It will be available on ebook only for 99 cents.
Suffocate is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres.
For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It's a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes.
If those responsible find out what she knows, they won't stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.
The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.
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This cover is a good example of a great cover that costs less than $300. One that is not from an original photo shoot and uses a few different stock photos. You can get affordable professional covers if you use the right person and know what to look for.
You can use stock. But it has to be the right stock. The right resolution.
One major key to a good cover is in the photo shopping skills. If you are doing your own covers and you do not know photoshop, you are missing an opportunity to blend the layers and colors more effectively so the covers don't appear home-made.
Vania is great at doing photoshopping as well live the photo shoots so if you are in the market for a cover...trust me - she is worth every penny and she is very affordable. She has such an amazing eye. It's sic. But you don't have to spend 500 - 1,000 if you don't have it.
I asked Vania to give us a few tips when making a cover. She said...
1. Pick images that are clear to your story or theme and that will be interesting to look at.
2. When photoshopping keep it simple and clean. No rough edges or busy compositions.
3. Blend, blend, blend. Don't stick images on top of each other like paper cut outs.
4. FONT! Typography is just as important for you cover as the image itself. Pick something that fits in theme but that will also be easy to read when in small thumbnail. Nothing too thin.
5. Ask for advice. Ask you fellow writers on what they think about your cover. Many times they can help you improve it, even if slightly. Don't be scared! They do it with love!
Now for the cover!
What do you think? What is one of your favorite covers? Favorite indie cover? What do you look for in a cover?
Comment for a free copy.
32 comments:
Looks great, Shelli! I love the opportunities to explore ideas in the form of short stories and novellas!
love it! you've done an excellent job with your cover (AGAIN!)
Amazing cover! Wish you much success with this series!
Very cool!
really great post. i always cringe when i see really bad stock photo covers because i know you can make a good one using very little money if you just use your resources correctly. the cover to suffocate looks great. congrats!
Oh! I love it! I always check for colors, I know weird, but if it is bold, I will usually be drawn to it! Yours is bold with contrast! Well done!!
Another slam dunk, Shelli! Love it!
Wow. That cover is gorgeous! Vania has some serious skills.
Awesome cover! Way to go, Vania and Shelli! You guys make a formidable team. This cover really conveys the essence of your story and the choice of futuristic type is spot on!
Nicely done! This is my favorite cover of yours so far. Cheers!
It's great! I love you you have awesome covers as an indie author--it sets a great example for others!
I like the way the title and author name bend with the chrome so that instead of feeling sepaarate, it feels part of the moment. I'm intrigued by the dual shading that occurs with the character model. Makes me wonder about the cause for that. I love that her hair isn't a picutre of perfection, that it flows but it looks like something has definitely happened or is happening.
Gorgeous! I think it's my fav of your covers. :)
Girl, you're a machine! Gorgeous.
Love your cover! It's gorgeous! And the title is great too.
It's awesome. Way to go, Vania. I love the open-airiness with using white and the lighting, yet the angles also make me catch my breath at the same time. Nice job on accomplishing both effects on the same cover. And I love its bold simplicity. Very very nice.
(sorry, I don't have a blog, but my email address is cbuddg@gmail.com, I do have a tumblr (if that counts) under carriebudd)
It's pretty!!! And as a plus it's not one of those indie covers that uses the same cover as a published book (like, from a publisher like harper or penguin.)
peachandblue2(at)aol.com
I love it! It doesn't look a indie cover but really professional.
Beautiful beautiful cover!!
Ooh, beautiful cover, Shelli! I would have no idea how to do that in Photoshop.
-Vicki
ooo! Me likey! I really liked the story, too. Very good! :o) <3
Love the cover! Yours always rock. :)
Very cool cover! Out of curiosity, what made you decide to present this series in novelettes vs. going full novel length?
Thanks everyone - wow these are some great critiques on the cover.
Nickie - novels take much longer to write. I thought I would do something different and scale the series down into novelettes instead of long novels. I loved Stephen King's green mile so I thought I would lean toward that. Just testing it out. Not sure how these type of stories do :)
This sounds very interesting! A an eco-mystery book :)
I love the cover and the story premise. Very cool. I can't wait to snag a copy.
Awesome cover and idea. I'm inspired!
I love it so much, I commented twice--make that thrice! :)
I love the cover too. It reminds me of the old OMNI magazine covers. It's very clean, vaguely Asian and futuristic. Totally different from Untraceable as well. And the advice was helpful too for looking at cover design.
Looks great! Love it!
Fantastic cover, I love it! Good job, girl.
1) What do I think? The cover does hint at suffocation...but to me, not yet knowing what the story is about, there seems to be a disjunction twixt title and subject. Oh, eye-catching, without question, but not sure it would sell me on the story were I not slightly familiar with the author's work.
2) Favorite covers? Currently those for the Elemental Assassin series; but that's subject to change when I find something better--or create something better, for one of my own.
3) Favorite indie cover? Maybe "On The Bright Side" ...and that's NOT an attempt at flattery. The cover has the two elements I look for in a cover....
4) ...those being a GOOD look at the MC (those covers that hide the MC's face drive me nuts), in a setting that raises enough questions in my mind vis-a-vis the title to make me want to find out what's up.
(Speaking of "Light", eagerly awaiting more installments.)
(Blog address...well, it's long. Easier to find it thru my website www.PsiWriters.info)
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