My first book, a science fiction space-pirate romp called Zero, is due for release this August and it’s feeling more and more real every week. This week is no exception. Dagda Publishing revealed the cover art at the weekend and here it is in all its glory. I have to say, I’m more than a little chuffed.
‘Zero’ by J. S. Collyer – due for paperback and e-book release August 2014
The work was done by the amazingly talented Matt Davis. Check out his DeviantArt: he is amazingly talented AND open for commissions!
Seriously, writers, don’t settle for less than amazing cover art. Even if it costs a little more, it’s worth the investment. All that guff about not judging a book by its cover? Guff. I may chance a book with a poor cover if it has been strongly recommended to me but whether I am browsing in a book shop or online the first thing that draws me to a book is the cover and I know a lot of other readers feel the same.
There are exceptions, of course, but it’s all about giving your book the best possible chance to have someone pick it up and give it a try and presenting it in the most appealing way is the first step.
I’m so immensely pleased with he’s done for Zero. Check out my Zero page for the synopsis of the book and you may be able to see how well he has captured the feel of the story.
This week also sees the launch of Dagda’s CrowdFunding which aims to raise money for marketing Zero, so stay tuned to see what perks will be on offer 😀 You also get a video of me stumbling through my promotion talk, which is worth watching for a laugh if nothing else.
Stay tuned, everyone! I’m not even close to done yet.
J. S. Collyer Science Fiction Writer 
It’s impressive. Agree 100% with the notion of judging a book by its cover. An untold number of readers pick up a book (or click on its image) based on appealing cover art, myself included.
You’re absolutely right, Gwen! And lots of indie or self-publishers seem to be tempted to scrimp on this area of expense, and I can understand why, but it is so important. You want to look professional. And if you search, you can really find some very talented people out there that are just starting out and don’t even charge that much.
That is truly an awesome cover! I bet a lot of people (including myself) would pick up your book based on the cover alone. Unless I’m already familiar with the author’s work, I do judge a book by its cover. It’s one way to know whether the author is really serious about publishing or just hoping to get lucky.
You’re absolutely right, Marie! And thank you so much, I’m very pleased with it. Produces exactly the right sort of impression of the sort of story Zero is, which is exactly what I wanted. He did a great job 🙂
That looks great! Looking forward to seeing the purchase links soon! 🙂
thanks so much! It is officially released in August though there will be opportunities to pre-order through a crowdfunding campaign the publisher will be running next week, I will keep everyone updated 🙂
Reblogged this on The J. Aurel Guay Archive and commented:
Now that is a classy cover. I love the amazing detail put into it. Congrats J.C.!
OMG, that is going to look so awesome on my Goodreads bookshelf. Speaking of which, I just joined Goodreads! I sent you a friend request – is that how it works? Or should it be a fan request? Either way, I’m on the site now!!
friend req it great 😀 I might have an author page one day, but not yet. I love goodreads ^_^
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to hold a hard copy in my hands!
Gawd that will be exciting!!
An author page is very easy to create – you ask Goodreads to change your user profile to an author profile once your books are available. Then you can do nifty things like create quizzes and links to your blog!
I’m loving Goodreads already! Why didn’t I join it ages ago?
That’s ace!! I must do that as soon as Zero is on there! Thanks MC 😀
No worries! Will let you know any other tips I learn!
Also – I just bought a copy of Ender’s Game! I can’t wait to start reading it! I put a note in my phone to buy it after I read your review – 225 days ago! Time flies!
HA! It is really good. There may be times you want to put it down but persevere, it’s worth it!
Friggin’ love it Jex! So excited for you!!!
AHHHHHH 😀