Dejavu book covers

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed January 29th, 2014, 4:02 pm

[quote=""LadyB""]Here it is again:

[/quote]

Same dress?

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Wed January 29th, 2014, 6:47 pm

Looks like it. Uh... why is there a random necklace floating in the sky?

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed January 29th, 2014, 6:54 pm

[quote=""Nefret""]Looks like it. Uh... why is there a random necklace floating in the sky?[/quote]

I have no idea, probably something to do with the story? From looking at the book at Goodreads, the author has changed covers several times, and maybe even the title.

Mythica · Post by **Mythica** » Wed January 29th, 2014, 7:20 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Same dress?

[/quote]

Could be - although the pattern looks busier on the second one and it's missing some ruffles in the center of the chest, it could have been digitally altered.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed January 29th, 2014, 7:35 pm

[quote=""Mythica""]Could be - although the pattern looks busier on the second one and it's missing some ruffles in the center of the chest, it could have been digitally altered.[/quote]

I was wondering about that too. A couple of other images of the dress.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Mon February 3rd, 2014, 5:41 am

I just never will like photographs as covers on historicals.

Me neither, though in theory there shouldn't be anything wrong with them if the models are dressed and coifed right for the period (and not wearing obvious make-up). After all, I like well done historical movies featuring live actors on film. But there are so many wonderful period artworks to choose from, and one can't expect the staged photographs to be as artistically excellent as Titians and Rembrandts and Whistlers et al.

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Mon February 3rd, 2014, 8:03 am

I do prefer paintings as book covers.

Mythica · Post by **Mythica** » Mon February 3rd, 2014, 5:46 pm

I think it can be difficult to make a photoshoot look like a genuinely historical scene and not something staged and tacky but that doesn't mean it's not possible, it just has to be professionally done. Both the photographer and the graphic designer need to know what they are doing. Meanwhile, sometimes using historical artwork can make it look amateurish in my opinion because too many people use historical artwork available in the public domain as covers for self published or public domain books, because it's cheap/free. A good graphic designer can make it look professional though - so the underlying message here is whether you use a photo or painting, get a good graphic designer.

DianeL · Post by **DianeL** » Tue February 4th, 2014, 1:03 am

Surely it can be done, and I admit my prejudice is irrelevant to good (and/or successful) cover design. For me, if I see a movie, I've entered into an agreement to put up with whatever casting and production design a director chooses - but I don't agree to casting and production design when I am reading. Photography impinges upon my mental and intellectual world-building, which is far more important to me in the experience of reading than simply watching a film.

It doesn't help that I cannot recall ever seeing it done well. Honestly, based on most of the covers we show here, I haven't even seen it done in a way that wasn't irritatingly distracting - all the overly "broken down doll" modeling poses which are wildly out of place - all the pneumatic, plastic models - all the anachronistic costuming choices and so on ...

Most of the cover photography I see (and, again, this thread exemplifies this) seems NOT to be done for a specific novel. It's some pretty model, a period or vaguely period dress, several rolls of film, and sell it all to a stock image company. Too many images seem chosen out of a catalogue, not designed specifically for one work. As we can see, it all becomes plug-and-play - and, after a while, it all looks seen-this-before.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Tue February 4th, 2014, 11:11 am

Well said Diane. Love the imagery, especially the 'broken down doll'. I think historical fiction geared at men fares better.