Novel Covers? Let's Share Our Thoughts

[sydneyrobbin]

Hey everyone. I'm wondering, where do you guys get your covers?

Just use this thread to discuss whatever thoughts you have on the covers on Tapas. I know a lot are very comic-style covers. What are you takes on that?

I'm here, new from Wattpad, and I want to make covers more suitable for Tapas. I don't think I'm doing a great job so far. Any advice, ideas, thoughts, etc. would be much appreciated.

Let's just use this thread to discuss novel covers (and maybe banners as well) on Tapas.

[yansusu]

I don't mind the comic style as long as it fits the novel.
My biggest problem is that the thumbnails are still being mixed up in the app very often (as in the thumbnail of my novel #1 would be shown as the thumbnail of novel #2 or I'm even being shown the thumbnail of a different novel that wasn't even written by me). Since lots of people judge by cover that's a real nuisance. If they saw my thumbnail on another novel, they wouldn't even know where to look for the corresponding novel if I don't include the title (so I do) but that does destroy the thumbnail a bit since they're just way too tiny to include longer titles.
Banners are better but it's not like they're being shown on the app anyway so that's exclusively for the website that most of the readers probably don't even use. It's a little tricky *sigh*

[joannekwan]

Yeah, covers are nice for when you want to print, or for other sites like RoyalRoad, but here on Tapas the main focus is the thumbnail.
But regardless, it's really a marketing ploy while trying to stay somewhat true to your story.
I create all the artwork in my covers/thumbnails/banners, since I'm primarily an illustrator/comicker.

This is my current thumbnail. I intended it to be a bit shojo-y, to reel in the large audience on Tap that is used to that sort of thing, and it seems to be working, I've noticed a steady positive sub-rate.

But the thumbnail before that was this.

I rarely digitally paint so I really like the effort I put into this. I still plan on using the main image in my novel's cover once I properly release it on Amazon when it's complete. I do currently have it as the banner though.

And like I said before, a large part of Tapas' readers are quite used to comics, particularly webtoons/manga/anime style, so you'll see a lot of that style in the thumbnails. I've also found a lot of stories are influenced by those very things too, so it makes sense for the authors to choose art that fall into the same style.

[sydneyrobbin]

Not dissing your current cover, but the digital painting is absolutely beautiful. It's got this avant garde but very soft, feminine feel to it. I love it.

[sydneyrobbin]

I remember having this issue a couple of times where I would click on the thumbnail for one novel and be directed to another. I assumed it was just my crappy internet connection, but perhaps not. Of course, Tapas seems to be an up-and-coming writing website so I don't mind the small glitches.

[yansusu]

Yep, that happens every now and then buit the rest of the site is great

[J.Lovelace]

I'm both artist and writer, so I make the covers myself. Since I have a comic style, I do just that.
I try to fit the mood of the novel, and sometimes just text with simple background is enough for me, so I do that too. I do the simple one when there's either no main character (anthology) or the reader is free to imagine the characters however they want. Otherwise I'd go for the main character drawing.

[nostalgicroxas]

My thumbnail here on Tapas for my main novel is basically a placeholder until I can figure out something better.

I thought it'd look better all tiny, but the logo is too hard to read on Tapas teeny size I'm not too sure what to switch to, but maybe finalize something like the doodle of the two of them reading their own book... But again, it'll be so tiny, I don't think people will see it.

[Zinx]

I make my own. (Link bc I don't have the clear image on me rn)

Midnight Madness | Tapas

I'm also on wp.

[spicy_sweets]

I make mine with canva/shutterstock/pixabay.

[Zinx]

That's cute.

[sydneyrobbin]

I'm sort of hesitant to use Canva after they had that data breach. That's why I switched to GIMP (and the Youtube tutorials that I need to use it).

[spicy_sweets]

Ya, but the covers have to be royalty free so I don't have much of a choice (´ . .̫ . `)
I also use picsart, since I'm limited to my phone

[KRWright]

I only use commissioned or gifted art on Tapas and I also change to a more anime style here than I use on Wattpad. Below are my Tapas examples.

[sydneyrobbin]

i don't quite understand what you mean. you can get royalty free images at a lot of websites. and then edit them into a cover with whatever program you like.

[RomanceAddict]

I had both of my OCs drawn by a professional artist (commissioned) and then I edited that into a thumbnail. I went with a more anime-like style, while if I ever publish this as an actual novel (like paperback, etc.) I would prefer using retouched photographs, basically close to what you'd find on the covers of novels in bookstores.

[joannekwan]

Thank you!!
This is actually what I'm planning as the proper cover.

But when in Rome, do as the Romans do, lol.

[spicy_sweets]

For me, there aren't a lot of options, because I'm limited to my phone for making covers.

[spicy_sweets]

That looks cute as hell oml

[tchotchkeco]

Here’s mine:

I have an artist I’ve always worked with so whatever style she goes with I use. I say when it comes to covers they should always be simple and of course give an idea of what the story will be about (genre, action or not, main character, etc.)