I have notice lately, that more authors are adding pictures to their works. I have to admit it seems to work well. Maddy Bell has used them for years and never thought about it. But does it draw people to read the story? Rather then a well choice name or subject?
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sometimes yes sometimes no
Having an image doesn't change whether I read a story. A number of stories are using comic book characters, since I am not familiar the image is helpful to me.
so maybe?
I am not saying that picture changes what you read, just does it influence you to look at a story. Without pictures we use a catchy title. Is that enough?
Yes, Yes and Yes
A single picture sets the stage for story, both in time and its very nature.
Several years ago a single, well crafted picture caused me to read a story I would otherwise not have read. I like the story so much that I not only commented on it, I PMed the author. In time, we started exchanging emails. Eventually we wrote a story together. Now, Persephone and I are all but inseparable.
Now, back to the pictures. Publishers pay good money to artists to create a book cover that will attract people's attention to their book. It does work. In publishing my books on Kindle, I used the same pictures I used when posting here on BC. If you wish to see what I am talking about, look up my books, listed on Amazon Kindle under HW Coyle.
ANy who, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Nancy Cole
a.k.a. HW Coyle
PS; The shameless plug for my books was for a reason. I wished to demonstrate to Blogger how effective a good title page picture can be.
"You may be what you resolve to be."
T.J. Jackson
Drat - you beat me to it
The right picture sets both an expectation and a perception.
The one below was crafted to drive a particular point home.
Persephone
Non sum qualis eram
Ouch got the point.
Very clever as always. Thanks for the example, it gets the point across. lol Sorry for the pun.
Pictures
I used a picture on the first Chapter of "Katia in Afghanistan", that seemed to really set the tone for the story. It has been really frustrating to find Artists that do non naked female warriors. Now I have decided to do my own.
G
The right picture.
It helps to know how everything comes together. That a picture does tell a lot without using any words. Of course it has to be the right picture then.
Not for me.
Except, perhaps on a title page but even that is unnecessary IMO. It's like radio often has much better pictures than television. The Goon Show of my youth couldn't successfully be made as TV - it was just too zany. Yet a TV sitcom often works quite well on radio eg Dad's Army, or Steptoe and Son.
Robi
Maybe
I am not saying to take away the imagination. Yes listening instead of seeing. Reading using your mind to enjoy a story. All of these use your senses. We all agree.
The question is what gets people to pick a story to read? It will be read by you, not read for you like on a radio or even tv show. The question still is does adding a picture add to the possibility to help sell the reader to look closer. Maybe to read the preface or first few paragraphs.
I am a fan of many older radio shows, it can be more fun thinking and enjoy a radio show Rob then some tv shows these days.
You bet it does! = )
Especially if it's an amazon drawn in good taste. ^_^
I have to say it does in my case
Because for a handful of authors, I read their works before it gets posted and then research through online picture archives to find an image that matches the character(s).
And yes, the images attract readers to the initial story. But the staying power for the story is the author's words. A great picture is meaningless if the story isn't done well. And conversely, a great story will not always get the reads it deserves without a good cover art.
So my opinion, is that the story and the art go hand in hand.
Sephrena
interesting
As a reader I like to look at the picture and then see if it matches the story. Sometimes it does sometimes it doesn't. For the most part though I could care less about the picture if the story is good. For example. David Weber's Honor Harrington series most of the book covers don't match the story at all, yet his books are very good to read.
As a writer, abit a terrible one, I like to paint pictures with words. I find it fun to do at times. To me it seems to give the whole scene a real feel to it. I don't do it all the time, mostly because it takes up tons of room in a story.
Brings an interesting point.
Did the David Weber book covers attract your eye, enough to get you to pick up the book?
I am not asking about the story? Its whether a picture attracts more attention than a title. When choosing a story to read. I look for certain authors or a key word in a title that might interest me, usually in a genre I like and a subject that interest me. There is nothing unusual about the way I select a story to read.
But would a picture grab someones attention enough to go out of their comfort area and read something different. I was never a magic reader. I started reading allot of Elbeths and Enemyoffun. It was where I started to realize I got attracted to their story through their pictures. It was their great stories that kept me reading. I was never into magic or a fantasy person, but love the genre now. Their pictures were not the story but attracted me to them. They were only there to attract me. I must believe this or why I am asking you talented authors and fellow readers. Maddy Bell has use so much of her art. That I see Drew/Gaby as their art in the story. I do see how the art can effect me as a reader. It would be awful to now read her stories without the art. It is just wonderful to enjoy reading the magic you writers create. There are so many wonderful stories that let us escape in your world. Unfortunately we do not read some of the gems that get lost
Tels you are an excellent writer. I have enjoyed many of your stories.
In some cases yes there are
In some cases yes there are many stories that I have read only because the art was kickass though I will not pass over something that sounds good just because it has a bad cover art. Though there is also the fact that there are some authors that I read automaticlly the cover art is just a plus.
When competing with other
When competing with other authors, it doesn't hurt to have a little "bling", just as the steamy romance novels have steamy covers to grab potential readers attention (often the covers have nothing to do with the story), so it couldn't hurt. Also, you need to consider, other authors are doing it, so that little bit of extra flash they provide pitching their products may be pulling from your potential audience.
As far as Illustrations in the work, the audience often gets more critical if the images don't match their perceptions of the story, so choosing good artwork is more crucial. I have seen people pull images for the web that kinda sorta match the story line, and it definitively takes away from the work making it feel like the whole thing is a slip shod attempt at a story. I have seen others who have commissioned artists to do work tailored to their story...which doesn't necessarily guarantee that it will work well, that depends on the skill of the artist.
Doing Comics myself, I am partial to illustrated stories, and find even the most seasoned of readers like a break from the black and white of pure text from time to time.