My New Book Cover | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

LI_Leaderboard_4

LI_Leaderboard_1

LI_Leaderboard_2

LI_Leaderboard_3

Thursday 25 March 2010

My New Book Cover

I'm really grateful to you guys on this blog. After some of you complained about my book cover, I went to my publishers and complained. They brought in another graphic designer who produced another book cover. It's delayed printing but I don't mind.


This is the former book cover
























And this is the new cover.

Which do you prefer?

47 comments:

NaijaScorpio said...

The new cover is so much better!!! Congrats.

Godwithus said...

Kudos to you for taking the constructive criticism of your readers in good faith. I think the font of the new cover is better than the former. Congratulobia in adv.

Tatababe said...

I like the new one

Anonymous said...

Definitely the new one.Goodluck!!!

L-VII said...

Much better!

Anonymous said...

Loving the new one! Nice!

BenitaIyereOkojie Fan said...

The diffrence is very clear... The new cover is wow!

Anonymous said...

Please have them Airbrush/Photoshop ur pic and something is still missing but cant lay my finger on it........Work could still be done to the book cover u need more than 2 samples at least let him give u 2 more to see......

Anonymous said...

I prefer the first
wendu

F said...

Congrats Linda... I admire the fact that you take constructive criticism on board and still go after your dreams. The new cover looks way more professional and befitting of what you are trying to achieve. I may have never met you but I am so proud of you! You really are an inspiration... Sha keep us updated about the progress of the book... :)

The Activist said...

I prefer the new one. Go girl!

BenitaIyereOkojie Fan said...

Yeah Linda, the make-up should be air brushed

Femme Lounge said...

i agree with sting. the new cover is a lot better than the first one. i look forward to reading it soon!

Anonymous said...

yea Linda the new cover is better but u need to change the foto though..either that or airbrush it...then do something to ur hair...leave it down or sth or curl it... the pulled to the back pony-tail is too ordinary...so yes the new front is beta...just the pic dat nids work.

Anonymous said...

Dont airbrush the front cover- if its meant to be a book of inspiration then your look should definitely be natural- i'd advise u to take another photo with a more natural look- no colors and better the eyebrows, and the foto doesnt really need to cover the whole page- so long as it isnt an autobiography, so it doesnt take the focus away from the book.

ola said...

The new one is much better. Unlike other commenters, I don't think it needs any airbrushing. Too much airbrushing and you will alienate readers because you don't seem natural.
Just one thing though, why is "A book of inspiration" in parentheses? I think it would be better if that statement wasn't in parentheses maybe just italicized. However, it's no big deal if you leave it as it is. This is just my personal preference.
Congrats on the book.

Anonymous said...

Yeah now you are talking, the new one looks more convincing!

TZ Gal

fokasibe said...

I like you cos no one can get you down!! You know what? The new one is better but not the best! Cant you change the picture? I'll tell you why.
1. Your eye brows. The left one is obviously fuller than the right...I'm hoping you did a bit of biology so you know your left from right on the human body...lol
2. You hair. The packing is not neat. You can tell by the way the right side is higher than the left.
3. Your face shows too much...The pic needs to be airbrushed so you have a smoother finish if you will...
I have to get back to work so I'll stop for now...

~Sirius~ said...

New cover is way better.

Keriom Naturals said...

I simply do not like both pictures!
Candidly, if I see the pictures as a book cover, I will not buy the book.
I think you should take a different picture, something with more class... fix up your hair and get a professional make up done and a professional shot and YES!the pictures should be AIRBRUSHED.
we live in the age where image is EVERYTHING. and you sure need IMAGE to sell your "INSPIRATIONAL BOOK".

Anonymous said...

really i dont know why peeps are lying...... as far as im concerned both pictures are the same the new one is just a close up picture i think you could have a shadow of ur face it doesnt have to be a colured picture or ur side view in black and white..then you can also let your hair down something more dramaic yet calm picture will be better i think.well thats my humble opinion

Anonymous said...

The new cover is better than the old but as some have suggested you may need to change the pix.

For me the cover of a book attracts me first ,then the title ,then the content.

Keep up the good work.It is not easy writing a book my sis.

KAM BABY said...

I like the second one joo! U are a fine gal!

busybee said...

I dunno if it's too late but u should probably take a new pic altogether and this time use a professional photographer that knows how to get a good finished product. Also, some of the words are not showing properly (to the left of ur pic). Goodluck with your book! It takes a lot of courage to open urself up to others.

Anonymous said...

Linda, I did not comment on the previous cover but I will now since I know you will take suggestions. The second cover is definitely better. While I would definitely not have bought a book with the first cover, I MIGHT buy one with this new cover. However, for me to defintely buy this book, that pic in front needs to change. Like someone has said, image is everything. You are a pretty girl and all but that pic is too ordinary. Think about your readers. Why do they want an ordinary looking person to inspire them? You have to be looking real fly on the book cover so pple will see and think o wow, I wonder what she has to say.

And your face does not have to cover the whole book. I actually like the pose cause it fits the theme of the book but honestly the picture is not doing you or what you are trying to achieve justice.

BUT kudos, it is a massive improvement on the first cover.

Anonymous said...

Linda, my dear sister, i have seen lots of books to last me a life time by the special grace of God. My God given advice is to be aware that cover of books are more about personality. If you as in YOU are satisfied with what you have as a cover, please go for it. And then again, it is good to go by popular opinion. And then again, you have to think, when you were writing the book, what did you have in mind. I know that most people will not agree with me, that is why with all due respect,it is called opinion. Please keep up the good work as God has got ur back. xx

Miss Eno said...

Definately the new one. When's d book coming out?

Asabe said...

The new cover is much much betterand congrats in advance

Miss Eno said...

Forgot to add, keep the picture, its spell-binding.

sydneyugbeda said...

I think I prefer the new one and I cant wait for the book to come out....

Anonymous said...

The picture is not nice. Your eyebrows and hair spoil your pretty face.

Anonymous said...

Linda,the second cover obviously is better than the first though more could have been done in areas like:

1. Your hair style- Because you have a prominent forehead,you dont need a style to accentuate the forehead.The braids looked old and the front corners looked chopped!

2. Your eyes - They lacked depth and were not engaging imho.

3.Your face - It looked kind of distorted like the camera lens used was a wide angle lens which was way too close up your face? There wasnt really any part of your face in focus which is what you would be gearing for.

4. Your Forehead and cheeks - They looked too shiny.

The background is ok as well as the color of clothe you had on.

You want to engages peoples attention as quickly as possible and the first way to do this is through the eyes.And your eyes are not telling any stories because they were not in focus. The photographer should have known better.

I wish you all the best.

Linda Ikeji said...

That's actually the concept of the whole thing. we wanted a very subtle, ordinary look where i am not looking 'perfect'. i didnt want to look like a model...i wanted to look believable as an author...lol

Besides I have a feeling that even if i take another pic...some people will still find fault in it. i guess we can't please everyone. but thanks so much for all ur suggestions. kisses

Anonymous said...

Ok o Linda, I hear you but rem pple don't want an ordinary looking person inspiring them. At the same time, don't over do it. I don't want you looking like Beyonce...lol. Let me give you an example, a porter gave me a book he wrote to read. And guess what I did not read it. No offense, but right now I don't need a porter inspiring me. I need pple like Obama, Oprah and co inspiring me.

Same thing with your book, students don't know you and so don't feel obliged to buying or reading your book. Then the first thing they see is someone not looking that HOT! The first question in their mind is how is she going to inspire me?

Its not like Genevieve writing a book and in that case the name is immediately recognisable so maybe a GOOD cover will not really matter. For you, a GOOD cover matters. So please don't ignore suggestions people have given you.

Kai, some people even noticed that your braids weren't packed properly or one eyebrow was higher...lol..Even I am not that deep. But human beings are like that. Please, don't ignore the presentation of your book. Its the most important thing except you want the readers of your blog to be the only buyers. Don't embark on projects when you don't plan on making sure everything is perfect or at last.

Argghh, why the long epistle. I have grown to like you. This is probably my third comment on your blog but I would really like to see you succeed in your endeavours. Your magazine project I knew wasnt going to last and I was right. You tend to want to do everything and I am in some ways similar but you have to realise that you are better at some things than others. So you must be willing to work with experts when you are lacking in that area but clearly you don't. Not sure how pple around you wanted to allow you publish a book with that first cover. My advice to you is QUALITY not QUANTITY. All the best!

Myne said...

The new cover is much better! Great!

Linda Ikeji said...

@anon 7;07...I hear u. some people think the cover is fine like it is...some dont think so. so at the end of the day...what am i supposed to do? the book is bigger than i am and hopefully people will be more interested in whats inside more than whats outside...but anyway,it's too late, they already started printing.
maybe we will do other covers after the first print.

@Myne Whitman...as an author, what do u think?

Linda Ikeji said...

btw...the mag project hasnt been scrapped... we are def getting back to that..just trying to tidy a few things...

Anonymous said...

Linda, thanks for responding. Remember I said I might buy a book with this new cover. I would definitely not have touched the first one. It was good but not great is all I was saying. I remember you saying the magazine was being restructured and I am pleased about that. Pls rem I only wish you well (even if you don't know me :)). I only mentioned the mag cause I saw so many things wrong with it but I thought wetin consain me and never left you a comment. Besides, if you talk small, pple say it is beef. Was trying to give you some friendly advise, don't worry after your mag restructuring. If I have any suggestions, I will feel free to offer some more friendly advise if I notice something wrong. But all in love, okay. Here is wishing you all the very best in your endeavours.

BB said...

The new photo is definitely better, but can't you take a new photo, maybe with a different pose. Go to google images, and search for Juanita Bynum. Her pictures and book covers look really good.

But, the new one is definitely better. Best wishes Linda!!!

busybee said...

Going for an ordinary look definitely doesn't mean u shouldn't look your best. Rough braids are not ordinary, they r simply an untidy look. No one is asking u to get 24 inch weave but a cleaned-up look will sell u. Google up Michelle Hammond (Author of the Diva secrets). She's a plus size woman that comes off looking very put together and people wanna read what she has put down. She looks so good, we buy marriage books from her when she's close to(or around) 40 and unmarried! It's all about the packaging.

Goodluck with everything

Anonymous said...

@ANON 7;07 PM..
NEVER HAVE TRUER WORDS BEEN SPOKEN ON THIS BLOG...

NOW IF YOU WROTE A BOOK I WOULD BUY IT.

Linda i am sory to say and as harsh as it may sound,practises the art of selective criticism.
I.E,Linda only sticks to the type of criticism she wants to hear..and not the harsh ones that will TRUELY lead her unto greater paths.

So many of your endeavours i look at and honestly i am not THAT impressed as it seems your vision is only as big as your BLOG AUDIENCE...you have gotten so comfortable and secure with what your BLOG audience tell you that you think THAT is the only way to go.
Hence when some come with the brutal truth,it automatically gets labelled as hating.
Believe that some of us have NO reason to hate you as we are walking totally different paths in life.

Take your magazine for instance,i work in a major magazine house in the UK,and truth be told,that fmb or whatever just does not cut it.It lacks a certain something..YET has too much going for it.
Your motivational t-shirts or whatver--same thing--not catchy--just too many words on a shirt---
Look at this book---NOT appealing at all--THAT does not mean you would not sell...God forbid i wish you that....BUT --it looks like something done in a bootleg basement and rushed out to meet a deadline....
You need to remember that your name is not a "brand" yet like genevieve as anon before me mentioned.
Hence you need to do everything to sell your image first....a nice power shot of you in a bad-ass suit and NEAT hair would have done the trick.
Not looking like some corner photographer ordered you to sit and "snap" quick quick.
I showed the cover to my editor(one of the top in the game)and even our printers...let's just say they were NOT impressed.As i wanted to be sure i was not the one been overly picky.

What you are doing is rare for a lady so young...WHY don't you concentrate on one thing and do it WELL and then expand.
Even tyra started off beign JUST a model before branching off into T.V,
Oprah too started off somewhere before going into education etc.

No point in being a jill of all trades and master of none.

All the best.

Linda Ikeji said...

@anon 5:07...you see I'd rather do everything I want to do and look stupid doing it, than look back at my life twenty years from now and have regrets.

someone once told me that - u dont have to be a phenomenon to do phenomenal things.

i dont have to be a 'Genevieve' to inspire people. and i really don't care about labels. if i did, i probably won't be an entertainment blogger...it's not considered 'classy'. i don't care about classy!

bill cosby once said - i don't know the secret to success but i do know the secret to failure - trying to please everyone.

i do listen to criticisms. if i didn't, i wouldn't upload comments like urs.

lastly, i do know that my endeavours need improvement...that's why most of them have been halted for now until i have enough funds to do them properly. u see, i'm doing the best i can with the little i have.no rich parents, no rich boyfriends and not much support...so i really am proud of what i've been able to accomplish on my own...in a country like Nigeria.

i do appreciate all ur comments tho
God bless

DorisSimeonAdeminokanFan said...

Linda dear,

I love ur courage and your efforts. Live ur life the way you seem fit.

Atleast you even explained that you'll use another picture when making another print since the first print are being printed right now. And you can't change it since it's too late. So what do they want from you?

There's nothing wrong in doing more than one thing at the same time.

Helen Oyeyemi, the Nigerian Born, British writer wrote her first book, The Icarus Girl, while preparing for her final high school exams.

You're not complaining about stress, so why should others?

Keep doing u, jare!

truth said...

Linda, read most of these comments and as always I am just super proud of you and how you handle situations and overboard critics. It's so easy for people to sit behind a computer and run others down on the internet. We arem all guilty of that one way or the other....
But b4 I digress.... I would have prefered a totally different cover for various reasons, some alreayd mentioned. But for what it's worth, just know that you are a gema nd I truly wish you the best as the jack of many worthy, growing trades. Good luck dear.

Anonymous said...

@anon 5:07pm, in my own humble opinion, for me to take ur comments seriously, for example. Please what is the name of the top editor and magazine in the United Kingdom that u work for? Please name it as I am based in the United Kingdom too. Thanks :)

Miss KM said...

So I decided to go bak n read ur blogs, n I'm wondering how dis book eventually turned out, I hope it sold as much as u expected. Did u stick to d 2nd cover?

Miss KM said...

So I decided to read ur old blog posts n I'm interested in knowing how this book turned out, did it sell as many copies as u expected? Did u stick with d 2nd cover? And is d magazine back up now?

Recent Posts