Early look at PSI#1

[lagilman]

Not quite how I originally envisioned it (accuracy? Pfagh), but it gets the feel of the series across nicely, methinks -- still obviously a Cosa Nostradamus book, but equally as obviously not a Retrievers novel... And yep, that's Bonnie on the cover -- I have challenged them to see if we can have her with a different hair color every cover. If the series spins out to more than three books, this could get interesting...

[and no, I don't know why they hid the title down in the corner like that, except that the artwork in the top third is too nice to cover up...]

Comments

[bookuniverse.livejournal.com]

I see your point on the title size, but on the whole this is a GOOD cover in many respects:

1) They have all the text in a readable font...

2) Even in this "thumbnail" size, and with my less-than-perfect vision, I had no trouble reading the title...

3) Though I had to click and enlarge the pic to read it, the cover text includes "BOOK 1 OF [series name]". This means that even store clerks unfamiliar with your work can shelve the series in order, and can see at a glance that "Yes, we have the first book in [series name]". Likewise, potential byuers and readers will be informed. (And the enlarged pic is still less than half the size of a real paperback cover, so this text, too, will be perfectly readable on the actual book.)

One of my Pet Peeves is publishers who seem to think it's un-cool or something to actually reveal series-number info (or even that a book is PART of a SERIES) on their books' covers and title pages. Supposedly, it's "better" from a marketing P.o.V. because if a reader doesn't know they're looking at #2 (or 3 or whatever) of a series, they won't pass up the book due to not having #1. Personally, I think they'll get a "Fool me once, SHAME ON YOU" reaction from readers who'll boycott future books from the series author in question if they feel they were "tricked" into buying the middle book of a series 'cause it looked like a stand-alone.