I put Playing the Field, one of my earlier books, up as an ebook last month. I needed a new cover and couldn't decide whether to use one that would appeal to boys--because the main character is guy, or one that would appeal to girls--because most of my readers are girls. And, after all, a lot of girls read books with guys as main characters.
Then fellow writer, Robin Brande, suggested I do two covers and see which sells best. Which was a great suggestion and would have been a very interesting cover experiment. The only problem is that Amazon (and I suppose other sites as well) don't let you put up two different covers for the same book.
So, I'm going to ask you all which you like best. Does the boy cover appeal to you even though it's clearly a boy cover, (The guy does have a sort of hot wrist, after all)or would you pass that one by and only buy the girl cover?
And, in case you really do feel like buying a good middle grade comedy, I've just lowered the price to .99 on Amazon and on Smashwords (which lowers it on B&N, right?)so you can also vote by buying one copy or the other.
Here's the link to the girl cover:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/108937
Here's the link to the guy cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-The-Field-ebook/dp/B006HWV3KG/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326779906&sr=1-2
22 comments:
I like the first one - the second one is just a little cheesy for me.
I would totally do the second, Tristi's comments aside :D.
I read almost nothing but YA, and I think it'd sell better. It's cute, and makes the book look fun, and tells me something of what the book's about.
Good luck deciding!
The second one caught my eye.
I like the second one best. It's more colorful and livelier.
The second one feels more contemporary and clearly YA.
The first one would make me think it was about baseball. ;0)
The second on is cute and has a fun feel to it.
I like the second. Plus, the "This book is really funny" quote makes me giggle and want to pick it up even more.
I like the first cover. I think the lying-on-the-grass thing may have been overdone by now. But that's my opinion, and I've always been a bit of a tomboy.
Jolene, doesn't your cover have folks lying on the grass? See! It's already been done! LOL!
I like the second one best...unless there's zero romance, then I'd be a little bummed. The first one looks like it's written about a boy for boys so I wouldn't even pick it up to read the back cover blurb.
I think girls make up a greater percentage of your readers, and I don't think girls would pick up the first cover.
I'd pick up either because your name is on it, but for an unknown author, the second one would catch my eye a lot more. Such a cute couple!
Though if the first one had, for example, a lipstick kiss on the baseball, or a number scrawled across the guy's hand, that'd do it for me, too. Just something to throw off the "this is a baseball book" idea.
Having read it, and most of your other books, I definitely say the first one. As you mentioned, most of your readers are girls, so I wouldn't worry about appealing to them. The book, I think, would be equally liked by boys, so having a more masculine cover would help to draw them in. :)
You all bring out really good points. Curse you Amazon, for not letting me put up both covers!
And I didn't realize laying on the grass was such a popular cover theme, Marsha. Makes me wonder what I'm missing. I should go lay on the grass . . . .
If you're marketing to boys, my son said the first one. In the 2nd one, the "purple" shirt and cheese grin doesn't help (although that might appeal to girls).
Unless the book is strictly about baseball, I'd go for the second cover. It's cute and depicts that it's about relationships (I'm guessing). The first one makes it seem that baseball is the main theme of the book so I wouldn't pick it up for me or my daughter. My son isn't a real baseball fan either.
I like the one where they are lying on the grass because it seems more fun and romantic :-)
The first one, definitely. It's a much stronger cover (and, no, I'm not talking about that manly wrist). For some reason, the "1,000,000 books sold" label shows up better and that's a strong selling point.
CJ Hill/Janette Rallison-you're the same? Knew it! (You did make it kind of obvious.) Which one's your real name? Why won't you let there be followers on your CJ Hill blog? I've been DYING to get the Slayers!
I just bought the guy cover, but only cuz it was on Amazon and it's easier with my Kindle (call me lazy if you want, but I love one-click buying!). I do like the 2nd cover better, but with the awesome seal from the first saying a million copies sold. How's that for a muddled opinion? :)
Cassandra,
My secret identity isn't so secret. I hope my Janette Rallison fans (my real name) also read my CJ Hill stuff. And the blog should let you follow it. Are you using Internet Explorer? I've noticed sometimes the site looks weird on that browser.
So I think the first one fits the story a little bit better, but I think the second one is more eye catching.
I know I'm WAY late commenting on this, but I couldn't resist...I prefer the second one because it has smiling faces and one of them is a girl. (Simple, right?) I haven't read this book, but the blurb says it's funny. To me, the first cover doesn't look funny. To me it looks like a serious baseball book--one of those deep meaning ones where the boy has to throw the pitch of the century to save his dying grandfather from three diseases and the lady next door, who is the same person who held him captive in Viet Nam and who almost married the boy's father, except that she hates kids who play baseball. Anyway, if you want to sell your book as "funny," I'd go with the second cover.
Post a Comment