Here’s the new cover for the mass-market paperback edition of Destroyer of Worlds, Kingdom of the Serpent Book Three:
Pretty much the same as the hardback, although the blue is darker, less vibrant. The marketing department felt the more muted tones worked better on the bookshelf. I don’t know if I agree.
In my primitive understanding of marketing, I’d always assumed bright = visible.
I want these books in the US regardless of color…lol
The next three are coming from Pyr in May, June, July!
As a Designer I prefer the more muted colours.
At first glance, it looks like the paper stock has dulled down the tones. A high gloss hard back dust cover will look more vibrant when compared against a cheaper paperback stock.
Remember, never judge a book by its muted cover!
Cheers!
Thanks for the insight, Willie. Always good to hear from someone who knows what they’re talking about! I won’t shout at my publisher’s designers, then…
Muted is to mundane,as full-on is to exciting.The number of times a book cover has clinched the choice for me.Now, the book covers of the seventies were works of art in there own right, and perhaps helped me into bad, but oh so human habits.It`s the shiny,the glitter,the eye grabbers that pull the new “punters”in.Without the cover to the novel “Dune,”I could have missed out on Frank Herbert`s work for years.To be honest,my entire fantasy and sci-fi reading history may have taken on an entirely different shape and structure.The cover of a book is the first kiss,the first tantalising touch of what maybe to come……For me,a picture can,indeed,paint a thousand words……..It`s all in the covers,at least at first.
I have a lot of favourite covers myself. I’m tempted to do a post here about them.
Hey,that would be fun!I wonder if it`s possible to equate the covers to the success of their books on first publication.
Rummaging through my shelves already……
Talking of covers, I do have collections of Inspector Gideon and Inspector West paperbacks published in the 60s in which the scenes depicted are so atmospheric that I was almost hypnotised into buying them. The actual stories within are enhanced, I am sure. I often take them from the shelves and peer at them. I had other books in the series which were published in the 70s and beyond and the art work seemed cheap and uninspired and I had no reason to keep these, even if the story telling were good. Hmm, what am I saying!?