When I asked you for your help in choosing Musiville’s cover last week, I had no idea you would all be so generous with your feedback. I’m grateful to everyone who voted or commented – thank you! You really are the best 🙂
Image: nelsoncares.ca
Continuing the Musiville cover saga, your feedback made it clear that the idea of a village appealed to you. So, my illustrator friend Dimitris Fousekis offered to work on a second alternative for the “villagey” cover.
Before he goes any further, I promised to ask if this one appeals more to you. Hope you are able to give me some further, much needed feedback on which cover you like best.
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- Option 1: You’ve already seen this
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- Option 2: the new “village” cover
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- Option 3: Come to think of it, Trumpephant rocks
[polldaddy poll=9145568]
Once again, a big thank you and a David Prosser-like bear hug to each and every one of you!
Ok I really couldn’t decide. I polled option 1 because my gut told me that one. But I REALLY like all of them. Number 2 is really cool- I love the art on that one, just something about the text in the green block over the art turned me off of it. Also I still love the simplicity of the 3rd one… so… I voted #1, but only by like a 10% margin!
Ah, interesting point on the colors in #2. Hmm… Thanks for the explanation and the vote 😀
All three covers work! So difficult to choose! I went for the middle one. Something about it that called to me ;D
Ah, good to know. Dimitris will be happy to hear that 😀
I might be in the minority, but I still love Trumpephant (#3). He rocks!
Lol – he has rather fervent supporters, it seems 😀
Difficulter and difficulter. I voted for #2 because I really like the village aspect and the Elvisaurus… but I’m never sure. In hindsight, that monster-like piano character with the big grin won me over after staring at him for some time. I think it depends on the age of the children you want to entertain. Why don’t you print out a few of the cover-candidates and show them to a group of kids of the target age?
That’s a great idea, only I’m not sure where to find said kids. I, too, love Pandiano, but people have pointed out he might be too scary for most kids. Sigh…
Most older kids do like monsters, though. Just think of the three-headed dog in Harry Potter. If it doesn’t cause nightmares, they might actually prefer it to what we think is nice…
Maybe a local school or kindergarten? You could tell the kids how books are made…
You know, I love that thought! Hmm… Let me make a few phone calls. Thanks 🙂
Seems like Trumephant is stomping all over this race. 🙂
Lol – well said 😀
Number Two is my favorite – more color!
A good point!
Voted for The Village, but I do like them all… 🙂
Lol – good to know 😀
I voted for opt 1, but I think I’m still torn between that and #3. 🙂 haha That’s just so helpful of me. You’re welcome.
Lol – good to know you like both 🙂
It’s terribly unhelpful, though, and I LOVE being helpful. haha 🙂
Love Trumpephant!
Lol – he’s certainly a crowd-pleaser!
I think anything that hints that there’s more to the book than one character works.
Hmm… Interesting point. Thanks!
I voted for #1, but also really like #3. This is so hard isn’t it? Ha ha.
Tell me about it *scratches head* 😀
Covers 2 and 3 are nice, but #1 really grabs my attention. However, I really liked Jan Hawke’s suggestion.
I sense more work for Dimitris 😀
Yup!
I vote for #1. It gives a hint of the village – multiple characters anyway, and Trumpy is prominent. He’s so cute!
Lol – second person to call him that. I think I know who next book’s hero will be! 🙂
Hi Nick – art editor’s hat on! Definitely No 2 as you can see the Village… if Elvisaurus isn’t a featured player then why not put Trumpephant in there instead as he’s far and away the most fun! 😉
That would be my instinct for the best of all worlds, as the new village solution makes a great background and Trumpy can be better placed in the foreground and maybe ‘frame’ the Illustrator credit line? 😀
Just for calling him Trumpy, I will suggest it to Dimitris. Hope he doesn’t come after me with his pencils!
I think Trumpephant because it’s the clearest image, esp if it’s on a small scale (say Amazon). It’s also deliciously cute.
He is cute, isn’t he? 😀
I’ll admit that I’m in the Trumpephant camp, but it sounds like more people want a village. I like the second one because it depicts more of a scene than the first. The first one has a slight appearance of being characters simply being put on there. I guess they could be playing music together, but I didn’t get that thought right away. What’s the guy on the new village cover?
Erm… he’s not actually in the story – we just made him up for the cover. An Elvisaurus?
I’m trying not to laugh and wake the wife on that one. For some reason I find it funny that one of the great visual characters isn’t in there. Another book in the future?
Heh heh, yes, it *is* funny. I can imagine people finishing th ebook and wondering, “so, just who was that creature at the cover?” 😀
I have written another half dozen books with the boy from Smile, but none from Musiville at the moment. Hmm…
It’s kind of like when you see a big action seen on the cover of a fantasy book. High chance that it isn’t actually in the story, but not everyone notices that.
Lol – how true!
I would still stick to Option 1, it is simple ,nice and conveys idea of village and multiple characters in story! Didn’t know much about character Trumphephant so as a new reader only him on book cover gives me an idea that he is protagonist of story and all story revolves around him.If that is the real case, I would then go for option 3.
Sadly, Trumpephant is just a bit player in the story. Maraceros is the protagonist. But he’s not as cute 🙁
Like the others above, I am sticking with Trumpephant. That elephant has some loyal supporters!
Best wishes, Pete.
Indeed he does! Thank you, Pete 🙂
Trumpephant rules the world of covers, so number three for me 🙂
Wow! And to think I almost didn’t put him there 🙂
He’d have caused a ruckus until you did
Yep. You don’t want to know how loud that trumpet of his can get.
I’ve seen his trumpementry implement!
The new village cover is nice, but I’m sticking to Trumpehant – he’s just so cute 😀
Lol – hence option #3 😀