Covermakers Chat Thread

[TriciaG]

I like that Thoreau cover. Very nice!

[msfry]

Thanks for that lovely cover for The Rookeries of London.
Peter

Glad you like it. I learned a lot researching for that image, and the book is really good. I gave it (and you) a plug on the Librivox Facebook page 4 days ago. You should go check it out and leave a comment.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46088852996

[msfry]

I like that Thoreau cover. Very nice!

Thanks, it was fun to do. There are not actually a lot of original Thoreau images.

[TriciaG]

I like that Thoreau cover. Very nice!

Thanks, it was fun to do. There are not actually a lot of original Thoreau images.

Kinda funny, though - I didn't see the Thoreau image until after I posted this. I was referring to the path and the full silhouette.

[PhyllisV]

I like that Thoreau cover. Very nice!

Thanks, it was fun to do. There are not actually a lot of original Thoreau images.

Michele, I LOVE that cover! Thank you so much.

[msfry]

I like that Thoreau cover. Very nice!

Thanks, it was fun to do. There are not actually a lot of original Thoreau images.

Michele, I LOVE that cover! Thank you so much.

Glad you like it. It was an interesting (and pleasant) listen.
I hadn't read this book since college days. Made me realize how Thoreau I am.

[TriciaG]

From the working thread:

I still don't understand why preclaimed series projects need to show up on the claims board

Series projects are claimed (or pre-claimed) just like any other project. There is no way to mark it to flag it: "Hey! This is part of X series. That series is done by UserX. Put in the automated pre-claim!" If UserX sees a new project started in a series, they may put in the pre-claim. But they may simply miss that there's a new project in the series, miss adding the pre-claim, and then it'll show on the claims list when it's cataloged.

Bottom line: it's not automated; it's all human-done, and like all human activities, is prone to oversight or error.

[msfry]

From the working thread:

I still don't understand why preclaimed series projects need to show up on the claims board

Series projects are claimed (or pre-claimed) just like any other project. There is no way to mark it to flag it: "Hey! This is part of X series. That series is done by UserX. Put in the automated pre-claim!" If UserX sees a new project started in a series, they may put in the pre-claim. But they may simply miss that there's a new project in the series, miss adding the pre-claim, and then it'll show on the claims list when it's cataloged.

Bottom line: it's not automated; it's all human-done, and like all human activities, is prone to oversight or error.

Well, poo.

[annise]

quote from MsFry

The reasoning on this is, I believe, that the same cover is used over and over, with only slight variations, thus little creative effort is required, saving lots of time and freeing everyone up to enjoy creating unique covers.

An interesting point of view. Not that I agree with it, but everyone is entitled to their views.
I regard our covers more as commercial art than self-expression - we are helping to sell the product. So I try to make the 300X300 have the title readable on-screen and relevant if possible - it isn't always. With the magazine series ones I do, I feel people are less likely to "pick them up" on the contents and more likely to say "oh the first issue was OK let's try this one". Using the covers is not always easy - magazine covers can be badly damaged or of those I use an image from the issue have nothing that I can use.

But long live the differences is my motto.

Anne

[msfry]

quote from MsFry

The reasoning on this is, I believe, that the same cover is used over and over, with only slight variations, thus little creative effort is required, saving lots of time and freeing everyone up to enjoy creating unique covers.

An interesting point of view. Not that I agree with it, but everyone is entitled to their views.
I regard our covers more as commercial art than self-expression - we are helping to sell the product. So I try to make the 300X300 have the title readable on-screen and relevant if possible - it isn't always. With the magazine series ones I do, I feel people are less likely to "pick them up" on the contents and more likely to say "oh the first issue was OK let's try this one". Using the covers is not always easy - magazine covers can be badly damaged or of those I use an image from the issue have nothing that I can use.

But long live the differences is my motto.

Anne

If it wasn't you who told me that, I don't know where I picked it up, then. Series covers do tend to look similar in design, and that is efficient so it makes sense. I wouldn't use the words "commercial" or "sell" in regard to LV's output. But I think I know what you mean. We want to "attract" or "entice" or "tempt" people to give our books a try, and hopefully convey something about what each one means. I doubt we're different on that score.

[TriciaG]

Random comment: making my first cover of the new month, I find it very easy (and kinda fun) to type in 2211 as the date code.

[annise]

What I find is that I am so used to putting yymm everywhere that if I am asked the date I tend to say "third November 2211" and I get very strange looks from people who then pat me on the head and say "yes dear"

Anne

[TriciaG]

[msfry]

What I find is that I am so used to putting yymm everywhere that if I am asked the date I tend to say "third November 2211" and I get very strange looks from people who then pat me on the head and say "yes dear"

Anne

What's the date today? November third, 2022. But if I'm naming a monthly newsletter, for example, it's always yy/mm/day, so year after year they are stored in chronological order. That doesn't happen if you follow a mm/yy protocol.

[msfry]

Here is the cover for Lives of the Presidents of the United States in Words of One Syllable:
https://librivox.org/uploads/covers/livesofpresidents_2211.zip

And here is the picture of the White House that I used:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_House_1846.jpg

Not the most colorful cover I'll admit, but I themed the cover to match the picture.

That's a great cover, I think. It stands out and looks authentic to the subject.