If you have a moment...could you vote on my website

[WritingChick]

I'm hosting a poll on my website www.laurahickey.com (http://www.laurahickey.com) on whether my book's cover is too gruesome for the age range of 6-12. If you have a moment, could you please vote. Thanks :)

[CindyBidar]

I tried to, but the link doesn't work for me. :(

[Nateskate]

What made you question the book cover?

[WritingChick]

Some have been surprised at my book's cover...one said "Good Heavens", another a teacher was put off by the book's cover and the librarians were a little shocked at the snail coming out of the eye. Many have been surprised actually by the cover and I'm afraid that it implies the stories are too scary for kids...so parents are afraid to buy it.

[XThe NavigatorX]

Sorry, Laura. I'm getting connection failures for your page, too. I'll try again later.

[Stephenie Hovland]

The voting link worked for me. I do think it's a little too much, especially for the lower end of the age spectrum. 6-8 year olds are Kindergarten through 2nd grade, mostly. I wouldn't expect any parent with kids in that range to buy the book.

[maestrowork]

It works now. I also think it's a little creepy/scary for the younger set. The older set might be okay with it, but would they really want to buy that book? Or would their parents want to buy it for them? Something to consider.

[drgnlvrljh]

I concur. For the age range the book is supposed to be aimed at, the cover is too intense.

[LiamJackson]

Too much.

Just my opinion, but in the case of my own children, when they were that age (6-8) , they wanted to be "fun scared," rather than "creeped-out scared."

The cover leans more toward the latter.

[EGGammon]

Yeah, I think it's too extreme, atleast for the 6-10 range. 11-12 maybe, but I think a cover like that should be for the 13-14 range, just because of that snail coming out of the "drippy" eye.

[Azura Skye]

You should ask some kids if you can. Knowing my niece she would think it wasn't creepy enough.:rollin

[Writing Again]

I showed the picture to some of the kids in my family -- They pretty much side with Azura Skye -- However the adults cling to the fantasy that children live in a world of candy canes and Peter Pan and would stay there if such awful pictures as that did not destroy their innocence.

I guess the question is who is putting out the money? If it is the kids you need to make it creepier -- If it is the parents then get with Peter Pan and Candy Cane land.

[mr mistook]

However the adults cling to the fantasy that children live in a world of candy canes and Peter Pan

:rollin

[arrowqueen]

Looks fine to me. Children are gruesome wee buggers. Just look at fairy tales. They don't call 'em 'Grimm's' for nothing!

;)
aq

[Karen Ranney]

It's probably not too gruesome for a child, but it would be too gruesome for me to buy as his parent.

[triceretops]

I think I agree with arrowqueen. Jack the Giant Killer, David
and Goliath, Hansel and Gretel--some of that interior artwork is much more shocking. Kids 8 and up have a morbid sense of humor, and would be more inclined to laugh hysterically at the little vampire with the drippy eye, than run and duck and cover. But you know, this is a parent issue, because in all likelihood, a child will not use paypal. It's a discretionary issue left to the parents. The cover art it cartoonish, so I think it would pass.

Tri

[drgnlvrljh]

However the adults cling to the fantasy that children live in a world of candy canes and Peter Pan and would stay there if such awful pictures as that did not destroy their innocence.

You know, Writing Again, you make a very good point! :rollin

My oldest would love it! She was getting mad at me for not letting her watch Freddy Kruger when she was 5, and loved playing with creepy-crawlies like spiders and snakes! She's 21 now. Geeze I feel old!

My littlest is 7, and that kid of cover would creep her out too badly.

I guess it all depends on the kid.

[tjosban]

I also find the drawing slightly cartoonish.

At that age, it wouldn't have bothered me, but I know of others it would. I don't think my parents ever paid much attention to the books I picked out, aside from the quick glance to ensure that the book did indeed come from the kids' section.

[MissKathyClarke]

I personally don't root for the cover you currently have. I'm about that age, and that would turn me off. But, I am only one kid :rolleyes

[maestrowork]

Sure it depends on the kids -- some would love it and some would be turned off by it. But you need to know your target audience as a whole. Who will be buying and what the majority would say? I think that cover would be pushing it for the 6-12 crowd as far as a wide audience is concerned. Remember, publishing is still a rather conservative business...

[WritingChick]

Hmmm...I was thinking it's too portait looking. Do you mean it's too cartoonish like the wizard on my website or not enough like the wizard?

It should be more parent friendly then, since like someone mentioned...kids don't use paypal :lol good point!

What do you guys think of the pencil medium since it's a children's book cover?

[triceretops]

Whoa!

Once again, Maestro has hit on something here. General public appeal=commercial expectations. They DO play it safe in a conservative sense.

I think the book cover is a moot point since it's too late to change it, wot? What about the site? THAT was the question?

Tri

[WritingChick]

I could change it since it's gotten for the most part a negative response for the age it's written for. Though I'm not sure if the medium being colored pencil would work well for being commercial.

[Stephenie Hovland]

I think it would be fine, and still eerie looking, if you just took the creepy-eye thing out. A haunting face in those colors gives an impression of a spooky read.