Layover in Ohare, so I have a little time here.
gower21 wrote:The first one:
Great use of color. I like how your name matches the blue behind and shading in the astronaut and the red of the title matches the red button.
I've learned a trick for that. When I get to the hotel tonight, I'll discuss how I can use WordArt with these images without ending up with artifacts.
I begin to suspect Dean might be onto something using PowerPoint for his images. My trick wouldn't be needed there, perhaps.
It is very psychologically suggestive and eye catching. I like how you've gone from ellipsis in your tag lines to periods, a lot more clear, dramatic, and more punch behind the last sentence tag.
I'm bowing to the list there, against my better judgment. I'm rather fond of ellipses...
A little bit of a joke...as an after thought about the tag line in reference to your name: "Martin L. Shoemaker-- He had all the answers." My eye of course goes to your name and the title and then the tagline, so I know it is about the story and not you. That, by the way, is not a critique of the cover, just a really nerdy joke about ego and subliminal messages. The positioning is all good, in my opinion.
That may be the first time "subliminal" and my ego were ever discussed in the same sentence. Usually my ego can be spotted from orbit.
The Second:
It's a great cover. It doesn't grab me like the first, but it goes with your title and like what your doing with the color and the use of white. My only issue with it is it comes across as a bit flat, but up against the first one I think it would be hard to top it. Maybe some of the others will have suggestions for it, or maybe it is fine how it is and I'm being a bit over critical.
If I could find a less-flat image, I might look at it. I stumbled upon this one on Dreamstime, and it's a really good fit for a scene in my story. Well, not quite
in my story, but related.
Also a note about your house style. I think it really works. I like the font/outlining and that your mixing up the color depending on the needs of the cover and the art you've chosen. Very awesome. I think there's an importance to creating similar looking covers so readers can recognize your titles without making them all look the same. You're doing it smashingly!
Heh. I started with the original blue on the "Sense of Wonder" cover. When I looked at it, I said, "No, Tina will kill me."