Hunger Pangs ebook cover and Ragnarok Rising update

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Daniela A. Wolfe

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Hunger Pangs eBook Cover

Well, over the last few days I've been compiling my stories into eBook and making them look all nice and 'perdy', but I ran into a bit of snag when creating the eBook for Hunger Pangs. The images I used as the cover here on BCTS just wouldn't work for an ebook well at least not and look good. The dimensions were wrong and they were too small. I really didn't want to recreate the images so I got to thinking and did a redesign of the cover using the existing images and combined them with a new image to make this:

Edit: I've made some minor changes.

Edit, take two: I've made a third version as per Piper's suggestions and I think I like this third version better.:

Edit, hopefully the last: Made a fourth version using some of the suggestions from the comments. This version has a paler blue background and a new repeating background. As well as a few other tweaks. I tried using the text "D.A.W." in place of my little symbol, but didn't like how it looked. (sorry Little Katie).

Edit, edit, edit, edit, edit: Fifth version. Made some changes based on some changes several people have suggested. I'm kind of split on the yellow border, on the fifth so it may or may not be in the ebook version.

First Version

(click to view full size)

Second Version

(click to view full size)

Third version

(click to view full size)

Fourth version

(click to view full size)

Newest version

(click to view full size)

I'm not really sold on it myself and I was wondering what folks hereabout thought. The actually size will be 612 x 792 pixels, but BCTS does not allow for uploading images that large so I had to shrink it down to 386 x 500.

Anyway on to the other reason for posting the blog...

Ragnarok Rising Update

Well Ragnarok Rising has been coming along slowly, but it is coming along. I have been trying to decide which direction I should take a particular segment of the story. My main concern was making the story too long, but I've decided to go with the original direction because I believe that it is necessary for Brynhilde's character development. At last count the story was at roughly 54600 words and I still have a ways to go.

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Comments

cover

not sure I like it either, and good to hear about ragnarok---been waiting for that one. Getting ready to re-read the others this weekend at werk

Ragnarok Rising rereads

Thanks for the input.

Edit: I've created a second cover image with some subtle differences... I'd sure be appreciative if you told me what you think.

As for my stories glad you enjoyed them enough for a reread. I have epub, mobi and pdf files made up for both Incompatible and Transfigured if you're interested.

Have delightfully devious day,

Cover Advice

Friendly advice, at the very least, you need to do something to make the Title "POP"... Sometimes, simply adding a 1px stroke, or even a background shadow will work. With yours I'd do probably a combination to add some FLAIR because it's very FLAT otherwise.

Maybe add a smal bevel, and a 1px stroke and possibly gradient the colors with the light on bottom, and dark on top to be the opposite of the rest of the background.

But that's all the FREE advice you get :P

-HuGgLeS-
-Piper

"She was like a butterfly, full of color and vibrancy when she chose to open her wings, yet hardly visible when she closed them."
— Geraldine Brooks

Doh!

Yeah, you're right... That's design 101 the title needs to be noticeable. how could I have overlooked that? I actually had a gradient on it at one point, but removed it because I didn't like the way it looked. I generally avoid using bevel, but I'll give your suggestions a whirl and see what I come up with.

Edit: I've gone and made the changes as you suggested them and I like it. Generally, I have a strong dislike for using bevels (don't ask me why I'm just weird), but in this case I think it turned out pretty good.

Have delightfully devious day,

several issues

The font for the title; the color is too close to that of the background. Me, personally, I would use a lighter color, but I do like the font selection of the middle one.

The background, looks a little plain and boring. Would you object to doing a small pattern or fading the color slightly. On the GBTC cover, there is the black and silver background that seems to make the front image jump.

Now this is just preference, but ever think about using your full name. I always liked your graphic, but, I don't know, it looks lacking on a book. I would also move it to the lower right corner.

Those are just suggestions, please don't hate me.

Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)

Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life

Darn you!!!! :P

Me:
Nah, it's all good. Suggestions are welcome. Even if I don't agree with them they make me think. :D

Little Katie:

The font for the title; the color is too close to that of the background. Me, personally, I would use a lighter color, but I do like the font selection of the middle one.

Me:
Even in the third one?

Little Katie:

The background, looks a little plain and boring. Would you object to doing a small pattern or fading the color slightly. On the GBTC cover, there is the black and silver background that seems to make the front image jump.

Me:
I did use several patterns to make the background, but it can't be seen that well in the smaller graphic.

Little Katie:

Now this is just preference, but ever think about using your full name. I always liked your graphic, but, I don't know, it looks lacking on a book. I would also move it to the lower right corner.

DAW is my pseudonym, I prefer folks didn't know my real name that's why I used the symbol rather than an actual name. I'll experiment with putting D.A.W. in its place and moving the symbol into the corner as per your suggestion.

Have delightfully devious day,

The graphic is too dark and too little contrast IMHO

Like watching a TV with a dying picture tube.

We DO all know what a picture tube WAS?

Am I THAT old?

Good luck on the project.

John in Wauwatosa

I know what a picture tube is...

I know what a picture tube is, but I ain't old! :P

Thanks I'll see about lightening it up a bit. I think I may change the background color I think it's too blue.

Have delightfully devious day,

Play up the confusion

It looks good but I think you should maximize the potential for people to confuse your book with Hunger Games and purchase it accidentally, since with an image of a winged thing in a circle, you're halfway there already. Switch your title to white text in a blocky sans serif font.

Just to be clear

Just to be clear, this story is not going to be up for purchase and never will be.

I'm providing the ebook free of charge here on BCTS, fictionmania & tgstorytime for folks who'd rather read it on an ereader.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd rather try and minimize any confusion between my story and Hunger Games... They're very different stories.

Have delightfully devious day,

New new new cover image

Well, I've made a fourth version of the cover image...

Have delightfully devious day,

colors

The title color still gets lost in the background. I would add a yellow outline to the font or a yellow fill to make it pop (Personally I would go with the yellow outline and keep the purple fill). Isn't it amazing how long it takes to do the smallest task. I spent a good portion of today on createspace dealing with the title page for GBTC even though I already had the title art. Now I got to go and take a better picture of me for the back.

Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)

Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life

I'll try that...

I'll think about adding a yellow stroke. I actually had someone message me offering to take a look at my psd and make a few changes. They showed me an image with their first thoughts I like the changes they've made thus far, but I'm unsure if they're done. The wording of the message suggested they may have a few more changes to make so we'll see where that goes.

lol... And I can get pretty obsessive with things like this. It took me an hour just to make the head silhouette because it had to be just perfect. Even after it was made I kept tinkering with it which you may have noticed if you examined each image carefully enough.

Edit, implemented the latest round of changes including Little Katie's yellow border. I'm not entirely sure the yellow border will stay, but I'm going to mull it over a bit.

Have delightfully devious day,