Team Kornetsky Update: the cover for FIXED is here!

[lagilman]

http://www.lauraannegilman.net/team-kornetsky-update-the-cover-for-fixed-is-here/

Since Amazon got the jump on me, without too much further ado, the cover for FIXED, the second Gin & Tonic mystery....

When someone from the local animal shelter approaches her about finding  grant funds that have gone missing, Ginny Mallard convinces her bartender friend Teddy Tonica to help her investigate once again.

They soon discover that something is disturbing the animals at the shelter at night...and then a dead body shows up.

With the help of Ginny’s Shar-Pei puppy  and Tonica’s tabby cat, this unconventional crime-solving team has to figure out what’s going on before the shelter - and more people - lose everything....

on-sale October 2013.

Available for pre-order NOW

Amazon

B&N

Find FIXED At Your Local Independent BookStore

Some of you may have noticed a change from the first cover:

Basically, editorial and sales listened to the feedback they were getting (yeah, I know, crazy but it DOES happen) and said "yeah, you're right, these books aren't cute, they've got more of an edge, and we're sorry about that Portland/Seattle screw-up in the copy of the first book, so.... we think this fits the series better."  And I quite agree.  :-)

(I still have my gripes, of course, because we mystery folk are perfectionist on the details. Who can identify what's itching me about this otherwise lovely cover?)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Goodness, that's... yellow. But also very eye-catching.

[lagilman]

Interestingly, I focused more on the dark of the alley than the gold of the text or the yellow of the sky..... we'll have to see how the colors come out on the actual cover, of course, but I think it catches the attention with contrast rather than being glaringly bright, myself.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

You're probably right: I have a high setting for seeing yellow, as it's a colour I associate with being too hot.

[divanoir.livejournal.com]

The slight halo around the outline of the dog? The scale of the animals based in comparison to the alley?

[lagilman]

The scale makes me twitch a little, but I understood the effect they were going for, and if they weren't oversized, they wouldn't *pop* off the cover enough. Didn't notice the halo, honestly.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

The sun's in the North. There's no freaking way you could get that angle of sunlight coming from that direction. Granted, I live in Portland, not Seattle, but....the light should be more blue than yellow, and that angle just seems wrong.

[lagilman]

Nope, that wasn't what bothered me either (although I'll pass that along to the art department. You want me to include your contact info with that? *g*)

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but nah, I'm sure they can check with locals like Janna!

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

Me? Heh. Happy to consult.

I like the cover a lot. Honestly, I think it's better than the first one and gives a much more accurate impression of the feeling of the first one. I'm going to assume the feeling of the second is similar. I do see a shadow in the background that looks a little like a tiny Godzilla, though....

[damiana-swan.livejournal.com]

Actually, the sun is probably okay, if that photo was taken where I think it was. (That is, from Gasworks Park area, facing south--that's a sunrise, not a sunset.)

The two problems I see are that (1) it's not raining (which, granted, is only a problem if the book is set between September and June), and (2) the tag on the dog's collar is just sort of stuck on, and doesn't actually look like it's dangling. In fact, the entire collar looks painted on. Yes, the cat shouldn't have a collar at all, but at least it sort of looks like a real collar.

Oh, and the alley is too clean, and probably not paved correctly. And yes, the scale is kinda painful, especially when you look at the areas just to the left and the right of the critters.

(I'm trying to learn how to make book covers, so I'm trying to train myself to notice these things. The font is perfect, and the cover design itself looks great.)

Next time you come to Seattle, we should take a wander around with my camera, and take some reference photos for future covers!

[damiana-swan.livejournal.com]

Also--congratulations!!! I'm looking forward to reading it. :-D

[lagilman]

Erm, you know that a level of realism like you describe would make a crowded, unappealing cover, right? If you're learning how to make covers, then the first thing to remember is that it's not art, it's marketing.

*miniature lecture-and-question mode*

The animals are off-scale and the skyline isn't 100% accurate because the idea is to give an impression of what the book's about (animals! Seattle! Something's Happening!) not accurately portray a scene...

A cover filled with trash, or with detailed paving, etc, would distract form the SALES aspect of the cover, which is 99.9% its only importance. Likewise, how would you show rain without it obscuring the visuals or being a distraction from the message? And how would it add anything to the sell?

The collars on the animals are are actually obviously added - check the colors, how they 'pop' differently. They did this on the first cover, and carried it over as a bit of continuity.

[janetl.livejournal.com]

I like it. It should be noted that I've been known to buy a book just because it had the Space Needle on it. Fortunately, that book was Jim Lynch's "Truth Like the Sun".

The cat shouldn't have collar, as he belongs to himself.

[lagilman]

She. And bingo. :-)

[neko-san.livejournal.com]

Ah, Janetl beat me to it. I had the same gripe about the first book cover. :)

[lagilman]

And so id I. But I seem to be stuck with it now.