Thursday, September 20, 2012

Another Cover Attempt

So I've continued playing around with the GIMP photo shop program.  I created another cover - keeping in mind some of the constructive criticism I received from the last covers.  Then I posted it on the Kindle Forums to get some feedback.  I thought everyone might poke some holes in it, but I actually got some praise for my work.  Here it is...




People liked the colors, as well as the chopsticks.  However, the white space is being wasted.  Also, the sign is a bit out of place - which I agree.  So where to go from here?

Instead of trying to continue my own design, I may commission another person to do it.  I know, this is going to cost me after all.  The original idea was to do everything myself, and just learn as I go.  I think I have learned the basics of GIMP, but the bottom line is that I'm not a talented graphic designer.  Ultimately, if I create my own cover it could come at the expense of the book's overall appeal.  Plus, I think that perhaps I'm too close to the project and another person's creative mind might complement my work.  We shall see!

Also wanted to throw up another little image I created.  It's the header of my blog, which is currently being revamped.  The image is rounded, but the colors at each corner are colored to blend in with the background.  This was also done using GIMP.




Monday, September 10, 2012

COVER Troubles!

Certain people in life are bestowed with certain gifts.  I'm slowly starting to come around to the fact that cover design may not be one of mine.  I can visualize the cover, but can't seem to graphically express my design.  I've been using the GIMP photo shop program, which has actually been fun to play around with.  I think I'm getting better, but according to the consensus from my last three design attempts, I should keep my day job (which I currently don't have one).

I really thought the shirt design would work.  The title of the book - and people really liked the title - came from a t-shirt I saw in Korea - Happy Time Go Fast.  It's Konglish at its finest.  For those that have never been to Korea - most haven't - Konglish is a Korean/English hybrid which some consider to be a sub-language.  Anyway, the shirt is the impetus behind the book's name.  Hence, I wanted to incorporate it on the cover.

The feedback I got wasn't very positive.  Comments were made...
  • Screams of self publishing
  • Needs to be SIMPLE
  • Typography and fonts are basic no-no's
So where to go from here?  I've made a couple more designs which I'll post shortly.  I've also started reaching out to people that do graphic design work for ebooks.  From my research, the cover is something that should not be taken lightly.  If you're going to spend money on a book project, the cover is a sound investment.  That being said, I'm reticent to pay someone that may not be able to capture my vision.  The bottom line is that even though the cover is a solid investment, I don't have the resources to invest heavily in it.  Perhaps I can't find something worthwhile in the $50 - $100 range.

To be continued... 

Monday, September 3, 2012

The COVER - Judge it!

This is a nonfiction travelogue of my teaching experience in Korea.  The title of the book is called Happy Time Go Fast.  Here are three cover designs.  You can help me decide by voting down below.


1.




2.






3.




Help Me Decide - Pick a cover, any cover!