Help Choose an Ebook Cover for this Website

[richdex]

I'm a point and shoot photographer. I keep promising myself that I will learn more about photography. Cover 2 is the one most likely to intrigue me and lead to buying the book.

[Zhollat]

I love the simplicity of the fourth one with the photographer standing... 'Simplicity sells'

[mkiger50]

My first choice is number 1, it is eye catching but not overdone. My 2nd choice would be the 2nd picture of the light going through the lens because it is unique. The rest are average and you can find their style everywhere. The eye has been done before so might be "eye" catching but again a common cover type.

[Anise]

Hi, all...
(waves)

I think that there's a lot to like about all of these covers. But I have to say, I would vote for the first one- or maybe the second one. Part of it is that I think the first one really conveys the message of the text (lots of images coming out of a camera.) But the other thing is... well... I design some book covers for indie authors, and I have a degree in graphic design. An expert I am NOT, but I feel that I do have to give my constructive opinion here. And placing the title all the way up at the top is not a look that I like very much. It's something that was much more commonly seen 20 or 30 years ago in professionally published books, and maybe that's why it just doesn't look that great today (IMHO, of course...)-- it's too dated. I would say that the bottom two designs are the worst offenders in this regard. Take a look on your bookshelf. Pick out the books published in the last few years. You will see very few that squash the title way up at the top.

We'll also often find the author's name placed in that way, but that really only makes sense if the author is quite well known. Now, what we sometimes WILL see is the title beginning at the top if it's a long one, and it's a tricky aesthetic call to make in some ways, but on the whole... I would tend to not really say that's the case here for the most part. The third cover comes close to falling into this category, but I'd say the second one is better from the balance point of view. The fourth, I think, has a very dated font. This is the kind of font that was often seen in the early 1980's, and I don't think we should evoke that feel without a specific reason.

The only thing about #1 is that the direction of the image screen coming out of the camera goes from right to left. That is not the way that we read either text or pictures if we read using a Western alphabet. It's always left to right. Again... take a look at most book covers and virtually all commercials. Motion is from left to right.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd go with #2, or #1 if that directional problem were fixed.. They do all look great, but it's the details that can make or break a cover.

[coffeegirl]

Its photography ebook, so the picture is the main component here, avoid the glass and eyes style, i find most ebook with that style very boring book and felt very technical, i tend to avoid buying book like this or not really interested to take it from shelf

the entry of "#197" is your winner ( silhouette in the rock )

[McQ]

Wow, everyone - this is really helpful! I'm reading every single one of these posts and comments in the poll and am thinking about it carefully...

[terry j]

My personal choice is for number 2. This design draws my eye as it is uncluttered and focuses on the core in the title with the colours entering the lens.

[galacticsleigh]

I like the second image because it is a stunning image and I am intrigued to know how it was made.

[Matt]

I prefer the first. Eye catching, creative, complete in its explicit and implicit messages.

[jamestibbel]

Taking the order of the display my order of preference is 4, 6, 3, 1, 2, 5, 7 and finally 8.
Number 4 is my number one preference overall as it is a great representation. The title and subtitle clearly state what the book is about, the photo is very good and then including a photographer with his tripod setup on the rock was a nice touch. Photo 6 is close second, camera gear, and a nice photo. Photo 3 and 1 again the titles tell it all the and graphics convey that it is photography, camera, digital images but to me not a photographers photo more like from a camera shop.

[JimG]

The 2nd cover all the way for me.

i personally dont like the ones where "photography" is splitted.

as for the 2nd one, it feels different from all the other ebooks i have read. very often, the cover's a photography and not having this is different and refreshing.

Also, speaking for myself, when i started doing photography, the first thing that i really wanted to understand was the mechanic behind the DSLR so this cover would have hit a home run in my case.

[ganeshbrhills]

Hello! I have just joined the group; I like the sixth one above.

[rezamortazavi]

the one with the eye conveys the concept of "understanding the photography"

[pnodrog]

I like the concept of the first one but the high-key and light background photographs in the stream need replacing with slightly darker images. The leading humming bird followed by the red wheel are fine but the top row starting with the banana apple image needs amending.

[bluedog]

I like the photo on the fourth one the best but the white text on black is too much. How about instead of the straight black you use a B&W abstract image?

[Leendert]

My choice is #1

[hdarbandi]

The second one is unique. It implicitly emphasizes on the technical issues a photographer needs to know, and it is intriguing.
The other samples are similar to the cover pages that you can find in book stores or online.

[allanthered]

I believe that all photographers are to some degree lost souls standing on a rock looking out to sea searching for that perfect shot. That it may be forbidden place who cares. It is the essence of what we are and what we do. So I also vote for cover 4. That said all the covers are good.

[tonydelaru]

Image Number 1 captures the ethos of photography, but the images would be improved with less clutter and coming out of the camera rather than going in

[rayallen]

My choice would be #4 because it is good single image that shows what can be achieved in a low light situation -something which a beginner may not have thought possible.
But I do prefer landscape photography so I could be a little biased.