Q&A with Dreamscape Covers discussion

Please feel free to introduce yourself here. Let us know a little about you. If you're an author, let us know about your books! :)
What is your name?
Are you an author?
Indie, traditional, or unpublished?
What genre do you write in?
What are you currently working on?
What is your favorite type of cover art?
Where can we purchase your books?

And anything else you're willing to share! :)

I will begin...

I'm the moderator of Dreamscape Covers and I am also the creator of the business. I'm a graphic artist, author, and psychology major. I write young adult, fantasy, Urban fantasy, and paranormal novels. My favorite cover art are ones where the character is featured. I LOVE intense eyes. I have a tendency to be lured towards blue tones and Gothic covers. However, I create covers for all genres.

My passion for graphic art rivals my passion for writing! :)

I'm Taylor

I'm not an author but I want to become one, because I write poems that people love, but I just don't have the money to get anything out there.

Unpublished

Poetry

Poems I currently have 294 of them.

Not sure, never really looked into them.

Anywhere if I were to get it publish.

Taylor wrote: "I'm Taylor

I'm not an author but I want to become one, because I write poems that people love, but I just don't have the money to get anything out there.

Unpublished

Poetry

Poems I currently h..."

Have you thought about self publishing them? It doesn't really cost anything...

What type of poetry to you like?

I write all kinds.

Taylor wrote: "I write all kinds."

I used to enjoy poetry until a teacher ruined it for me in high school. :(

Well, I could send you some of my best ones to get your opinion. It's always nice to get new eyes to read them.

Taylor wrote: "Well, I could send you some of my best ones to get your opinion. It's always nice to get new eyes to read them."

Feel free to do so. :)

Would you like me to post them here or where should I??

Just send me an email on GR. :)

Hi there,

First of all apologies for it taking me so long to reply! I've tried to be concise but haven't really succeeded, so apologies too for the longish answers!

My real name is Andrew Drage but I write under the name of Brewin (sometimes with an apostrophe added after the "n", which is just a gimmick really); and I'm "Brewin Brewin" on here as the site needed a first and last writer's name.

I have just self-published two books (through an imprint of an indie publisher) which are available, as of today!, on Kindle with the paperback versions to follow 16th April. I've also just published a "digital interactive book" through an indie games developer; an arrangement which is "traditional" in the sense that I've sold the rights to them, they do most of the marketing and they pay me royalties on sales.

Briefly, the works are as follows:

"The Dark Horde", a horror/fantasy novel (with crime fiction and thriller elements) set in and around an Australia country town in 1989.

"Evermore: An Introduction", an "experimental" novel that in many ways comprises elements of fantasy and biography, and much of which is set in Melbourne, Australia in 1995/96.

"Infinite Universe", the eighth in the highly acclaimed Gamebook Adventures series of digital gamebooks for iOS platforms (and soon other platforms as well). Infinite Universe is a sci-fi comedy set a thousand years in the future.

Currently I'm working on numerous other projects; edits, world building and game balancing for future Gamebook Adventures titles (I worked on the first four titles as editor among other things), other "game projects" with another developer, plus other stuff "on the back burner" that I'm not working on at the moment... Oh and promoting my own stuff and working a day-job; so if anything I'm doing too many things at once haha.

My favourite type of cover art is a tough question for me to answer as I'm not conscious of having any strong opinion on this (and nor am I knowledgeable in this area)... That isn't of much help to Dreamscape, so I'll add that I'm drawn to anything that "fires the imagination" (as vague as that is).

Where to purchase my works, is a lot easier to answer... Just go to my website and all the links are there on the works page:

www.thebrewin.com

(direct links to works):
http://www.thebrewin.com/works/infini...
http://www.thebrewin.com/works/the-da...
http://www.thebrewin.com/works/evermo...

I'm "fairly experienced" as a writer/designer, but really that depends on who you compare me to or what your measure is. I consider I have a vague clue about what I'm doing, but really I tend to figure out things as I go along and learn what I can to do better next time... And I've only just ascended the foothills of writing; having escaped the swamp of "aspiring writer"; there's still sheer mountains ahead of me to climb :)

I'm new to Goodreads though, and welcome any advice or comment (even better is reviews! Hell I'll even send you a free pdf copy if you'll do a review!)... And want to be able to do the same for others here (if only I find the time haha!)

Cheers,
Brewin

P.s. If you were so inspired to let me know your thoughts on my book covers (on my site), that'd be great too!

P.p.s. As if demonstrate how much I've been paying attention to Goodreads until now, it looks like I'm back to being just "Brewin" on here (rather than "Brewin Brewin") .. Yay!

Brewin wrote: "P.p.s. As if demonstrate how much I've been paying attention to Goodreads until now, it looks like I'm back to being just "Brewin" on here (rather than "Brewin Brewin") .. Yay!"

Hi! Welcome to the group! :) As asked, I took a look at your covers.
Infinite Universe- After reading the synopsis, I think the cover suits the story. :) I'd give it a B+ based on the plot/genre.
Evermore- It's simplistic and looks professionally done. My only worry is that it's not a cover I personally would be drawn to. I like the color scheme and symbol, but I think it needs something more to really make it pop.
The Dark Horde- I'm torn with this one. On one hand I like it because it definitely supports the title and synopsis, but on the other hand I think it's a little too bland. I just worry it may get lost in the sea of books. One thing you could try is to add some color to the trees. Or you could enhance the eyes of "the horde" to make them even creepier. Also the eyes are exactly the same. It would be nice to make the ones in back smaller, as if they were further away than the ones in front. Also, vary the shape and glow a bit. :)

I hope that helps!

Thanks for the feedback!

I guess I should have sought your input a few months back! (since all these works are now released). They did go through a number of iterations before they got to this stage (some even attempting to address some of the points you raise), and I'm happy with the outcome :) -However one can always look to improve can't they?

I think I'm even inclined to agree with most of your points... I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on what you'd do with a trailer since that hasn't been done yet (see the other thread where I posted).

Thanks again!
Brewin

Hi y'all, I'm Sherri, and I'm in the process of being an author lol. I'm unpublished in both my poetry and my novel. I kind of just write whatever comes to me for poetry, and my novel is a YA teen angel romance. I've had writer's blick for a few months and off and on for my work though. I honestly love all kunds of cover art, usually its the coverart that gets my attention on books. And well, as I'm unpublished you can't purchase my books yet lol. I do have a self-published friend that I've known since my middle school years that I am an editor for. I'm 19 so I figured I have plenty of time to get my stuff out there :) Oh, I also started a blog about a month ago mainly for my book reviews :)

Hey Sherri - what made you decide to post in here?
I mean...?

Dreamscape Covers is very reasonable - more so than any other I've worked with - they have covers you can buy for $50+ ( I think that's the lowest I saw )
and covers DO help.

J.D. Stroube is the graphic artist and she did my two covers - she does what YOU want but SHE also makes creative alternatives and options.
Tell your friend to contact her.

and good luck with your writer's BLICK!!! LOL
sorry - it was just funny

Lol, hi Susan, I was invited to join here and I really do plan on publishing a book or two and I like what Dreamscape has to offer. And sorry about the spelling mistake, I use my phone and it changes my words around without my knowing.

Sherri wrote: "Lol, hi Susan, I was invited to join here and I really do plan on publishing a book or two and I like what Dreamscape has to offer. And sorry about the spelling mistake, I use my phone and it chang..."

Welcome Sherri! How far are you into your poetry and YA books? What type of poetry do you write? If you have any questions about self publishing or cover art, feel free to ask! I'm a mountain of information! :)

Hello. My name is David Donaghe and I am the author of, Thunder Road, Monroe's Paranormal Investigations, Tale Spinner and The Cave Man action adventure series. Right now I am giving away the first installment, Biker for free. Just go to Smashwords.com and look up Biker Heaven by David Donaghe and download your free eBook. While you're there, you can also get the latest installment The Woolly Boys for free as well. Just enter the code RW45Q. These are a collection of paranormal biker stories. You can read all about the giveaway at dhdonaghe.blogspot.com. I invite everyone to join my group, Questions and Answers with David Donaghe. I was also wondering if anyone on this site does proof reading?

Welcome to you both :) And I do do proofreading for a friend who is self-published and a couple others from another group

Thanks for the welcome. I might be interested in some proofing in the future.

Alright, keep me in mind and if I'm not too backed up I'd love to helpp.

Cool.

Sherri wrote: "Welcome to you both :) And I do do proofreading for a friend who is self-published and a couple others from another group"

rofl
you do do ??

Hi Everyone!

Welcome! Feel free to ask any questions you may have. The authors I work with often tease me, because I am a walking encyclopedia of information about all areas of self publishing. :) I've worked with authors of all genres with a wide range of artistic tastes. I'm also an author myself. It's become a necessity to keep up with everything new that pertains to self publishing and graphics! :)

Is a proofreader the same as a beta reader?

Hi,
I have just joined your group. My name is Aron Joice; I am an Indie published author. My work is on Amazon, B&N, and soon Smashswords. My first book-The Rising-The Lost Children of Managrail is a YA fantasy (classic-high). The second, Vanished, will be live end of summer. I have two other works in progress, a novella-The Land of Beautiful and an Urban fantasy.
Dreamscape, if you like eyes check out my cover on The Rising. My preference in covers is anything that grabs you and hints at the story.

For E.W. a proofreader is not the same as a beta. A beta will focus on your plot, character development, flow, timeline etc. A good editor should handle proofreading.

E.W. wrote: "Is a proofreader the same as a beta reader?"

Usually proofreading is done after editing to make sure everything was caught during the editing process. It's usually the last step before sending your manuscript to beta readers, who are essentially your "trial" readers. I generally recommend having at least one person proofread your book after your editor. Usually you can ask another author to do this if you are willing to do it for them, as well. :)

There are different thoughts on this take. My editor prefers a beta to have read the ms before she sees it, or you go through a literary edit, which can be very costly. The last thing that you want is to have to rewrite a ms after a beta gives you feedback that there is a lack of continuity etc. Also we as writers miss a great deal in regards to punctuation and redundancy.

Thank you both for clearing that up for me. I appreciate it.

I just want to say that JD Stroube is one fantastic graphic artist. She did all three of my books in The Evil Trilogy and she's in the process of doing my Pelican Pointe series. After that, she'll do the first book in my new series scheduled for release before Christmas. JD is one of those people who listens and does what YOU want. She listens to suggestions and then, bam, comes up with the design.

I can't stress how important it is to find a graphic designer that will listen to what you want, imagine your dream cover and then make it a reality.

I'm Horace & am the author of . I wrote this for authors who don't have any direct or limited experience to draw from. I didn't do much planning & wound up trying publish it without having thought about a cover.

Yes, that was dumb, a complete oversight on my part. So I walked out into the field & caught this picture of Red, then cut it down to the size the Smashword style guide suggested. I think it is funny & works, but it's obviously not professional. I'm working on another book & really liked the covers I saw here, so I thought a little proper planning was in order.

Horses and Farms For Fantasy Writers is available for $0.99 on Smashwords here:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
30% of it, the max I could set, is available for preview. If you're a starving artist & can't afford it, PM me & I'll email it to you for free.

I wrote this to give back a little to a genre that's given my family & I so many hours of enjoyment. Also to keep my wife from throwing books across the room. She did that when she read about a rider stashing his bow stave in a horse's girth one time. Just about ruined the series for her & it broke the book's spine. Hopefully my book will keep some other author from making a similar mistake.

Well for a friend I was kind of her editor, proofreader, and beta reader all in one. And I'm abeta reader for a couple other authors as well. It's actually gotten me into wanting to become an editor professionally.

Hey Paperworm! Fancy seeing you here! lol

Vickie wrote: "I just want to say that JD Stroube is one fantastic graphic artist. She did all three of my books in The Evil Trilogy and she's in the process of doing my Pelican Pointe series. After that, she'll ..."

*ARK* wrote: "Vickie wrote: "I just want to say that JD Stroube is one fantastic graphic artist. She did all three of my books in The Evil Trilogy and she's in the process of doing my Pelican Pointe series. Afte..."

I love you both! :) I'm blushing over here!

Sherri wrote: "Hey Paperworm! Fancy seeing you here! lol"

Oh, Hi! Nicole invited me.
Somehow my introduction was deleted.. i don't know how...

Hmmm, that's weird....O.o

Hi my name is Kelliemaire.... I am a book Cover designer my website is www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk and I love designing covers because I get to bring the faces to so many characters. I design covers, facebook cover art, trailers, and lots more.

Hi! My name is Guinevere Thomas. I am an unpublished author. I plan to be published with a co-author by September 2013. We write in the Urban Fantasy genre, with is really a sub-genre of Fantasy. I am currently working on a Young Adult Urban Fantasy about a teenager who finds out he can time travel.

Im not sure I understand the question for my favorite type of cover art. Im learning about digital art, and looking for advice on what to ask for in commissioning a digital artist. I recently hired one from devianart but I'm having trouble being vocal on what I want him to fix,as I dont know art very well. I would actually appreciate critique on what I could ask him to do to improve the drafts he's given me so far.

Any critique would be much appreciated! They are on my blogs.

http://yamulticulturaljunkie.wordpres...
http://guinandlibertadtomas.blogspot.com

If anyone has time,any replies will be welcome, as the last two have looked waxy to me,and I want the hands(the major image)on my book to look more realistic.

For now my books are being edited. So, to be continued :)

Guinevere wrote: "Hi! My name is Guinevere Thomas. I am an unpublished author. I plan to be published with a co-author by September 2013. We write in the Urban Fantasy genre, with is really a sub-genre of Fantasy. I..."

Mostly you need to decide which type of art and the message you want to portray. For instance, do you prefer when a cover looks more like a picture, painted, drawn, cartoonish...? Then once you decide on the method you can decide if you want something dark/gothic, fantasy, emotive, romantic, etc. Every artist has a different feel to them. Take a look at my website and you can see what I mean about the varied types (www.dreamscapecovers.com). Remember, even if you don't want to go with me, I'm happy to suggest other artists to you too. :) I know plenty and they all have their own style and price range. So, if anyone needs suggestions, shoot me a message or fill out the contact form on my website. I'm happy to help.

So... I have been apart of this group for a while.

Hello, my name is Erin. I love to read.

I have a brother that loves to draw, and he is pretty good at it (he may not think so). I am trying to push him to maybe draw covers for books.

Erin wrote: "So... I have been apart of this group for a while.

Hello, my name is Erin. I love to read.

I have a brother that loves to draw, and he is pretty good at it (he may not think so). I am trying ..."

Hi Erin!

It's an incredibly rewarding job to aim for. I was always told that I was a great artist, but my interests were more towards writing. I didn't truly discover my love for art until I was an adult. Now I do both and nothing makes me happier. :) Feel free to give him my email if he ever wants feedback on his art or suggestions on software/programs and techniques to delve into. :)

Hi,

My name is Kristen Middleton and Dreamscape has created four covers that I'm using for my books- Enchanted Secrets, Tangled Beauty, Shiver, and Vengeance (which isn't out just yet). Sorry it took so long for me to post, haven't been on Goodreads for awhile. Anyway, I totally love her covers and they've definitely boosted my sales. Many gals have shoe or purse fetishes but I see an awesome cover and I HAVE to have it, even if I don't yet have a story written yet! Lol

Also, Enchanted Secrets is FREE on Amazon today if anyone is interested.

http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Secre...

Kristen wrote: "Also, Enchanted Secrets is FREE on Amazon today if anyone is interested.

http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Secre......"

I'll go get it! :)

I'm here, sort of. Your covers are fantastic! I just wish I had a book together to buy one.

Hi all, I'm Jo Murphey aka J.L. Murphey/Jolee Morriss/Grandma JAM/ JoAnn Mefford and a few others. I write suspense with a soul, nonfiction, and childrens. I've authored or co-authored, or ghosted 27 titles. Some are even still in print.

Hello all, glad to have found this group.

What is your name?
J. Lee Dean

Are you an author?
Yep - historical / historical-literary fiction

Indie, traditional, or unpu..."

Looks like it's going to be indie for now. Trad publisher is currently considering my first novel (First World War set) and has asked for the first draft of my next novel (C17th set) but I suspect I might have to self-publish WW1.

To this end I will need to have a cover designed. I have one recommendation so far but am looking around now for quotes. The novel is entitled "And I Shall Be Healed" and follows a young army chaplain (Church of England)through Sussex and France & Belgium during the First World War. Looking for something in the general style as seen on the book "Somewhere in Flanders" (see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Somewhere-Fla...) but with more of a Sussex flavour (obviously I'll go and take some photos for ref at some point).

Anybody interested, please get in touch. UK publication so I have a bias towards "local" suppliers (it's all the rage in the UK) but ultimately I just want the best cover for the best price. Basically I'm going to wait until about Christmas to hear from this publisher but am interested in quotes now. Will decide on book size shortly too.

Thanks all.

J. Lee Dean