A lot going on today here, it seems.
That's what happens when you're playing catch up.
So, I'm pleased to announce the revamping of a pair of Badasses books.
Truth be told, for one of them, this is a long-overdue notice to the Badass Authors public.
The other, is freshly remade, and not yet reflected in the distribution databases where it is respectively sold.
So, for the first book and its new cover art; check it out!
If you haven't gotten this book, you really should, especially now that its cover is remade!
I (M.P. Ness) personally liked the old, original rendition of Rich B. Knight's "The Darkness of the Womb" cover art. It was simple and beautiful, and had a certain feel to it that I really appreciated with its simplistic black and white design.
And when I was told it was being revamped, I had suffered some small amount of woe.
However!
The new cover art for Rich Knight's "The Darkness of the Womb," still has a unique, striking, and simplistic two-tone artistic design. Perhaps more impactful for the book's recognition amongst the sea of book-covers out there in the publishing world.
As a visual artist as well as an author, I'm as much a critic of book covers as I am of the books themselves. Yes, yes, we all know the adage; "Do not judge a book by its cover." And you know, the statement is true. We should absolutely not forget it.
That being said, you have to understand, a cover helps a book stand out and get noticed. This is just fact. A good looking, sharp, impactful, or perhaps most importantly; a style-appropriate cover for the respective book's overall feel, Does Not Hurt.
And though I was sad to see the old cover go, I think artist, John Dylewski created something just right for "The Darkness of the Womb".
"The Darkness of the Womb"
by Richard B. Knight
(eBook Cover)
by John Dylewski
Second on the list of to-do cover-art revamping notification is Badass Author, Pauline A. Ramsey's "The Memoirs of Katherine deRion."
As I said before, I'm also an artist, and Pauline decided to hire me for her reworking.
My initial thoughts were to go with a similar look and design as she had done for "The Memoirs of Katherine deRion" the first time.
But, after a quick consideration, I scrapped that idea.
As a critic, I did not like the original cover art. As an artist, I could see that the creator, who shall remain nameless, was a complete hack.
*Insert my artistic professional's rant here*
I cannot believe some artists these days...or "So-Called" artists.
I mean, I get it, aspiring artists need to consider themselves artists, and work to get better as they go.
But to charge someone their hard earned money disproportionate to the quality of the product they are even capable of putting out....? That is absolute bullshit.
I see this happening ALL the time in the indie art, and more importantly, in the Indie Author world.
Poor, fledgling authors are paying WAY too much money for inferior works of art by people who are simply taking advantage of their ignorance. This PISSES me off!
How dare some amateur aspiring artist walk around portraying themselves as someone an unexperienced art-commissioner can trust?! Worse, how can they even promise something at least satisfactory, at the prices they charge, when they know damn good and well, how inadequate their skills are.
Artists, of all forms and mediums...are their own worst critics. So I KNOW they KNOW exactly what their work is worth.
Also: NEWS FLASH art world. This is not the Renaissance, and you are no daVinci! Your work is not worth what it might have been in the days of yore...even if you're GOOD! But most of these wannabes, charging far more than their skill level warrants, are out there sucking the life blood out of their clients.
It is maddening, infuriating, and despicable.
As I said above, a good cover helps you to get noticed as an author. Perhaps indirectly. But it can certainly help a work you release get noticed, and that bleeds over into your name going farther than it might with an inferior cover.
I will leave the actual monetary figures out of this mess and rant altogether. Suffice it to say, Pauline was ripped off, and executing a revamp for her personally, was a matter of pride for me.
"The Memoirs of Katherine deRion - Book One: The Beginning" was a book I personally read and reviewed here on the BA blog. (I gave it 4 stars, despite it not being my usual fare.) It was a good book, and deserved a good cover.
So, while the distribution sites have not yet been revamped; I urge you to take a look at the cover, and take an interest in this story.
Keep your eyes open for when the distribution channels are updated, so you can get this book with it's fancy new cover.
Thank you,
M.P. Ness
"The Memoirs of Katherine deRion - Book One: The Beginning"
by Pauline A. Ramsey
(eBook Cover)
by M. P. Ness
"The Memoirs of Katherine deRion - Book One: The Beginning"
by Pauline A. Ramsey
(Full Paperback Cover)
by M. P. Ness
