My book on the philosophy of wine is still on track for a mid-November release. I’ve been plugging away at editing for the past several weeks; next week I send it off to a professional editor for fine-tuning.
I also have to decide on a book cover. My book designer sent me several ideas for the cover but I’m having trouble deciding. Do I go with the most visually appealing cover or the cover that best reflects the themes of the book? Do I play it safe or chose something outside the box?
You guys can help me. Here are the best options. Which one makes you want to buy the book? Let me know in comments.
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 
Dwight:
For starters, I truly love you work, and have been a fan for years.
By every measure, you should select the yellow toned cover, upper right. Here are my two reasons:
One, it’s the most eye popping.
And second, your wonderful work deserves a wider audience. The yellow green tone backdrop surely will help attract a wider group of readers outside the narrow world of dedicated, if not obsessed vinophiles.
To be clear, I will buy the book regardless of the cover.
Cheers and best wishes,
JP Smith
Thank you JP. Yes. I agree that is the most eye popping. I’m leaning in that direction.
They are all too dark and gloomy, except for the one with the white grapes, which is just too obvious. Not knowing the whole spin on what’s inside and only knowing what I read hear, I find all of them too generic. What makes your writing unique among other books on wine? The subtitle makes it clear, but the font is way too small and the message under emphasized because of it.
How serious or accessible is the book? Who is your target market? Is it self-published?
I would consult some Napa graphic artists of covers you have admired. These ideas don’t seem to have much wine experience behind them.
Yes. I need to work on the subtitle. It has to pop more in all of them because it’s the subtitle that really explains what the book is about. The book is serious–it’s philosophy. But also accessible (I hope). The target market is wine lovers who are comfortable with theory and a few academics who write on the philosophy of wine.
The cover with the white grapes may be obvious but it does get your attention and captures the theme of the book–the vitality of wine.
Dwight,
It’s a tie for me between the wine bottles and the screw pull. But, honestly, I’m ambivalent about the title and it’s potential connection to medical topics. Or am I being weird?
Tom
Hi Tom,
You aren’t the first to say that about the title. But I still think its weird.
For me it’s the top left. It strikes me immediately as the most elegant cover. There is something about the composition, the light coming in from the left and the barrel anchoring the right, that draws me in and holds my eye. It has the warmest tones, and the typeface is the most refined of the lot. It’s also the one where I actually read the subtitle.
The bright cover shouts at me; I find the horizontal bottles are too busy; the lino cut doesn’t have enough gravity, and the one at the bottom looks like a text book. Actually, if this is targeting the text book market, then bottom right works too.
As JP said, I will also buy the book regardless of the cover.
Greg
Thanks Greg. I agree the top left is really well composed. That’s the one that attracted me first. It’s a bit traditional though.
My vote goes to the the 4th (the more traditional, the one with the corkscrew). Good luck with the book!
Cheers!
It strikes me immediately as the most elegant cover of this. there is something about the composition, barrel anchoring the right, and the light coming in from the left that draws me in and holds my eye. my vote goes to the 3rd. It’s also the one where I actually read the subtitle.