Hi all. Just got the front cover back for our new book test War of the Worlds. Before it goes to print next week, was wondering if anyone wanted to give some feedback.

http://www.blacksmagicshop.com/images/products/war.jpg

James
Black's Magic

Looks great James! Can you give a description on this test? I am still going to be picking up Dracula any day now.

As (fairly) modern high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, the two SR-71s seem a little out of place (especially considering at the time of the story- 1898, the Wright Brothers were just getting started).

I might recommend, at the very least, a couple (~1940) RAF Spitfires to correspond roughly with the classic radio show.

Other than this creative anachronism, the artwork looks excellent.

Michael

Yes you would want to take out the two SR-71s. they are way out of place. P-51 Spitfires would be b a lot better, trust me...

The cover looks too old to be new and at the same time too new to be old.

Hi James,

Welcome back and thanks for your service.

WIll it be similiar to Dracula inside (same method)?

Hope so.

I tend to agree about the aircraft. Unsure if any spectators would notice and if so, should be easy to patter away but if there is time to change it, may consider.

Candini

Yeah, fair enough on the SR71 point. Didn't catch that guys... though, given the recent movie I can understand my artists concept. I will talk to him and see what he thinks in terms of design and how he can adapt the changes. Shouldn't be a problem... and THANKS! This is the VERY reason why I talk to you guys. At the end of the day, this is YOUR product.

Candini: thanks man; great to talk to you again. Been busy... the ol' amry thing has been tough. A lot of stress but hey, I have been able to come up with two new tests. LOL I am back for now at the office and letting my hair down (grow back).

Uses the same memory system BUT not just words: whole words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, and story lines. EASY to do... Way more to this one though!

The Man Who Knew Too Much and War of the Worlds are VERY similar but different story lines obviously. Have a three book test coming out too; it is going to be a set. All-in-all, we should have at least 8 books out total this year. Another 8 planned for next year.

Thanks for the input guys!

James

PS - Looks too new/old... hmmm. Not sure how to fix that one. Ideas?

To my eye this artwork doesn't look like the cover of a real book. At best it looks like the sort of thing you would find on the sleeve of a low price video game.
A novel like War of the Worlds would be better served with a real painting, not a computer created image.
Sorry I can't be more positive, but I think you are doing a real service to the community with the intended content of your work.

Martin: no worries. Grateful for the points. We've looked at 6 covers of this particular book and they range considerably; we'll play with it. At the end of the day, we will get it the best we can based on the technology we have. We've already used similar artistry with another book and it has done fine. It is at BN and Amazon.com right now and those who have it (The S.H.I.T.) have had very possitive results. Most people are not going to worry about if it "looks" like a real book when they are holding a real book in their hands. But again, thanks!

Looks totally plausible to me.

Not wanting to spoil a great effect, one could always replace the cover with an actual WoW book cover couldn't one?

I do agree that the computer design is a bit "off".

If the text is the original book, why not put a similar design as contained on similar real world ungaffed paperback books?

I look forward to seeing the final product.

Mind guy: Thanks man. Curious, have you looked at "[any] similar design[s] as contained on similar real world ungaffed paperback books?" For example, there is one at Amazon by mass marker paperbooks published in 1993, which ours looks similar to. Perhaps some of you guys could take a moment to look at other covers and give feedback on them. If we can find an alternative that would better allow users to, well, use the book then I am happy to make any changes needed. Cheers! JC

PS - You'd have to destroy the book to "replace" the book cover, but it is certainly doable if you can find someone to re-do the perfect binding. We can't do that for obvious copyright issues. But, like I said, we will try to get it as realistic as we can.

I just search amazon for war of the worlds. First one that popped up was "The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (Mass Market Paperback - Feb 1993)" this has almost the same looks and feel of your book. Why not use your idea, but stick with spaceships?

I've got six copies of the same book with different covers that I've replaced myself, no need for any worry, even with the perfect binding there are ways of getting it done; it'd take a bit of work to do it, but it is doable...

Honestly, nobody who you are doing the trick to is going to dicect the cover and think the book is a fake because there are fighter jets on it. If when you are doing the presentation and you draw attention to the cover then maybe yea, but who would do that anyway? It looks great and the presentation should have nothing to do with the book cover.

I agree that particular cover looks unconvincing.
I also disagree that the audience won't notice it, they will.

I don't want to be negative but I think this really needs to be addressed.

Good luck with the project.

James,

It is tough to please everyone. From my perspective (outside of the planes), the cover is very similar to the original recording's cover and versons of the book from the 1940s through the 1960s. The typeface is a little off, but that is not as important as the images.

The question may be more to the point of what you are trying to create in an image. Are you going for a modern focus or an old style focus. Since I am starting to get as old as dirt, I like the older style of the 1930s through the 1960s style science fiction feel to the cover.

BTW, I am enjoying S.H.I.T.,. The cover of that book has been okay (although I think the heads are a little wierdly oriented).

The way I see it is if you are going to go for the old style look you can't use modern photoshop methods to create it because the style of computer generated art is too obvious.