New Cover For Flash

I'm sure I would be very reluctant to change covers if I paid for one.  I think the only cover I haven't changed is Not Low Maintenance.  No wait, I haven't changed Just Kate either.  Nor the Mitnicks.  Let's stop there before my memory kicks in.  The point is I've changed most of them at least once and some quite a few times like Nothing Serious which yes, is selling now better than before.

Other than financial, there's no point not to change.  It's not as if anyone is going to recognize the cover.  Everyone is new all the time.  It's not like a bookstore (yeah you're lucky if the book will be there long enough to have a cover change) where they could see you one week and miss you the next because they don't see the same artwork.

Yesterday morning I figured I would invest an hour or two into the new cover and be done.  I had an idea what I wanted to achieve and all I had to do was get the right Photoshop tutorial and I'd be back to Flash 2.  About 3 tutes later I realized, again, anything having to do with the Pen Tool and pathways was still a stumbling block for me.  I probably need to do Pen Tool 101 before moving onto things requiring a real skillset.

I googled Photoshop light effects text again and this time turned up with a different approach--3D.  So I went with that.   The tute was good.  My very fine, tho older, computer was pushed to its limit and past once with a crash so I probably need a new video card and maybe more memory if I wanted to continue doing 3D.

My results weren't enough like the ones in the tute to leave things well enough alone.  I added an outerglow to the text and a little bevel otherwise the light didn't impact the text enough.  Then I merged all layers otherwise the lens flare filter doesn't work.  That has to be done on the working layer, it can't be on its own layer and you can overlay it like in you know a layer.  I saved the work before doing the lens flare because once you save merged layers that's the end, you don't unmerge them.

Hours invested--all afternoon.

I'm happy enough with this cover.  It's a little static, a little less colorful than I had in mind.  The original cover was very static and even though the idea of it was right--beautiful woman shielding herself from the paparazzi, it was very posed and she was stiff.  There was no sense of immediacy, movement or drama.  I'm glad I only paid $3 for the photo.

I suppose there is no real debate except in my mind about how large the author's name should be.  If a vast number of fans gave two hoots and a holler about me, then I suppose I would want my name larger.  The reason it is not larger is that I prefer to see the artwork.  Text on art is a necessary evil or at least to me a drawback.  That's why I try to keep the two elements separated.  Other people have different opinions.