The author says:
A collection of covers including my Mike Delaney thriller series. Do they present a distinctive ‘brand’? Can they live with thousands of other covers vying for attention on Amazon? Do they need redesigning?
Nathan says:
Most of them signal clearly that they’re thrillers (although Bodyswitch is a little shaky), but I wouldn’t say that they indicate a “brand,” either for you as an author or for the Mike Delaney series. (I definitely wouldn’t assume them to be a single series.) Aside from the fonts used (perfectly appropriate for the genre, but not distinctive in any way), the only commonality I can see among them is the prevalence of silhouettes, often distant — and that’s such a common cover concept for thrillers, there’s no way at can act as your specific series branding.
It’s really hard to find a good example of ebook thriller series branding that doesn’t rely on author awareness. Earlier editions of Robert B. Parker’s “Spenser” novels, for example, used a consistent cover design, but it looks dated now (and I don’t think the current editions do a good job of separating the series franchises — you have to look close to tell if it’s a Spencer novel, or a Sunny B. Randall novel, or a Jess Stone novel).
I think a redesign would be a good idea. You should go into it having decided a particular element or motif that you’re going to keep consistent through all of the covers. Maybe it’s a particular ink/blood splotch that will be under the right-hand side of the title. Maybe it’s that every cover will show a partial figure in silhouette (i.e., a figure closer to the “camera” will always be visible only as an arm or hand or shoulder). Those are just the first two I thought of; you should brainstorm some motifs, then think of how they could play into each cover. Some of the covers would only need a moderate revision; others would need a ground-up redo.
Other thoughts?
I agree with Nathan. Other than the choice and placement of the type there is really little visual continuity between the covers. There needs to be some sort of graphic motif that connects them all. This can be handled differently on each cover but overall there needs to be that overarching theme.
For instance, the style of the art could be consistent even if the subject for each cover is different.
https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/246220304612270407/
https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/246220304615066746/
https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/246220304612270408/
The only extensive series I have ever done covers for was for Lois Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga, many of which you can see included here https://spaceart.photoshelter.com/gallery/Lois-McMaster-Bujold-novels/G0000k2Ax6NgOPaw/C0000lZrO0IRzCsc
I went for a very graphic minimalist look, but the principles are the same: although the images are different for each book they are done in the same style.
Bujold’s covers are simply great.
Question: didn’t we look at these previously, or am I hallucinating?
We’ve had a cover or two from this author before, but not a critique of the entire series.
I guess I confused this author with the last author that asked us a similar “branding for the series”-type question. Sorry.
The covers are not bad but I think they all need to be redone because, in my opinion and although the covers do tell me that the novels are thillers, they are too generic.
On the other hand, is the image used in Torn Apart from Adobe Stock or Pixabay? I ask this because I think I have it in my collection and because I have seen it on many covers in Spanish.
Okay, so…nothing I’m about to say here is particularly inspired or brilliant.
I’m not sure that a simple-enough, relatively narrow, taller sans-serif font is enough to brand anything. And if we view these covers, that’s pretty much all the branding that’s fit to print; the name is the brand and the name isn’t even identically reproduced, cover to cover. Yes, it looks similar–but not identically placed or anchored or whatever. There’s no color used that’s the same–I don’t necessarily mean for the title; I mean, for anything. For example, they’re not all shades of B&Red, or blue and yellow, or anything.
Basically, all you have here is the same-named author, using the same font…on different covers. That’s it. Yes, yes, in most of the covers, there’s simply a sihouette of a guy, but…so what? That’s not true in all, either.
So…that’s my problem with it/them. There’s no “there” there. There isn’t any actual branding or color theming or anything. The entirely of the branding lies in the font choice and I don’t think that’s enough to be recognizable. As our esteemed site host said, it’s like a few hundred thousand other suspense/thriller cover designs.
Sorry, wish I had more to give you. Some attention to color-theming might go a long way to help.
I did a blog post once exploring the way DVD spines are branded, with thoughts on how to apply this to book spines.
Here’s the conclusion I reached:
“Hierarchies I see as being the most important things in book/series spine design:
Consistent Typography
Positioning
Packaging expresses genre/flavor/mood of contents
Color
And, for you authors, maybe add in “Publisher’s Logo” in there near the bottom.”
The full article may be of interest to the OP. I know it’s specifically about book spines, but the principles are probably going to apply to covers, too.
https://pixelvaniastudios.com/2018/09/05/a-little-about-branding-book-spines-for-diy-indie-authors/
I found that a very, very useful article–thanks, Danielle! (Not to mention, clearly a woman of taste and distinction, as she agrees that Bruce Campbell was by far the best thing in Burn Notice! Pretty much the only reason I ever watched–before I gave it up.)
I think the covers look like a series because the fonts are similar enough and the tone of the graphics on the covers. I do think they look to stereotypical detective thriller. I like the ones with unique colors like knifes edge and the exterminator. Nice greens and reds in one. The other a nice contrast of blues and a nice sword image. I think your graphics are fine in all. Experiment using different colors combinations. A nice orange tan or green and purple or aqua and orange are big right now. Greens are big. Not liking the neon green, maybe make it have some blues tones in it. Expiremen with colors that are in right now. I think they look like a series. Like the yellow font.