being more professional. Just off the mark by a little. To be passable, albeit still cliche, all you need to do RL is to make the title look like a book title. Take an afternoon, look at good covers, look at the type, then do something like that and you have a completely passable cover that ‘probably’ wouldn’t have shown up here… we have a thing for wolves though, so there is that.
Come on R.L. Blackhurst! You can do it! *cheer*
So… yeah. No nukes if you show up RL! Don’t make me stuff my helpful words back into my parched and cracked maw.
Well, authors could be invited, but most of them would be far more interested in defending their covers than in listening, I’m afraid. But perhaps writers who are, by appearances anyway, mostly sane (such as Blackhurst), might accept such an invitation with good grace. What “sane” author wouldn’t want to know if her/his cover isn’t stifling sales? I know I would if I were sane. š
Lawrence, I believe that’s where Nathan’s other site, CoverCritics, comes in. It gives authors a chance to get some feedback on their covers before they unleash them on the world. That site is completely different in that there is no snark and all the commenters are trying to help out.