PublishAmerica's stock image covers

circlexranch

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OMG . . . .

First, I have to take some offense with the title, I think an editor might have questioned it. If you are going to be crass, why not just say "I feel like sh*& today"

Then the cover just puts it right on over the edge into sheer and utter tackiness. Talk about class with a "K".

At least it's mail order. Can you imagine anyone putting that book on the counter in B&N? Or a clerk recommending it?

"Um, do you have any books on sleeplessness?"

"Wow! You look like you feel like cr%^. Check out that book with the toilet paper on the cover!"

"Gee, thanks Mr. Clerk, let me get a copy for my mom! She feels like cr*) too and her birthday is coming up!"

I am speechless . . . .
 

merrihiatt

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Well, I was trying to find a positive spin for this one. I've got nothing. Maybe it's an unusual enough cover that people will at least pick it up and glance through it. Oh, drat! They can't. This is a PA book. It won't be on bookstore shelves. The "look inside" feature might help, if PA allows the author to have their digital rights back (they didn't allow me to).
 

Marian Perera

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24908646.jpg


That has to be the most unfortunate cover I've ever seen.
 

Prozyan

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OMG . . . .

First, I have to take some offense with the title, I think an editor might have questioned it. If you are going to be crass, why not just say "I feel like sh*& today"

As a title, its not that bad considering this is the company that gave the world "I wish my kids had cancer".
 

Sparhawk

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Thanks, Dave ;).... Now I'm all nostalgic for Pavel and his cure cancer antics. I think I'll watch this one carefully.
 

Marian Perera

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Time for more cover/stock image matchups!

Here's the book:

41bzZOsOE8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg


And here's the stock image (24917962 on Jupiter Images):

24917962.jpg


Here's the book:

51KU8wi3E5L._SL500_AA240_.jpg


And here's the stock image, after a little rotation in Paint and a touch of brightness (24483939 on Jupiter Images):

24483939.jpg


Here's the book:

419oCRfGGfL._SL500_AA240_.jpg


And here's the stock image (25021631 on Jupiter Images):

25021631.jpg


Edited to add:

One more! Here's the book:

513ELRhiNWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg


And here's the stock image (23581977 on Jupiter Images):

23581977.jpg


One last matchup. Here's the book :

41m9I8-vNvL._SL500_AA240_.jpg


And the stock image :

87783170.jpg
 
Last edited:

Alphabeter

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Doesn't nearly everyone who is ground through PA end up in horror?
 

Ulee_Lhea

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Thanks to the cover, the "I Feel Like C*ap" book now brings to mind not so much sleep disturbances but intestinal ailments!

I actually dig the title. With proper handling, it could have been right up there with "Skinny B*tch."
 

mercs

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Sometimes an abstract cover can work, but when it's clear some lazy sod has just typed the title into jupiter search and used the first image that pops up, that's not on...

As a title, its not that bad considering this is the company that gave the world "I wish my kids had cancer"

is this genuine :)
 

Pagey's_Girl

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is this genuine :)

If I remember correctly, it was written by the mother of a child with autism (I think) expressing her frustration over her child's condition not being taken seriously because it was "just in his head" and not a "real illness." I really felt for her - although yeah, that title wasn't the best choice.
 

circlexranch

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Looking at that cover, you can see the perfect use of a stock image. Looking carefully you can see that the backdrop was built in photoshop, but done skillfully to make it look like a new photo. Good use of typography, color, light, etc. Also, appropriate to the subject - the photo suggest love letters.

Now, given the title of the book, what would have PA concocted? A wooden spoon? A blender? Jupiter Images did have some nice 1950s photos of a woman cooking to please her man . . .
 

Marian Perera

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Looking carefully you can see that the backdrop was built in photoshop, but done skillfully to make it look like a new photo.

Exactly. I voted for the cover last year, I believe. Then yesterday I did a search for "stamped envelopes" on Jupiter Images and to my surprise I recognized one of the stock images I found.

That was the first indication I had that the cover artist had used a stock image and had built on that to create something very appealing. That's what should be done, rather than simply adding a few lines of text to a stock image.

Then again, considering the rate at which PA puts out books, I doubt its "cover artists" have the time or the inclination for anything else.