65 Responses

1. I think the two changes are very subtle, and I’m not sure I would make the connection that one was a novel and one a novella. I do see you are tilting the frames in a different direction, which is helpful.

   Maybe flipping the color scheme completely – a dark background and a light font?

   1. Can you add “a novella” to the title in smaller letters? Or add the name of the series before: for example, “A ‘Liz Danger’ Novella,” “A ‘Rocky Start’ Novella,” or “A ‘Dempsy’ Novella. Or “A short trip back into Rocky Start.” (Yeah I know that one is wordy).

      1. Done.

         1. So, I imagine you are over this cover art, and this may be a way off suggestion. I obviously have little idea about what this story is about, or the details of this series’ “world” or plot of this story. But… if this is the same Carter from “Maybe This Time”… I remember that he was an artist and into graphic novels and comic books. If it works with this “world” it might be interesting to make the art in the fancy gold frame be sequential art sryle. This would be an Easter Egg for the “Maybe This Time’ fans and further distinguish this work from the other stories in the series. You mentioned the that there would be more than one Novella in this series. So the main longer works could be in the Baroque style (I think that is the period you are using) and the Novellas could use the same gold frames but have a different art style inside the frame… especially if the art genre was part of Novella plot. (Again I know this may not work. I don’t know the story yet.) But imagine a Surrealist, Abstract, Cubist, or Pop Art piece inside the Baroque style frames. It would funky in a interesting Jennifer Crusie way and further signal a format difference.

2. Yep, too subtle.

3. I tried a blue background but I think you and Bob are right. I’m overthinking this.

   1. You’re overthinking this.

   2. Keep the blue background, highlight ‘novella’ instead of ‘new york times’ and it’s good to go!
      Sooo easy to overthink!!

      1. Yup–that’s it.

4. I see the blue now – but I think that might still be too light.

5. I am not a visual person. I am a print reading person.
   The difference in layout would mean nothing to me.
   If I was buying this in a store I would want the line of print saying novella to be larger or brighter or both.
   If I was buying on line I would want the blurb to have novella in the first line .
   And I don’t think I am alone in this.
   In addition even visual people might not be looking at it next to a full novel book in the series so the changes might not mean anything to them either.

   1. I think that’s right, Debbie, the word NOVELLA needs to be in all caps or darker print. The difference in covers is very subtle and almost unnoticeable, if one were in a hurry or just glad to see the title.

      1. Totally agree – missed the Novella completely. NY Times doesn’t interest me but it got more prominence.

   2. I agree! I think novella should be prominent.

   3. This! I need the WORD “novella.” Preferably on the cover in an obvious place AND in the Kindle/Amazon order link.

6. I agree with Debbie – I totally missed that it said “Novella” until she pointed it out.

7. I am sure authors don’t want to hear this, but I really don’t look at covers, especially with kindle purchases. Novella in the first line of the description please.

   1. I honestly don’t notice unless there’s some large change in price, and I’ll check the page count. I didn’t even know “Novella” was included in covers – which puts me firmly in the “barely notices the cover art” camp as well.

   2. I actually find it to be something of a relief, JenniferNennifer!

8. I like Nancy’s suggestion of the darker background with the lighter font. And definitely highlight the word novella.

   I love that these are not ‘run-of-the-mill’ covers.

9. I doubt I would realize that the background color means novel vs novella.

10. I love novellas in between novels. Doesn’t matter to me how the covers look. But for people who it does matter – maybe make the word novella a different, darker color within that sentence.

11. I agree that ‘Novella’ needs to be very prominent. I’d also make a much more obvious change in design – I suggest using the image much smaller, perhaps as a decorative border? So you’re linking the two, but suggesting that the novella is a (decorative) addition rather than a main meal (to mix metaphors).

12. Maybe put A Novella right below the title at the top? Agree that it gets a bit lost. Or if it’s in the text of the title on retail sites, e.g. Getting Carter, A Novella, it’s probably fine if it’s a bit small on the actual cover.

    What about a slightly different design, like putting a border (picture frame?) around edge of the cover? Is there something in the art/design world that says “small” like perspective lines or a scale indicator? Probably not those exactly, but something like that? Adding just a bottom border or a museum bench for the author info to go on top of?

13. I don’t see much of a difference between the covers, so I don’t think that will help. I would literally put “A Novella” at the top, and in the book description online. (I have been irked to get Murderbot books that I thought were full books and then discovered they were novellas.) But I don’t think you need to worry about the cover. I only care about the stuff between the covers. And frankly, if it has your name (and whatshisface) on it, I’m buying it regardless.

    1. Agreed. Put Novella at the top and first line of description on retail sites.

       I myself generally look at the “page count” for ebooks because a lot of the authors I like put out everything from novelettes to long novels and, despite my pace of reading, I often want a short thing more than I want a long thing.

       If it says unmistakably that this is A Novella, the only other things I really need to know are: is it a standalone, or part of a series in which all parts should be read for full enjoyment; if a series, can it be read & enjoyed as a self-contained subset of the novel-length works it’s connected to, or do I need to read the novels as well.

       It’s a given I will read all these, regardless. But as others have said, the cover art itself doesn’t influence my browsing or buying decisions nearly as much as the description.

14. I like the idea of the Novellas just fine. I enjoyed to one Bob added to Rocky Start.
    If I really like the world and characters in the Novels then Novellas are really nice to keep in touch.
    I don’t think you need to change the covers and the cream is better.

15. I’m with the general opinion here: the word novella needs to be prominent.

    I read paper books, so I suggest that differentiating colors continue around the spine of each novella.

    Also, I like your cover designs.

16. I’m accustomed to noticing by a price difference, then noticing “novel” or “novella”. The Murderbot books have the same cover style for both lengths, for example.

17. I check how many pages in the book that are displayed on the Amazon page. That tells me whether it’s shorter or longer. Might be one of the few, but I don’t really pay attention to the NYT nomenclature.

    As long as it says novella somewhere, I’m good. The shorter books are nice to fill in gaps and be a quick satisfying.

18. Hmmm. I agree with everybody on here— too subtle. Snacks need to be identified! If any series has a reading order I’m a big fan of making it obvious. “Hey, Stupid— This is 1.5” works for me! All I care about is getting stories out of your head and into mine, so please don’t let the covers slow us down.
    I’m so relieved Johnny is better!

19. Count me among the group that is disappointed that novellas exist and aren’t longer. Sorry, but there it is. A taste and the meal is taken away.

20. Wait. What?

21. I second what the others said: it should be easy to discern that this is a novella: via a louder font on the cover and mentioning this in the blurb.
    I didn’t pick up that the slight change of colour should make this clear, I’m not that attentive. So I wouldn’t pick up that anything about it means to distinguish it from the novels proper.
    Still, I’m someone who has occasionally been seduced to get a book thanks to its appealing cover (eg. Boyfriend Material; what is appealing to me though needn’t be great in someone else’s opinion). This can work the other way round too: some books I just cannot make myself get /read because to my eyes the covers are just too unappealing (in one case I loathed the pimp-like guy on the cover, which I might have ignored or covered up had not the author stated her happiness to have found a cover illustration that perfectly captured how whe imagined her MMC – yuk!!!). Well, I don’t want to spend even a second with such a creep (posture, looks, suit, and SMIRK), so thanks, but no thanks.
    With physical books, it’s easy to cover up a cover style that I don’t like – there’s always the chance to put the book in a simple paper book sleeve (eg I really don’t like the Star Shipped cover because the blond MMC’s head is out of proportion and it has a 50s vibe to it in spite of being set in the present).

    None of your books have ever made me want to steer clear of your books. The cover illus for the new series are quite beautiful – for Anna’s book, the 3D-effect of the MMCs climbing out of the picture frame (today’s insta post) is quite fancy and intriguing!

    1. LOL about unappealing cover models. So Much This.

    2. Much less likely to buy a book with a bare chested guy on the front, lol.

22. I think I’m the outlier here. Sometimes I’m relieved to find out a book I’ve purchased is a novella not a novel. It’s usually more concise and focussed on the important stuff.

23. I was going to say that the subtle cover art difference wouldn’t signal anything to me, and I’d miss the “novella” in the small print, but I see everyone else has already said it.

    I’d suggest doing what lit-fic authors/publishers do to signal their books are fiction, so “A Novel” is part of the title (except put “A Novella” in its place). See, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Whistler-Novel-Ann-Patchett/dp/0063511630/

    1. As a cataloger, I *hate* the appellation “a novel”. It adds nothing to the title, nor does it provide any information like a normal subtitle would (except in this case, she says grudgingly)

       1. The only other appropriate situation that I can think of (just maybe, only as one alternative solution of several) would be work from a prominent nonfiction author who normally doesn’t write fiction or, in the olden days of book-long poems, to signal a prose work. Okay, or a work where the author insists on a title making the book sound like nonfiction. Memoirs of Dr. John H. Watson?

          1. Should have added prose work from an author famous for their poetry. This happened a lot in early the 19th century as narrative poetry fell out of style and authors switched.

       2. I find the “a novel” tag useful in a negative way, since it usually signifies lit fic, which I dislike, so the tag tells me I won’t like the book and should avoid it.

          1. Hahahaha yep.

    2. I had a firm rule to never pick up books with ‘A Novel’ on the front for years. It almost always coincided with disliking the book. Sarah Addison Allen is the only exception I can think of.

       1. Me too. Seeing “A novel” on the cover warned me it was not my cuppa. Can’t recall ever finding an exception!

       2. I agree. I avoid ‘a novel’ books. Unless, of course. recommended by Argh. Then I do a bit of research.

24. Chiming in with everyone here. I like the original cream colored cover, although blue would work too. But the word novella needs to be prominent on both cover and in the online description. I’m like others here in that I check the number of pages before buying, but having the word “novella” up front would help greatly.

25. I am all about graphics and colors although words matter very much. I realize I am not an author but I need a stronger visual clue that it’s a novella. Can you make the whole cupid painting smaller with the words NOVELLA in bold on top? Just like zooming out with a bold headline. My 2 cents.

26. So glad you are better! Most important .and Johnny boy too!

27. I remember that Bujold was worried about how to signal a novella when she first started publishing them individually. As I recall, she just made sure that the word novella appeared very early in the online description. For covers, I suggest just making the word NOVELLA appear in some attention-grabbing manner readable on a small screen. I would prefer contrasting color, but type size and boldface might be enough.

    I think that by now enough novellas are coming out that it won’t be an issue. Price difference and page count are also indicators. Has anyone complained about the labeling of Bob’s Rocky Start novella?

28. Jenny, As we’ve said before, there is absolutely no need to apologize, even absent any reasons, as long as you show up once a week or so to keep us for worrying.

    Still less is there any reason to apologize for being away for good reasons because of “troubles,” especially when it’s only been since Thursday anyhow.

    It sounds like Johnny isn’t quite back to normal yet, which I’m sorry to hear.

29. Agree with most of the comments here. I would never have gotten from the art differences that one was a novel and one was a Novela. Please put that in the first line of the description. whatever you right I’m going to buy it. But I would prefer to know upfront that I am buying a Novella and not expect a full length book.

30. Lovely covers, but I would think same titles are very confusing, even if one says novel and one says novella… perhaps different but related titles? Or am I being too literal-minded?

    1. I took that just to be an artifact of a quickly made sample, and that any real titles would be different from each other.

31. Bottom line, whatever you decide will be great. I’ve loved all the cover art for all your books. I’m just poised to buy anything and everything that you publish, as soon as it’s available. I can barely contain my excitement. But, it would help if Novella was prominent. I’m a strictly chronological reader.

32. I agree that the word Novella just needs to be more prominent. Looking at your mock ups, I would just think they were different print runs or US vs Australian versions etc. Perhaps it could have “An Art Crime Novella”?

33. I want to clarify something.
    A good cover might draw me to check out a book. But I am not tuned in to nuances enough for them to tell me this is a novella it’s like the series but different. If you want to avoid upsetting buyers like me who do not notice image details you need to send strong signals in words.

34. You, Jennifer Crusie, are overthinking and now we are pushed to overthink. I do not do subtle easily, and I am impelled to think in subtle ways. Enough! Embiggen and bold “novella” and have done with it. Reflect on your business decision as you walk Johnny–said reflection arises naturally–and the rest of us may go about our daily business. Thank you.

35. I am reminded of the late Eric Flint, who insisted that cover art be finalized before he turned in the final manuscript, so he could add a scene where the cover art matched the story. All his covers thus became scenes from the books. No “false advertising.”

    Then there is Lois Bujold. All but one of her Penric and Desdemona stories have “A novella in the world of the five gods” on the cover. The exception says, “A novel in the world of the five gods.” Like with you, it didn’t matter because with that author name, I was buying it. Period.

    No more overthinking!

36. I agree with everyone else who has said that highlighting novella will make a difference.

    But also the price will tell people that this is a different thing from the novels.

37. I prefer the colours of novels and novellas to stick to the same style so nothing sticks out jarringly on the bookcase. Booktok Benny on Tiktok gives an excellent take on book series covers matching aesthetically (and in height!) I disagree with his take that books should be numbered on the spine.

    https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSXyaQH5K/

    The price is usually a good indicator that it’s a novella rather than a novel and you can always note it on the cover and in the blurb.

38. Naked Truth by Rick Pullen.

39. Just saw the book listed on Amazon & I am so excited, I love the cover so much. I read maybe this time 100x since ‘Maybe This Time’ came out, but it’s been ages since I did a re-read. Same for the Goodnights. What should I do a re-read before this comes out? Anyone can answer as long as someone does.

40. Just saw the book listed on Amazon & I am so excited, I love the cover so much. I read maybe this time 100x since ‘Maybe This Time’ came out, but it’s been ages since I did a re-read. Same for the Goodnights. What should I do a re-read before this comes out? Anyone can answer as long as someone does.

41. This is the first in a new series. So … no real prior books as far as we know. But for the Carter Novella and Stealing Nadine, probably Faking It. Of course Jenny and Bob could spring all kinds of surprises on us!