OnlineBookClub.org

Need an honest cover opinion. Had to make it myself, cannot afford talented help.

http://i.imgur.com/N3A4Rso.jpg

What would you change?

Definitely matte, text is easier to read..

-- 06 Dec 2015, 21:43 --

About your cover AetherPirate.. You need to do something with the text,.. I can read the title now, but in a bookstore it is very difficult to notice what it says.. otherwise NICE book title and design

Thanks for the feedback. I'll see what I can do about the text. My Createspace copy is a lot darker than I thought it would be, need to brighten it up and have more contrast.

I've recently switched most of my titles to matte. I think the finish definitely depends on the cover art, but I'm really liking the matte.

I would go with the matte for a couple of reasons. One is text and photos print cleaner and have sharper edges. Another is that a matted look will be easier to display and clearly read.

Regardless of which one you choose, make sure you have a high quality print house and use high res images. Also, if you are still on the fence about matte vs glossy, request a proof of the cover done both ways. Proofs are apart of the printing process, so requesting an extra proof of the cover should cost very little if any. Cost will depend on the print house.

I hope that helps some. I worked in corporate marketing, and there are very few cases where a high gloss would be chosen over a matted. But I would definitely go with a proof.

MJ Chantel wrote:I would go with the matte for a couple of reasons. One is text and photos print cleaner and have sharper edges. Another is that a matted look will be easier to display and clearly read.

Regardless of which one you choose, make sure you have a high quality print house and use high res images. Also, if you are still on the fence about matte vs glossy, request a proof of the cover done both ways. Proofs are apart of the printing process, so requesting an extra proof of the cover should cost very little if any. Cost will depend on the print house.

I hope that helps some. I worked in corporate marketing, and there are very few cases where a high gloss would be chosen over a matted. But I would definitely go with a proof.

Great point. I'm a hybrid author, with some self-published books. I took a chance on my self-pub list a few months ago, switching most of them over to matte covers in place of the glossy. I did buy proofs, which is always a good idea. I did, however, opt to stick with the matte finish.

I went with glossy for my first book because it better reflected the subject of my book, spirit. Glossy feels more spirited and alive to me than matte.

I love matte anything, and it just makes the finish look more sophisticated and non amateur.

I like matte, so I would probably agree with most people here that is is sophisticated. That said, glossy would probably work for some books, like coffee-table editions, for example.

Matte feels nice, but Glossy looks so much better. For darker colors people generally prefer matte, but I am 100% in the glossy camp!

Definitely glossy, makes the artwork pop.

I like matte. It looks better and more professional, glossy can be too much sometimes.

Traditionally, I've read that glossy is for textbooks and matte if for fiction. But on the Amazon POD platform, I like the glossy option for fiction. I think it looks sharper and the colors are better.

ALynnPowers wrote: ↑07 Oct 2015, 04:30 I just thought about something else regarding the finish. I prefer the way that glossy covers "feel" when I hold them. All smooth. I think the matte feels sticky. But I still think it looks nicer, as long as I don't leave sticky handprints on it.

I am in total agreement. I think glossy covers feel much better, like I want to pick them up all the time and hold them in my hand. Also, I read while eating or drinking something much too often for matte book covers. Doesn't usually end well with me. Now, I do think I prefer the look of glossy book covers. For certain books. They're pretty eye-catching, though sometimes they can be a bit too much if not done "delicately". If there's too much on the cover already, then glossy finishes may add too much spice.

Scott wrote: ↑06 Oct 2015, 15:33 As explained in more depth in my ebook 10 Step Plan to Promote Your Book, the most crucial part of marketing is product development.

One part of the publishing process is developing the cover for the print editions, i.e. traditional paperback editions or hardcover editions. One choice that comes up is choosing glossy versus matte finish for the cover.

Which do you generally prefer and why?

Those who publish many books will probably find that depending on the book and cover image a different finish can be preferred. What determines your choice on a per book basis?

The intended use of the book is important to me. An activity book would e better off having a glossy cover, for example.