WoT Custom Book Cover Project using eBook Art

[Khalus]

I've been doing a bit of research into the book covers for the Wheel of Time, and it has become evidently clear that very few like the US covers created by Darrel K. Sweet, mainly because of how inconsistent and off they are.  None of them represent an accurate scene from any of the books or portray the characters how they should be and its downright sad.  I really don't blame you all and hate most of them too, especially the Gathering Storm cover.  Seriously why would that crap get approved...

 

Since the announcement of the new eBook covers, which I find to be most incredible, I've had on my mind to create new covers for my own books.  I just never got around to it because of the mass amount of time I know it'd take.  Well, when book #5 Art was revealed the other day; that jump-started my eagerness to fire up photoshop and get in there and do it!  We WoT fans in the US have begged for the covers from the UK and other regions for years and never got them, and from what most members I see commenting here; are really hoping these new covers will be released someday too, but even if they were, {which I highly doubt} it'll be many years yet from now.

 

These jackets that I'm creating are down to the millimeter in accurate size for the retail version of each novel.  I've of course left out all the copyright/legal text cause I don't feel it necessary on a custom creation.  The total width of each image will slightly change due to the size of each bind.  I have called around to several places that can print such large and high-quality jackets and our local Fed-Ex/Kinkos can do a matte finish that costs $15, or a high-gloss photo print for $30.

 

I also visited Costco, they're a bulk foods warehouse and their photo department can also make high-quality prints on 20" by 30" canvasses for $8.99, which I can easily fit two jackets on, so we'd end up only paying $4.50 for each one, which I think is an amazing deal.  The thickness of this print is about or just slightly under that of the thickness of a sheet of poster-board, perfect for a book cover and quite rugged.  

 

This project I'm working on is entirely on my own time, mainly for my own use; "not-for-profit" in any way, but I thought that I'd share these with the WoT community too.  You are all welcome to use these custom jackets however you wish, share them with others, post them on other forums and even print them out for your own books.

 

 

I now have the final design complete, which will be the same for each book. The only thing that will change from jacket to jacket are the main cover Art, size of the bind, dedication to the Artist, and some slight changes to the layout of the text on both front and rear flaps; too make it fit the best possible!

 

Another thing to note, the single images below are in that of 72dpi, there will be a 300dpi canvass posted for every two eventually!

 

 

Full size of this image can be viewed here!  ~  Complete!

 

Full size of this image can be viewed here!  ~  Complete!

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww198/Khalus_Akuhei/Wheel%20of%20Time/WoT2-tGH-Final-Cover-Darker-1.jpg[/img]

 

Full size of this image can be viewed here!  ~  Complete!

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww198/Khalus_Akuhei/Wheel%20of%20Time/WoT3-tDR-Final-Cover-Darker-3.jpg[/img]

 

Full size of this image can be viewed here!  ~  Complete!

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww198/Khalus_Akuhei/Wheel%20of%20Time/WoT4-tSR-Final-CoverDarker-1.jpg[/img]

 

Full size of this image can be viewed here!  ~  Complete!

http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww198/Khalus_Akuhei/Wheel%20of%20Time/WoT5-tFoH-Final-Cover-Darker-1.jpg[/img]

 

 

[rubbernilly]

That's pretty cool, Khalus.

 

I don't normally like covers that depict scenes from within, and certainly not those that try to let me know how I should envision some character. I like to construct that for myself. That being said, if you have to have a character on the cover, then I like your effort here immensely more than the stock covers.

 

I'd be careful with the rights to the images you use, though.

 

Good job!

[mb]

Not entirely sure, but this project might risk copyright laws especially if you copy current covers.

 

[RescueMoraine]

Very nice!  I think I'll use em.  Thanks!

 

The stock art is sadly pretty bad.

[JenniferL]

Tor and Team Jordan are unlikely to go nuts over someone creating their own covers and offering them for free. I mean, my copy of TEOTW has a spine i drew by hand in the seventh grade after the original cover fell off the paperback. I don't think anyone cares.

[Khalus]

Well, I'm glad that the few WoT fans that have responded like what I've created.  I'll be starting on the 2nd cover later tonight, and should have it posted in the next two days or so.

 

As far as copyright, I've looked it up and for most part you have the right to use any photo or image on the net as you wish as long as you don't try to claim it as your own or make a profit on it.  The only thing I claim as mine is the layout design of this cover using others respected works and images, which is pretty much all of it...hehe

 

Hope I'll be able to afford printing these out for myself someday, but for now I plan to keep looking around and see if I can find a cheaper offer.  I'm checking with Costco photo department tonight, since they have the tech in-store to print digital photos, and I'm sure I've seen 24" and larger sheets they can print right there while you wait, and it didn't cost much but we'll see!  {I'll report back if its possible there for cheap...}

[Khalus]

Well then, found a much much better deal at Costco.  They sell a photo-poster print sheet there for $8.99 that is 20" by 30" which is more than large enough to fit 2 of these covers on.  However, I'll have to make a 20" by 30" canvass w/ a solid BG and place both of them on there for it to print properly per the photo clerk.  Already tried to print one as a test with no BG, and just a single image on the current canvass wouldn't work.  Oh and they said I can also bump the dpi up to 300 at no additional costs; the current I have the one above set at is only 72 dpi.  So I'll be sure to bump that up when I re-post the 1st and 2nd books together.

 

So that comes out to be $4.50 per cover, and more than affordable to me now, and anyone else interested in these that have a Costco in their area. 

 

Once I get the second cover complete I'll post them both on said canvass ready for anyone to grab and print their own.  Oh and as I asked in the OP, please lemme know if there is something you think should be included or changed and I'll see about getting it added.  Also I'm considering making the rear cover different and/or a different photo of RJ for each book too, so if anyone has some good images of him, or one they'd prefer for a particular volume please post it...thx

[matrulz]

well the EotW cover is one of the few i dont mind, but i like yours too.

anything you can do to help rid my books of the awful cover art is greatly appreciated. thank you and keep up the good work ;)

[rubbernilly]

khalus,

 

I think the layout is great... but if you're looking for suggestions, you might say what size that picture is (the main one of Rand). If people could come up with that size in 300 dpi (or not, you can always up-select in photoshop... to a certain degree), you could have almost a modular cover with people able to include their own idea there.

 

Course, that would mean work for you to produce them.

 

Eh. It's a suggestion. It's not *the* suggestion. There are no suggestions to the turning of the Wheel, but it is *a* suggestion.

 

:D

[Khalus]

The main and rear covers are both 9.5in height and 6.5in width.  The bind will change per book.  I'm planning to upscale the main images as much as I can though, but I'm mainly looking for rear cover suggestions, since that's basically a blank sheet of just solid color.  I like what I've done already and may not change it too reduce the amount of work that is already required for everything else, but we'll see.

 

Just had an idea come to mind I'd like to try, so there will more than likely be a delay in the 2nd cover's completion!

[Samuel]

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually likes Darell's covers. Yes, I like them. Yes, I'm happy with them. It just seems like part of WOT to me, those covers and that style, I like it.

 

Your jacket's pretty nice Khalus. One thing though, it might be better to put "New Spring" before"Book One".

[Talmanes]

That reminds me of some of the foreign WoT covers. Some of them are extremely similar in style to yours.

[Kadere]

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually likes Darell's covers. Yes, I like them. Yes, I'm happy with them. It just seems like part of WOT to me, those covers and that style, I like it.

 

Your jacket's pretty nice Khalus. One thing though, it might be better to put "New Spring" before"Book One".

 

YAY! I'm not alone! *high-five* I'm also apparently the only person who doesn't like the new covers at all.

[Khalus]

Made a few changes from suggestions,{moved Prequel to top of list} and also implemented my idea I had last night.  Which was adding corner borders to the rear cover too make it stand out more and not be so bland.  Since the theme of this cover and others to come appear to have quite a bit of tan in them I also gave the oval border around RJ's picture on the rear flap a tan hue as well.

 

This new rendition has been posted under the original in the OP.  Please lemme know what ya think, so I can finalize the main layout and begin working on the 2nd novel...

 

 

[Khalus]

And the first cover is now complete and finalized,{see below} you can find a link to the full-sized image in the OP as well as the original designs for now!

 

Spent a countless # of hours working on this the past few days since my first upload, and I'm very happy with how this has turned out.  The decision to use a few different shades of tan for various portions of the jacket has made it really pop and not all blend together.  And through several LQ test prints having the rear border design mirrored on the right and spill onto the bind made that look so much better.  Please enjoy this final version and of course you're welcome to use it as you wish.  Coloring the front and back flaps a tan hue as well has made it look even better, the white I think stood out far too much and didn't flow well with the overall design...it was actually hurting my eyes a little.

 

I'll be working on the 2nd cover for tGH soon, and once that one is complete I'll upload them both on a 20-30" canvass for those interested to print out their own new covers at Costco.

[amy93]

Wow great work Khalus!

I think I'll print all of them  ;)

[dapianoplay3r]

Does anyone actually know how tor approved such bad covers?

[Khalus]

Does anyone actually know how tor approved such bad covers?

 

Havn't the slightest clue unless they have some kind of lengthy contract with Sweet, but still his art for WoT is horrible!

[dapianoplay3r]

I would have thought that after the books became so popular they would have hird someone new like for the ebooks. If i saw the ebook covers on a book i would read it. I wouldnt have startd if it was your us covers (the first few books were the uk covers. I live in nz so we get both)

[mb]

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually likes Darell's covers.

I also like the US covers; a combination of these reasons (maybe more)::

-They are significantly different from each other.

-They seem accurate to the scenes they depict.

-Quality of them seems not too bad.

 

[Khalus]

The 2nd jacket is now complete, and the full-size is linked in the OP.  I'll also be posting them on a 20" by 30" canvass later after I myself have tested them personally, and might even have images of them on the novels themselves.  Please check back later!

 

[Samuel]

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually likes Darell's covers. Yes, I like them. Yes, I'm happy with them. It just seems like part of WOT to me, those covers and that style, I like it.

 

Your jacket's pretty nice Khalus. One thing though, it might be better to put "New Spring" before"Book One".

 

YAY! I'm not alone! *high-five* I'm also apparently the only person who doesn't like the new covers at all.

 

Hehe, glad we're not alone. Yeah, I really don't like the new covers. I love the one for Eye Of The World (looks a lot like Rand in my head and I love the Tower of Gheniji being in the background) but really don't particularly

 

Sometimes I think I'm the only person who actually likes Darell's covers.

I also like the US covers; a combination of these reasons (maybe more)::

-They are significantly different from each other.

-They seem accurate to the scenes they depict.

-Quality of them seems not too bad.

 

like any of the others.

 

Yeah, I enjoyed the difference too. Change is good! The Lord of Chaos cover and Path of Daggers cover always stuck out to me as accurate and good looking.

 

Anyways, to TS, your finalised version of TEOTW cover looks good man, nice job.

[schneb]

 

As far as copyright, I've looked it up and for most part you have the right to use any photo or image on the net as you wish as long as you don't try to claim it as your own or make a profit on it.  The only thing I claim as mine is the layout design of this cover using others respected works and images, which is pretty much all of it...hehe

 

For personal use, you can use the images, once you start distributing them, things get iffy.  Even if you're doing it completely for free, it impinges on the copyright holder's ability to control their work (or make money off of it) and thus can be against copyright laws.  As far as I know it doesn't matter whether or not it was published on the internet.

 

These jackets that I'm creating are down to the millimeter in accurate size for the retail version of each novel.  I've of course left out all the copyright/legal text cause I don't feel it necessary on a custom creation.

 

Again, if you're going to be distributing it, the copyright/legal text is absolutely necessary.

[Khalus]

Finished the third cover for The Dragon Reborn, and the full size can be found in the OP:

 

 

 

Also should TOR, the Rigney estate or the artists of these covers have an issue with me making these, then I'll await their comment or cease of distribution.  If I hear nothing then they don't know about them or approve and have no issues and I'll continue to make these for myself and the WoT community...

[Khalus]

And book #4 The Shadow Rising is complete!  Since getting the layout finalized it is far easier to just make the few adjustments for each book and get them finished quickly.  The full-sized link is of course in the OP!