Comments | tree_lady: Three trial covers for my forthcoming collection, Tree House Tales

tree_lady

Three trial covers for my forthcoming collection, Tree House Tales

Sep 13, 2013 13:17

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Comments 15

anonymous December 20 2013, 20:52:58 UTC

Looking at the small version, which is the one that will appear in lists, my only suggestion is to make the text more legible. Maybe by adding a white drop-shadow of some sort. I usually do mine with no offset so it appears all around each letter, and duplicate the layer until the effect is strong enough.

tree_lady December 20 2013, 20:59:14 UTC

Thanks muchly! I loved the current font so much I never thought about it being unreadable.
I mean, duh, when I worked on the graphic for the cover, the letters were HUGE!
SherryT

Font thoughts anonymous December 21 2013, 05:05:20 UTC

My thought on the drop shadow, or outlining, is to do it if it matches the feel of your stories. Like it might for an old space opera, pulp book, like Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon. But as a warning, some people consider such font styling the sign of an amature.

The more "professional" way to make it pop is using contrasting colors to the background. In this case, a soft but still vibrant yellow could work well. A version of orange could be good too. Experiment to see what contrasts well and stands out. As it is, the words all blend in with the photos, making it hard to read.

R. L. Copple
rlcopple@gmail.com

Re: Font thoughts tree_lady December 21 2013, 21:20:16 UTC

Drop shadows and outlining letters probably won't happen. Tree House Tales has a -wide- variety of stories. Only one of them (Gajit’s Research Expedition), bears any resemblance to space opera and only while holding your head at an extreme angle and squinting with one eye while reading.

Everyone who commented advised a much stronger contrast between the lettering and background at the top and bottom.

Kristen Stieffel suggested a much bolder font she found at Font Squirrel.
You may be able to look at it here if this URL will works. http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/bubblegum-sans

Thanks for the suggestions! SherryT

cover story anonymous December 21 2013, 14:16:45 UTC

I love the tree cover, and I would hate to see it go. Idid like the text title page and the font is quite lovely.

Re: cover story tree_lady December 21 2013, 21:39:58 UTC

Thank you! I love that tree too--ever since I saw it in Lewes DE years ago & took several pictures of it. I'm goofy over trees! I walk around them marvelingin at the variations in bark and the half-hidden roots. However, I spend most of my time standing close to the trunk looking straight up watching leaves shift letting in little glimmers of sunlight.

My close examination of a huge and ancient copper beech became the basis for Earthbow's mythic Raril Tree.

Anyway,the book cover art and its title seem a natural fit to me.

A while back though, someone mentioned that they were disappointed when they couldn't find the tree house on the cover. I answered, Well, you're sitting -inside- the tree house listening to friends tell stories. A border of wooden boards at top and bottom might get that idea across-or not. But then we're back to a cover just as "busy" as the current one. And back to obscuring author & title.

Yes, I know. "Obscure author" fits. Maybe this collection will help un-obscure me.
SherryT

Re: cover story tree_lady December 21 2013, 21:43:45 UTC

Oh, thanks for your praise of the text on the title page! At least it will be readable there. ;-D

anonymous December 22 2013, 07:21:52 UTC

The second version is much better! Something's just not sitting right with the title though - how about trying "Tree House" on one line together, and "Tales" underneath, with both lines centered horizontally and vertically within the top wood panel?

Thanks! tree_lady December 23 2013, 06:22:02 UTC

I liked your suggestion so much we now have a -third- book cover contestant! I assume you'll vote for it?
(This is fun!)
SherryT

Re: Thanks! anonymous December 24 2013, 00:45:53 UTC

Love it! Awesome job. I think this is great in terms of balance and legibility :)

Re: Thanks! tree_lady December 24 2013, 01:42:39 UTC

Thanks for your efforts to improve both balance and legibility!
I'm thinking that we won't need a version 4. ;-D
SherryT

dressagegrrrl December 22 2013, 11:04:06 UTC

Are we remarking on our preference between the first and second cover? Because I definitely prefer the first cover. I feel like the lettering stands out better, and I prefer the font. The font on the second one is a little too curlycue for a cover, I think, but that's just my personal preference.

Hi, Sherry! How's it going?

tree_lady December 23 2013, 06:14:10 UTC

Hi! Long time no ( ... )