To Have a Black Woman on the Cover or Not. . .

(reposted from another blog)

When I first published Fire Baptized three years ago, I contemplated whether I should have a black woman on the book cover or not.

Such a sad thing to consider when I myself am a black woman.

The first Fire Baptized Book Cover was this:

Notice two important things:

One, I wasn't sure if I would write under a pen name Elle Taylor or just embrace my real name. I was nervous about what my family would say to a book that was filled with cursing, sex, and tons of drug use. 

Two, this is not a cover that MOST of you have ever seen.

Well, I sent this cover out to many bloggers for book review request and a few just out and out told me. . ."This just looks too ghetto for me. Not interested."

I went with a new artist and asked her to give me a beautiful black woman that is not ghetto-looking and appears magical!

This is what I got!

For me, this really didn't capture Lanore. And by this time many black authors were simply emailing me and saying, "Take the black girl off the cover and you'll get a bigger audience."

So I did.

Sales were nice and steady. Many bloggers jumped on my tours and even sought me out to review it.

This is what many publishers and authors wonder when their heroine is ethnic. They battle with if readers are really going to purchase a cover with a black woman on it or not. 

I kept this cover for probably eight months, never really getting rid of the unease in the back of my head.

It whispered to me and said things like, "Sell out!"

So I went to a new artist and just said FUCK IT! Lanore is black and I'm going to embrace it! 

What happened when I put out this new cover? Sales rose! New fans of ALL RACES came out blasting this cover to everyone and snatching the book up.

What did I learn?

I, publishers, and authors really don't know what readers want! Write the damn story. Market it for the story inside and not on the basis of your own preconceived stereotypical reasons.

What's funny is that for The Burning Bush. The biggest battle was getting a freaking black stock model in a gown. My poor artist had to color one in. . .

People were not buying the color-in! They wanted their Black woman!

So I went to another artist and boom. . .

Again, not only did people rave about the book they absolutely drooled over the cover.

There's nothing wrong with putting a black woman on the cover. The point is that the damn cover needs to look captivating regardless of a stupid thing as skin color.

Sadly, there are many of my books released by publishers with black heroines that aren't on my covers. . .

The reasoning could deal with other things of course.

But I'm just saying though. . . don't be scared. . .

New Adult Book Cover Trends

From time to time I like to look at book covers and wonder what image seems to grab book buyers attention. So here's my personal analysis of New Adult book cover trends for August!

These are all books from the New Adult Romance Bestsellers' List.

TATTS

You just going to walk around like that? Yummy!

I would love to see if he's wearing any undies.

This stock model is seen a lot, but I'm not complaining.

What's he so sad about?

It seems one Hot guy is enough to sell a book, and preferably a guy with no shirt on.

 (I know I tend to hit the buy button for a sexy one. DON'T JUDGE ME!)

Dramatically taking off his shirt Hot guy!

Dramatically looking off into the
 distance with no shirt hot guy who
says in an endearing tone, "Why
oh why can I not find any love?"

Looking at me and
creeping me the hell out hot guy.

Looking at me and SO NOT creeping
me out. . .I'm down for whatever is
OFF the Record too, Baby!

 There seems to be some authors and publishers that are starting to branch out with the book covers for New Adult. I'm wondering if it's due to readers not buying the same ole ones anymore or pubs just tired of the same ole thing.

As I did my search for this
blog post, I saw this cover and grabbed it!

This is one of my all time favorites, so glad
to see it back on the bestseller's list!

I heard this series deals with
a girl in an abusive home. I don't
know if I'm reading for this one.

This goes to show that sometimes
it isn't all about the book cover. Sometimes
Readers by the book because it
rocks. And this must rock because the cover
sucks Elephant Balls.

I think this one is captivating.

I actually read this book and
gave it 3 strong stars.

Additionally, I feel like if your name happens to be H.M.Ward. . .then it really doesn't matter what your cover looks like. Check out all of her books that made the New Adult Bestseller's list in August.

I admit that I did enjoy the
series. I stopped at 4 and have been
meaning to catch back up with it.

 

     

That's it ladies and gents! We are done with New Adult Bestsellers' list book covers for August.

What was your favorite cover this month?

Which one sucked ass?

Creating a Book Cover: Flirting with Chaos

I love Book Covers. I have an awesome New Adult Contemporary Romance with coming out Fall 2013. 

Currently, Omnific and I are in the first stages of the publishing process to make sure everything is perfect, which means editing, revising, and more editing. 

But, I LOVE COVERS! So I asked my good friend and talented artist

Jackie Sheats

to make me a Mock Cover for my book Flirting with Chaos and explain her process to us. 

First let me tell you what I asked for....

Flirting with Chaos deals with two mentally unstable rich kids, Rain and Jude. Rain is an artist. Jude is a rising rock star. 

In this book, I played with the idea of how insanity influences artists' creation process as well as how it could impact love. Rorschach signs

come up a lot in the book, as art, theme, and within the plot-line. FYI, the Rorschach test is several inkblots used by psychologists to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning. 

So I asked Jackie to incorporate the Rorschach symbol in the cover. Let's check out her work!

Jackie Explaining Her Process

1. The first thing I do is put my lovely source images onto one canvas. Generally when working on a book cover I use these settings for a new file. 1500x2400px 200dpi.

What do those settings mean? It means about 4 hours in my computer starts freaking out because it's over worked. Unlike myself, I am a well oiled machine!

Those settings for your file are about as big as a cover will ever be requested for upload. I choose to do it the biggest as possible. I do this because bigger is always better.

Also it is easier to go smaller then bigger when it comes to working with photos. The 200 dpi is the resolution which I have found to be perfect to not over work my computer, and it is the perfect medium.

2. With both my images on the same canvas I flick this magic switch that turns the top layer (the man and woman) into a clipping mask. Translated, it will only show where the ink blot is. 

Neat huh? Well it gets better.



3. To make it more believable I use a soft brush to erase the areas in the ink blot that are meant to be white. Also I start to fade the image of the man and woman so you can see the ink blot, and also draws your attention to the center. So basically making your eye do what I want it to, because I have that kind of power.

4. I add the check, play around with some settings. Work even more magic because I am a wizard. Use a soft brush with adjusted settings to fade some black in. Make that white not so white.

5. Finally, I use some layer effects to doll up the text. Throw a stroke in there, a drop shadow, and a little stain. What comes out is brilliant cover, a day spent at my computer, and a very sore back end. 

Don't even think this is easy. This was just one of about 12 different designs I went through. I just make it all look that easy.

Thanks Jackie!
JNSheats.com

She also went through this process a whole lot because I am a crazy author that didn't know what I wanted. We went through several covers before I finally picked one. 

Check out the others!

If you're interested in the release of Flirting with Chaos, go to my website Kenya Wright and sign up to follow by email!!

F*** My Eyes, Then My Mind. April

I've been checking out the Amazon Romance Best Sellers' list, wondering why books get to the top, and even more important, why I buy these books. 

Here's my five things for this month on why particular books. . .possibly hit the list!

Note: I'll be doing this monthly because I'm addicted to covers.


1-Men who don't know how to button their shirts!

#1 on Amazon Best Sellers 

While I have no complaints whatsoever, I wonder. . .do they know how to put their shirts on, or are they simply taunting us?

#2 on Amazon Best Sellers

NOTE: I read "Real." It's pretty good if I must say so myself. 

#59 on Amazon Best Sellers

In all fairness, this seems to be a hooded vest combination. . .granted. . .where and when does one wear something like this? 

Is he considering going to the park for a little sword play, pauses at the coat rack, and thinks, "Hmmm. It looks like it might rain. I'm going to throw on my hooded sleeveless vest. That way, I can get my muscles wet, but keep my hair in tact."

2- Kiss me laying down!

#4

#6

I love how lots of the covers have the models' mouths parted. I'm just hoping their breath is okay so the other model doesn't have to endure rugged halitosis.

#9

Apparently, if you can get two hot models laying down on a bed and kissing, you just might get the attention of readers. 

However, this never happens in my. My husband and I have four kids. We tend to have to sneak around to get kisses and any other delicious moments in.

If my sex life was a book cover, it would be a couple hiding in a closet, desperately trying to put certain things and particular places. 

The title would be, "Hurry the Kids are Watching My Little Pony!"

#41

#45

#80

3- Why wear a shirt when I have muscles to keep me warm?

Hey. . .I won't lie. 

#14

If I see a few well placed abs on a cover, then I may auto buy it. 

#41

#16

I'm not perfect! Don't judge me!











I could do this all day so I only picked a few hunks!

#81

#30

4- Crack isn't Wack after all!

There wasn't a whole lot of yummy bottoms. I'm more mentioning this so that we can see some trending of muscle butts. Let's make it happen people!

#36 This is just enough crack without overwhelming us.

I'm actually not sure if this is a woman's butt or man's or even what is happening in this picture. I don't really even know what this book is about just from looking at it. Perhaps, this is a western.  *shrugs

5- The Anti-Person Movement still goes STRONG!

I would say that for me, Fifty Shades of Grey started the movement. I'm sure I'm either right or wrong, but this is part my blog so. . .I'll just say I'M RIGHT, bitches!

I must say that just like the muscular man on a cover, if I see some weirdly abstract image for an erotic romance, I usually auto-buy.

Why?

Well because it usually means, to me, that this is so freakin hot we can't even put a cover of what it represents, baby!

We're just going to put stuff that doesn't make true sense or have any real connection with the book, in order to signal to you and other sick in the head 50 shades fans that, "Yes! This is for you, crazies!"

OKAY! I'm done for this month!

I just love me some book covers and relish in drooling over the best sellers' list! 

I'll see you all next month. However, what are some of you're absolutely favorite covers right now?