Cover Art

[Dasherwood]

My story is called "Darken French Road" and is about how a young couple copes with life's changes after they lose a loved one in an auto accident. The book cover I have is of a grave stone with a characters name and date of death.

What I really want is a photo of that character and a beloved pet, a German Shepard husky, sitting in a kitchen doorway looking out over the back yard. The POV of the photographer will be behind them as they look out. You will not see their faces, just their silhouettes.

Just asking
       1. Would this be better done with a graphic artist, just a simple rendering. (100-300$)
       2. Or should it be an actual photo? I can take the photo myself, but have no German Shepard, or a model for that matter. I could go ask the pound and see if they have one I could borrow. (LOL) Or ask around the neighborhood.

  The book is on Smashwords. 

I guess it is in all what I want. I will use the cover I have for a time. Change it when I get the chance. Just rambling.

[Skip Slocum]

If you and a friend can stage a photo then you would be 100% sure you own all rights to the picture. This may be cheaper than having a studio doing the work for you. Maybe-yes? 

[wanderer]

I agree with Skip. Also, if you can't do it yourself, you could get a high school artist/photographer to do it and it would be very inexpensive.

[The Dude Abides]

If you can find the right photo, a relatively small payment to one of the huge stock photo houses might work. But since you have a pretty clear image of what you want already formed, finding a real stock photo that matches could be a chore. Maybe the art student idea is best. Credit them for it and maybe they will get famous as well.

[geoffnelder]

I agree with the above. Plus a photo is so much more professional-looking than a cartoony flat graphic.

I needed artwork to go with an article I wrote for Cycling World about why dogs chase cyclists. Their cartoonist drew a great picture but in addition I asked a photographer pal to tease his dog into suitable poses. Worked a treat.

[bri h]

Every time I see posts with him on, I'm reminded. 

[Dasherwood]

I settled on this cover. My room-mates grand daughter came over and we did a photo shoot. The look I am trying for is the mid 1970's, the time of the bicentennial. She knew I was taking the photo, she knew it was going to be used as the cover for my book. So I do own all the rights to it. The book is up and running on several sites and is getting plenty of hits. Worked out quite well.

[geoffnelder]

You captured the 70s look well. Congrats.
That controversial cover art for the scifi antho I am in came up on Amazon today at
http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Planets-Science-Anthology-Chaosium/dp/1568823932/

Because I am an 'other' among David Brin, Gregory Benford etc on the cover Amazon won't let me be included as an author. Many anthology publishers don't realize that they need to list all the contributors even in tiny print on the back page for them to be listed on Amazon.

[CastleKid]

I know I am a Newbie, yet I have a suggestion, there are numerous prisoners who illustrate almost for free, maybe 20 dollars, and I have used them a lot. If you see some of the art in tattoos, you might also go to a local tattoo place and ask them for the work, giving them a place to also show their work in your book by you giving them the kudos, and a place they can be contacted.

CastleKid

[Interrobang]

Have you looked at the photo libraries, such as Shutterstock? They have a huge range of images (both photographs and illustrations). You might not find the exact picture you want, but if you're prepared to be flexible you might see something you like even more.

You will have to pay, but once you factor-in the time and effort involved in organising your own shoot, you might discover you're saving a significant amount by buying-in an image.