I’ve seen multi-horned goats, or at least their pictures. They do exist.
You’d think that, if a unicorn goat is so important to the story that it demands a place on the cover, the author might try to find an actual picture of one. Instead of badly photoshopping in a gazelle’s horn.
Amazon imposes the “copyrighted material” tags on the images of print book covers on their site. Why only on print covers, and not on ebook covers, I don’t know.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s because ebook covers aren’t copyrighted. I guess they don’t think it’s important to copyright something they aren’t going to print.
Wouldn’t matter; US copyright law gives it common-law copyright status the moment it’s created. Maybe they’re just being lazy about putting it on ebook covers.
Well, that’s true. But as far as I know, copyright notices usually appear only on things that are oficially registered. Amazon probably wouldn’t bother registering ebooks, while they must register something that’s going to be printed.
Also, printed self-published books on Amazon are from CreateSpace, while ebook-only ones are from Kindle Direct Publishing. If those aren’t run by the same group of people — even though it’s all Amazon anyway –, that explains why they treat their covers differently.
Actually, copyright notices are not indicative of registration. (And it’s not just the self-published CreateSpace print books that Amazon puts the copyright notice on.)
I know that. What I meant is that no one would bother putting a copyright notice on something that’s not registered.
So that’s probably what happens: Ebook-only covers are not registered (at least, not by Amazon itself), and that’s why they don’t put the copyright notice on them.
I repeat: There’s no correlation between registration of copyright and use of copyright notice. Frankly, I just think they do it so other authors won’t steal the graphic for their OWN covers.
Catie
10 years ago
If it was only the goat on the cover, I might consider reading it (right until I read the boring blurb), but that old hag creeps me out. Who ever thought that her image on the cover is going to be appealing to the readers? Just because you have a crazy old woman in your book doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to stick her on the cover.
Jen
10 years ago
I’ve just revisited this cover and all I can
say is this…If that was my grandma I’d
run far and fast.
I’ve never seen a unicorn goat before.
It’s technically a tricorn.
I’ve seen multi-horned goats, or at least their pictures. They do exist.
You’d think that, if a unicorn goat is so important to the story that it demands a place on the cover, the author might try to find an actual picture of one. Instead of badly photoshopping in a gazelle’s horn.
Is that Uncle Si on the right?
Goat gravy. Yum.
Not.
Can someone clarify for me – did this cover come with ‘copyrighted material’ printed on it already?
Twice?
Amazon imposes the “copyrighted material” tags on the images of print book covers on their site. Why only on print covers, and not on ebook covers, I don’t know.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s because ebook covers aren’t copyrighted. I guess they don’t think it’s important to copyright something they aren’t going to print.
Wouldn’t matter; US copyright law gives it common-law copyright status the moment it’s created. Maybe they’re just being lazy about putting it on ebook covers.
Aha, thanks for clarifying that. Double redundant tautologies away!
Well, that’s true. But as far as I know, copyright notices usually appear only on things that are oficially registered. Amazon probably wouldn’t bother registering ebooks, while they must register something that’s going to be printed.
Also, printed self-published books on Amazon are from CreateSpace, while ebook-only ones are from Kindle Direct Publishing. If those aren’t run by the same group of people — even though it’s all Amazon anyway –, that explains why they treat their covers differently.
Actually, copyright notices are not indicative of registration. (And it’s not just the self-published CreateSpace print books that Amazon puts the copyright notice on.)
I know that. What I meant is that no one would bother putting a copyright notice on something that’s not registered.
So that’s probably what happens: Ebook-only covers are not registered (at least, not by Amazon itself), and that’s why they don’t put the copyright notice on them.
I repeat: There’s no correlation between registration of copyright and use of copyright notice. Frankly, I just think they do it so other authors won’t steal the graphic for their OWN covers.
If it was only the goat on the cover, I might consider reading it (right until I read the boring blurb), but that old hag creeps me out. Who ever thought that her image on the cover is going to be appealing to the readers? Just because you have a crazy old woman in your book doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to stick her on the cover.
I’ve just revisited this cover and all I can
say is this…If that was my grandma I’d
run far and fast.
This is not going to end well for the goat.