Book Cover Art
and Creative Friends
Book
cover art is a major selling factor when publishing a book.
Too,
art and photographs can tell a story and serve as story starters or picture
prompts. They can also inspire musicians into writing song lyrics.
Some readers will automatically pick up any book by a favorite author, regardless what the product looks like.
Anyone casually perusing the shelves in a book store is drawn to an unknown author’s book by its title and cover graphics. That leads them to then read the story synopsis on the back cover.
In publishing a book, the face of the product is critical. It doesn’t matter if it be a novel, a short story anthology, poetry, or nonfiction. Book sellers like to see dazzling covers; though not all book art jumps out at you from the shelf but can still incite the imagination.
See my first four book covers and video trailers on My Books. These covers were created by the publisher with suggestions from me.
Here’s one cover where I found the basic image by scouring Internet sites. The stories in Off Center in the Attic are warped and varied. I needed an image that portrayed the craziness.
by
Mary Deal
Humor
and nonsense, flights of fantasy into other realms, fright, disgust and
disappointment, silliness and wonderment, and the sadness of reality and
heartache. It’s all here and more in stories that may leave you a little Off Center in the Attic, conjured through
a mind that may be a little Off Center in
the Attic.
After a twenty-one year hiatus, I began oil painting again with the intention of creating art for the covers of my own books. Though I’m doing very well with my paintings, ironically, I haven’t painted anything that could be used as a cover. Photographs seem to be the chosen medium for book cover art.
In the process of beginning to paint again, and noticing book cover
art all the more, it dawned on me that painting and other art are story prompts.
With a free-flowing imagination, art can be story starters; picture prompts
that lead to stories, and ultimately publishing a book.
Since several of my future books take place in Hawaii. While out on photographing treks, I now keep watch for anything I can use for those book covers.
In my galleries, I have many and varied images from which to choose: landscapes, flowers, artifacts and objects, classic cars and junkers, even food for cookbook art. I have nearly a thousand images in my gallery and that will only increase as time goes by.
Below is a current list of my individual galleries at marydealfineart.com (with some clues for usage of images):
Mary Deal Fine Art
Featured Art
Glass
Orchids (for love and romance)
Hawaii and Pacific Rim Culture (images of musical instruments for writing song lyrics)
Golf (sports)
Carousel Rides and Fairs (children’s books)
Sunrises, Sunsets and Moon (love and romance)
Houses, Doors and Windows (mystery and historicals)
Oil Paintings
Inland Hawaii (travel)
Vehicles of All Ages (car enthusiasts)
The Lower 48 (locations and settings)
Flowers and Exotics
Animals (children, species)
Creatures Big and Small (children, small pets)
Wings (children, birds)
Sea shells and Beachcombing
The Sea and Beachside
Antiques and Vintage (historical novels)
Edible Delights (cook books)
Surprises
Leaves, Trees, Cactus and Seedpods
Signs and Directionals
Greeting Cards
Digital Art
Black,
White and Sepia
Every image on the site can be made into a Greeting card for any occasion. You can add your own messages inside - free of charge.)
NOTE:
Though you see photos in low resolution, any image
in my gallery can be produced from very small to wall-size in high
resolution. If you wish to use any of my images for a book cover, Contact Me directly to purchase the high resolution image and finalize simple details.
____________________
Book
cover art is a specialty field. The picture must, in all cases, relate
to the story being told.
Many facets are involved in publishing a book and book sellers are keen to them all and promote only the best.
To
date, I have been asked several times about using my photos as book
cover art. I am thrilled! If you are interested in any of my photos for
your book cover, please don't hesitate to Contact Me.
Creating a book cover is an art unto itself. It must...
...have eye-appeal
...represent what the story is about, and
...be enticing enough to draw the viewer in and cause them to open the book to find out what's inside.
If you are looking for cover art, please check out my gallery:
Mary Deal Fine Art
For anyone who finds something they wish to use, or simply own, don't hesitate to contact me via the Contact Me page here on Write Any Genre, or from my Gallery.
Have fun with this. There is so much to see. And like my friends did for their books, you too, may find just the right artwork for your book covers.
Speaking of book cover art….
A friend, Simon Seah, is extremely talented and creates some of the most
incredible fantasy book cover art and images for video games too. If interested
in fantasy art, you must see his work. His art will make your book or game
covers POP! Visit him at Fantasy
Art and Portraits.
Last Notes:
Book cover art is critical when publishing a book. Art makes great picture prompts and even story starters. Whatever your desire, art is a major factor in selling books.
