My First Book Cover

[Lisa]

Well, it took me two years and 1,000 photos for sale, but I finally had my first book cover. I've had 24 sales so far for inside textbooks, but this is my first cover. Woo Hoo!

 

A pool party in Palm Springs, California.

 

How about you, any book covers?

[Felix]

Congratulations!  First of many more, I hope.

 

No book covers for me but I continue to work hard, so someday, who knows?

 

All the best,

Felix

[Ed Endicott]

Congratulations!  I don't have a book cover but one of my images did make the cover a report published by the American Meteorological Society last month

 

http://www2.ametsoc.org/ams/assets/File/publications/BAMS_EEE_2013_Full_Report.pdf

[Michael Ventura]

That is great Lisa! I hope you can get to see how it was used!  I have had two that I can think of, through Alamy.

 

This one was used for a book about bomb sniffing dogs and was cropped to mostly just the dog and the briefcase.

This forum won't let me post the actual cover.

 

 

 

 

And this one of the Elvis statue in Memphis, TN, used for the Frommer's guide book to Memphis  (both are so so pics, but hey, I'm not complaining)

 

 

Actually Three, I forgot about this old one from way back.  This was cropped to a vertical and used for the cover a book by Senator Robert Byrd

 

[Jools Elliott]

I've had a few. The one I can definitely remember off the top of my head is this one:

 

[John Mitchell]

Nice going, Lisa. I've been lucky enough to have quite a few book cover sales.

 

This one has been used twice, over $300 each time for educational book covers.

 

 

 

This one sold for the highest amount. It's a selfie BTW (just kidding).

 

[losdemas]

Jealous of you all . I have had a few text book inclusions both via Alamy and direct sales with publishers/authors...but never a cover.  One day...

 

Many congrats, Lisa Here's to the next dozen!

[John Richmond]

Well done.  It's reporting like this that gives us all encouragement.  And envy, of course

[wiskerke]

Congratulations all!
A cover is always nice. I had 12 so far, that I'm pretty certain of, however sometimes you're sharing the space: my first sale was a front cover one but for 1/8 page only ;-)
Some are difficult to find; it's a pity some never turn up,
 

 
or when they finally do, it's for $2. The book sale price, not the image sale  ;-)

 

Japanese math
 

Not a book, but a dvd.

 

Dutch in 3 days months.

 
I can recommend this one by Barbara Ehrenreich.
Pity it's not the US edition.


Good title!
 

 

 

 

The last sale has been in December 2013:


here

It's about time to get another.

 

I hope this one goes on the Halloween wall in Alamy's office ;-)

 

wim

[York Photographer]

Congratulations, I've had a few on book covers that I've found via Google, one of which I actually brought a copy of  via amazon for 99p! Yet to see one of mine on the cover in a local book shop. 

[Lastrega]

Well done, congratulations Lisa - here's to many more for you : )

[wiskerke]

This one is by Ed Endicott, and is all over the (American part of the) internet.

 

 

get the full book here:

Explaining Extreme Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective

(There's a link to a high resolution version on the same page)

 

(it's not actually from Alamy -shh)

 

wim

 

edit: wacky editor put in half a blank page

[Phil Robinson]

Congratulations, I've had a few on book covers that I've found via Google, one of which I actually brought a copy of  via amazon for 99p! Yet to see one of mine on the cover in a local book shop. 

 

I did that too - it was an image of a cork in a wine bottle, used on the cover of a book on alcoholism. You should have seen the 'targeted advertising' I got after ordering a copy of that

 

Never quite understood this one though

 

I've had some others - including some direct sales (Blue Guides) http://pjrfoto.com/published%20work.htm

[John Mitchell]

 

Congratulations, I've had a few on book covers that I've found via Google, one of which I actually brought a copy of  via amazon for 99p! Yet to see one of mine on the cover in a local book shop. 

 

I did that too - it was an image of a cork in a wine bottle, used on the cover of a book on alcoholism. You should have seen the 'targeted advertising' I got after ordering a copy of that

 

Never quite understood this one though

 

I've had some others - including some direct sales (Blue Guides) http://pjrfoto.com/published%20work.htm

 

 

Yes, interesting choice for a cover. I think it's fair to say that extremists think in terms of black and white. Plus there are many parallel and diverging streams of extremist thought these days. That's my guess. 

 

P.S. How do you guys find your book covers? I can't dig up any of mine on Google. Perhaps that's because they are usually educational books (?).

[Michael Ventura]

John, I go to Google Books and then put in "Michael Ventura Alamy", Most of the results are textbook uses and often only show the credits page, but if you have the cover, the cover is usually shown.

[John Mitchell]

John, I go to Google Books and then put in "Michael Ventura Alamy", Most of the results are textbook uses and often only show the credits page, but if you have the cover, the cover is usually shown.

 

That's what I normally do too. However, I only see a few inside uses even though I've had quite a few book cover sales. Oh well, as long as someone is leasing them, I'm happy.

[Linda]

I've had many book covers from the 1980s on.My first book cover was in 1984,Bruce Springsteen!

 

One was a photo of James Brown on a music song book and one on a cover of a book in Romania,a flower photo abstract for a book in Japan,a college textbook and tons more I can only vaguely remember.

 

We sold this thru my site a few years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Guitar-Chord-Songbook/dp/1846092787/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413762795&sr=8-1&keywords=the+big+guitar+chord+songbook+SOUL

 

 

I always make a point to shoot verticals so that's possibly why I've had quite a few covers.Many interiors too.

 

But you never forget the thrill of having your FIRST book cover!

Congratulations and may everyone here have many more!

L

[Lisa]

 

 

 

P.S. How do you guys find your book covers? I can't dig up any of mine on Google. Perhaps that's because they are usually educational books (?).

 

 

I use Amazon Books:

 

 

Visualizing Environmental Science, 4th Edition by Linda R. Berg, David M. Hassenzahl and Mary Catherine Hager (Feb 4, 2014)

Excerpt - Page 392: "... organic coffee. © John Mitchell/Alamy

 

Atkinson & Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology 6 Apr 2014

photo © John Mitchell / Alamy

 

The Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic 3 Nov 2014

by Rough Guides

 (cr); John Mitchell/Alamy Images

 

Frommer's Costa Rica Day by Day

by Eliot Greenspan

Paperback

© John Mitchell/Alamy: p48;

 

Fodor's Los Cabos: with Todos Santos and La Paz (Full-color Travel Guide) by Fodor's

Excerpt - 148, John Mitchell/Alamy.

 

Fodor's Los Cabos & the Baja Peninsula

by Fodor Travel Publications

Paperback

172, John Mitchell/Alamy.

 

Guinness World Records 2013 (Guinness Book of Records (Mass Market)) by Craig Glenday (Apr 30, 2013)

Excerpt - John Mitchell/ Alamy;

 

National Geographic Traveler: Mexico

by Jane Onstott

Paperback

; 212, John Mitchell/Alamy;

 

Frommer's Cancun and the Yucatan

by David Baird and Christine Delsol

Paperback

Excerpt p. 113: © John Mitchell / Alamy;

 

Puentes: Spanish for Intensive and High-Beginner Courses Jan 2013

by Patti J. Marinelli and Lizette Mujica Laughlin

Paperback

Excerpt  John Mitchell/Alamy 

[Lisa]

I've had many book covers from the 1980s on.My first book cover was in 1984,Bruce Springsteen!

 

 

Very cool!

[Sultanpepa]

What ratio do publishers prefer, 4x6?

[wiskerke]

P.S. How do you guys find your book covers? I can't dig up any of mine on Google. Perhaps that's because they are usually educational books (?).

If in Summary of items sold it says cover, it probably is one. Maybe not with an IQ sale, but it could be.

Drag and drop the image in the Google Images box and look what comes up. If you have anything to go on, like an obvious topic, do a Google text search: much more comes up in a text search.

If you can see from the description in Summary which client it is, go to their website and have a look around there. Especially some bigger clients can be spotted by looking at either the price or the description or both. Once you found one, make a note of it for future reference. The images found threads help as well.

Then there are Google books and Amazon in a lot of languages/countries. Every country has it's own list of books with it's own search function. Some of the textbook editors have a search box on their website. Like Pearson where I have been able to search for Alamy in the past, but not any more. Maybe it's the wrong site to start, because Google Pearson education and there's a whole list of home pages.

Pearson UK has a list of imprints that may lead to something in the end. I have had no luck so far. But persistence usually pays off with these sort of things.

There are some online showcases like Issuu that have a search box, it's more for magazines, but definitely worth a try. Some have books, leaflets, posters and even invitations.

More like Issuu: YUDU; Zinio; Scribd; Ink. Ink has a lot of in flight magazines and well worth a look.

PressDisplay is primarily for newspapers, but they do have magazines as well, certainly for the US and the UK. No books here.

Not all seem to include photo captions in their search options (any more).

 

Happy hunting!

 

wim

[John Mitchell]

What ratio do publishers prefer, 4x6?

 

I don't think the aspect ratio matters. Images usually get cropped for covers. Horizontals are OK too, although I suppose verticals get used more often.

[John Mitchell]

 

P.S. How do you guys find your book covers? I can't dig up any of mine on Google. Perhaps that's because they are usually educational books (?).

If in Summary of items sold it says cover, it probably is one. Maybe not with an IQ sale, but it could be.

Drag and drop the image in the Google Images box and look what comes up. If you have anything to go on, like an obvious topic, do a Google text search: much more comes up in a text search.

If you can see from the description in Summary which client it is, go to their website and have a look around there. Especially some bigger clients can be spotted by looking at either the price or the description or both. Once you found one, make a note of it for future reference. The images found threads help as well.

Then there are Google books and Amazon in a lot of languages/countries. Every country has it's own list of books with it's own search function. Some of the textbook editors have a search box on their website. Like Pearson where I have been able to search for Alamy in the past, but not any more. Maybe it's the wrong site to start, because Google Pearson education and there's a whole list of home pages.

Pearson UK has a list of imprints that may lead to something in the end. I have had no luck so far. But persistence usually pays off with these sort of things.

There are some online showcases like Issuu that have a search box, it's more for magazines, but definitely worth a try. Some have books, leaflets, posters and even invitations.

More like Issuu: YUDU; Zinio; Scribd; Ink. Ink has a lot of in flight magazines and well worth a look.

PressDisplay is primarily for newspapers, but they do have magazines as well, certainly for the US and the UK. No books here.

Not all seem to include photo captions in their search options (any more).

 

Happy hunting!

 

wim

 

 

Thanks, Wim. Not sure I have the patience but shall do some more investigating.

[Phil Robinson]

How to find them? Either Google search turns them up or, if they are reported as covers, a reverse Google image search. Or occasionally by browsing in a bookshop, though I admit that is a long shot...

[dustydingo]

 

What ratio do publishers prefer, 4x6?

 

I don't think the aspect ratio matters. Images usually get cropped for covers. Horizontals are OK too, although I suppose verticals get used more often.

 

 

Quite right. I've had vertical cropped horizontal (or square) and vice versa . . . but most have been vertical used in original format. It is a reason to leave lots of room for cropping, and imo, it's also a reason to shoot and process and submit at the highest possible resolution--front covers can pay very, very nicely indeed.

 

dd