Monday, April 1, 2013

Kindar's Cure Cover Reveal Contest!

YAY!

The day is finally here! This is a contest so you guys can let me know which cover you like the best. And yes, there is a prize, but more on that later. Your vote and opinion matter. I want to hear if you think anything needs tweaked or if you have a clear favorite. Put your pick in the comments. The cover with the most votes wins!
.  
I want to say a special thanks to Ken Tupper at Divertir Publishing for really taking my wishes into account and suggesting this contest. He went out of his way to include Kindar’s sword in the cover and made the image match the description, right down to the blue tint of the blade. After all, a princess is nothing without her sword.

Here is a blurb about the story to help with your decision:

Princess Kindar of Anost dreams of playing the hero and succeeding to her mother’s throne. But dreams are for fools. Reality involves two healthy sisters and a wasting disease of suffocating cough that’s killing her by inches. When her elder sister is murdered, the blame falls on Kindar, putting her head on the chopping block.

No one who survives eighteen years of choke lung lacks determination. A novice wizard, Maladonis Bin, approaches with a vision—a cure in a barren land of volcanic fumes. As choices go, a charming bootlicker that trips over his own feet isn’t the best option, but beggars can’t be choosers. Kindar escapes with Mal and several longtime attendants only to have her eyes opened that her country faces dark times. 

Her mother’s decision to close the prosperous mines spurs poverty and joblessness, inciting rebellion and opening Anost to foreign invasion. As Mal urges her toward a cure that will prove his visions, suddenly, an ally turns traitor, delivering Kindar to a rebel army, who have their own plans for a sickly princess.

With the killer poised to strike again, the rebels bearing down, and the country falling apart, she must weigh her personal hunt for a cure against saving her people.

Originally, the cover contest was supposed to be a choice of three different cover pictures, but one picture just stood out above the rest. After looking at literally hundreds of photos, one image just fit my story. The model was Kindar and it also fit the mood I wanted to create. Though I gave Ken five possibilities, he insisted we go with the picture I really loved, giving a few adjustments to the basic design.

So here are the choices in both large and small size: 

1. The original cover art without changes.








































2. With Line Art outlining the picture to make the small version stand out more.




3. Green fringe to help the title stand out.




4. With white fringe for the same reason.



Now for the prize! I’ll mail an autographed copy of Kindar’s Cure to the winner. You must live in the US or Canada and leave a vote in the comments, plus your email address in the rafflecopter. The prize will arrive around May 1st or as soon as I get my hands on the first copies!

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!







a Rafflecopter giveaway

34 comments:

  1. I like number 4 the best. The title and author's name stand out, even in the thumbnail version, and I think that's important.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such a tough choice. I like the white the best, then it's a toss up between 1&2. I like how vibrant the colors are in the background on two, but it makes the model look unnatural on close up. So, I'd go with one for that reason unless you can only outline the background, leaving the model alone. Then merge it with the white fringe.

    I chose 4. They're all beautiful though, and you found the perfect model for Kindar. She's exactly how I pictured her. I can't wait to get my copy. Hoping I win the autographed copy, of course. So excited for you. Many congrats.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No not 4! Go with 3! I love how the background color blends into the trees. The silver background is too... alien for me. Maybe go with yellow if you don't like the green :D make it very harmonious in terms of color.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Woot! Cover day!

    #1 & #2 really swallow the title/author in the smaller versions, and I don't like the color combination in #3, so #4 is my choice.

    I'd put a really subtle 2-3 pixel shadowing around the letters to help set them off, and use a tighter shot of the girl/horse to improve instant recognition in the small version. Maybe even blur out the forest since its clarity is just excess visual detail. Critical elements here are girl (narrative focus/audience), horse (journey/quest), sword (adventure), and of course, title and author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is my opinion (coming from a design perspective, having done t-shirts for bands, many posters, CD covers, professional marketing/advertising materials, and other assorted graphic design): I think the last one does the best job of framing the photograph, however, the gradient lends a sense of amateurism that I think could be avoided by framing the picture in a similar manner to a solid matte placed over a physical photograph. Simply remove the gradient (leaving the solid color overlay) and add a hard edge framing the picture. In addition, the stroke (black lines) around the title and author name is rather thick for my tastes. I find a more subtle approach is best for strokes (especially considering the detailed nature of the sword graphic included in the title). I would steer clear of the black filter on photo in the other sample, since that screams "amateur". I hope I don't offend in any way the person who designed this, as I simply hope to help you have the best cover possible as a fellow writer and Twitter friend. :) If you want to discuss it further, I'm available at trevorjacobgreen@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oooh, this is so exciting! What a beautiful picture!

    Hmmm, tough choice - I like overall look of #1 the best I think, but the text and the sword disappear completely against the background in the small pic, so unless they change the font color, I wouldn't go with that one. #4 is my second choice, but I agree with Trevor to get rid of the gradient where the white meets the pic and just go solid like a frame.

    Good luck! Hooray!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been having a problem finding a font color that stands out with that background, which was the reason for trying the faded images. Too dark a color (black and maroon, for example) get's lost in the trees, while too light a color (white or light grey) is too washed out in the area of the sky. The outline and lighter text were the best way to get the text to stand out given the image (which Michelle really wanted). I do agree framing the image (instead of the fade) might be an option, and think her name should be larger.

      Ken
      Publisher
      Divertir Publishing

      Delete
  7. I'd select #4, as the bluish-gray haze makes the cover appear more Fantastical, and to me, it's very appealing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is a toss up between #2 & #4. I love how vibrant the colors are in #2, but I think your name & the title are lost (especially in the smaller print). I wonder if you could make the font larger & maybe the color more of a bright yellow. But, I do love how your name & title pop in #4 and how the blue looks like sky behind the tops of the trees. So, with that being said, #4 is my final choice. I'm so proud of you Michelle!! Congrats!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Number four is the easiest to read, but I really love number two the best.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The swords seems essential to denoting the genre as Fantasy and it does not really stand out in either of the first two options. I am not crazy about the fade on the white because the woman on the horse is wearing white. There is just too much going on there... you can't have your background color also be your highlight color. The green is better because you can the title/name are readable and the woman in the photo really stands out.

    Good luck and congrats.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm most drawn to #4. It gives it more of the Fantasy feeling, does a better job showing her sword and the title is easier to read.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My vote goes to #4. It makes the title pop more and gives a dreamier look to the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like number 4 and 2 the best, with number 4 probably winning, as I think the white makes everything else pop better.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My vote is for #4, also. I can't wait for Kindar's release!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Michelle,
    I think the original photo needs a bit of editing. Limit the color pallet a bit, separate the girl from the background more so that she pops. Possibly a little shadow on the letters, slight bevel and emboss. I'd possibly use some burning and or selective colors/ levels on the edges of the book, more of a vignette less of a white border.

    I'd love to give it a shot myself. I think you still have my email address, I can come up with another comparison for people to vote on this evening, if you like...

    ReplyDelete
  16. I guess I'm weird. I like the original art. I have no visual skills, so have no way of explaining why. Congratulations and good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Number 3, without a doubt.

    The green fade helps the title and sword really pop without disturbing the continuity, and the pic is still easily identified. (I didn't think it needed outlining anyway.)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I like #2 & #4 best. 2 is my favourite, except for the fact that your name is really hard to read. I'd like to see that stand out more. If not, 4 is a good back up - although they're all nice! :) Good luck with it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I really like #3. The green looks better than the white and still makes the title pop

    ReplyDelete
  20. I like number 2, personally. The colors really pop, especially on a small screen (I first saw it with my phone).

    ReplyDelete
  21. I like number 4. The titles are harder to read in thumbnail size on the other versions.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm kind of torn between #1 and #4. I think I like #4 the best simply because the title and text is so easy to read and the white/silver around the edge really goes with the model's dress. It kind of makes it pop. Plus, the lighter color allows the sword to be a bit more visible, too. Just my two cents. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I vote for #3 and #4, but my favorite is 4 b/c the white color is carried out in the character's dress and it gives it an ethereal feel to the cover which is perfect for your genre.

    Great cover and congratulations my friend! So happy this day has finally come for you. Wishing you love and great success!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm all about the 4, for all the reasons stated here.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Number 4 is easier on the eyes, makes the text stand out better, and the frame around the art brings it out more. And the coloring looks better together. Love the green, yellow, and faded white combination.

    ReplyDelete
  26. How exciting for you Michelle. Well done. I thought I'd drop by and have a quick look at your cover. I personally prefer #3, but knowing I live outside the US/Canada, it makes me ineligible. Ah well.

    ReplyDelete
  27. #4. So proud of u, sis. I expect an autographed copy even I don't win the contest.

    ReplyDelete
  28. OMG, Congrats!!! So excited for you! I definitely like 4 the best. It makes everything pop. I can't wait to get my copy, and since I'm already getting one - BFF privileges! :P - I'm not going to deprive a lucky entry of their copy. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  29. To be honest, the first one is the best. The colors aren't overly bright like #2 and I just don't like the color blocking around the title. It looks cheesy. I think the cleanest and most eye catching (in a good way) is #1.

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is so fantastic!

    Four! "Pick four my lord!"

    ReplyDelete
  31. My vote is for cover #4. Congratulations on the upcoming release!!!

    ReplyDelete