Thanks for Voting!
Thanks for your input! You’ll receive an email April 12 when the book is ready for mailing 🙂
So I’m curious – which cover did you choose, and why?
Much appreciated.
David
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Hajo
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Love the fish cover cause it just appealed to me immeditately. An authentic life style is not the result of earning a lot of money.
But from a sales point of view and thinking about the current economical situation in many countries of the world you should nevertheless go for the $ 100 note cover David. -
fabio
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The $100 is really clever and colorful, however the way the dollar splits your ace in half is a bit disturbing.
The FISH cover is interesting, it’s the fish taking the leap, doing his own thing.
I like that one. -
jake
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i voted for the blue cover one because striking colour always captures my attention. i didn’t like the fact that your face and money collide to create an image. i am tired of money being the focus all the time. americans are often associated with money-religion.
the fish one was actually my first favourite but if a fish jumps away from other fish, from the water, it dies. so that was an unsettling message. using a fish swimming in a different direction would work or by using another species group.
in fact, i revise my answer, if you changed the fish to another animal group i would vote for it. it captures the be yourself, different from the crowd message the best.the leaning one is just boring. it looks like a backpackers guide to somewhere.
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C.
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I like the fish jumping out, distinguishing itself from the others. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with “getting paid”, but I always found it obnoxious to see the author on the cover of a book, rather than in the inside fold with a short biography.
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Llew
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The $100 bill cover is a little to Americanised for my British tastes 😉 It looks a bit tacky, sending a “do it for the money” signal rather than a “I’m being myself, getting paid for it comes naturally”.
The fish cover sends across a “fish out of water” metaphor which I think is undesirable… Being different to everyone else isn’t necessarily being yourself. Also the serif-y font isn’t very good on the eyes for the title.
The leaning cover is the best in my opinion, it’s the simplest design-wise and focuses strongest on being yourself . It screams “be who you are” the most, and the money part comes naturally. The typeface of the fonts overall works best, though I’d experiment with replacing the title font with helvetica and adjusting others as required. I wouldn’t add anything to the cover, all I’d do is tone down the angle of the lean by a few degrees…
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mglito
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The fish: has zip, energy and a sense of direction all of his own.
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scott
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I liked the aesthetics of the fish cover from the image down… although it didn’t quite align with the whole point of the book. The $100 one was weird, and the leaning one wasn’t very sleek in its design.
The thing that turned me off about the fish cover was the styling/font of the title. WOuld have voted for it otherwise.
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Larry
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The leaning cover would be better if the leaning were less dramatic.
On the Goldfish cover; the Goldfish leaping out of the water could be larger and more colorful than the other fish. -
Jared
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I voted for the fish because of the three I felt it looked the best ascetically, but it would be nice to be able to tie money into the cover in someway since that is also a focus of the book
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Wayne
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“Fish out of Water” and jumping out voluntarily. What better discriptor is there???
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Tom
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I voted for the goldfish cover because of the emphasized WHO YOU. I was drawn to the color of the tropical cover, but am not much tempted by the tropics (and, so, for me, the setting clashes with the title – since it’s not me).
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g-rizzo
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The 100 dollar note immediately stuck out not only for it’s significance for wealth, but also how it was integrated into who you were in quite a creative and artistic way. Good luck with the book!
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bt
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i like the fish because it’s supposed to be about _me_ not _you_. your photo de-personalizes it.
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Jason
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I liked the Leaning cover because the author was relaxed, something I like to relate to. The author looks like ‘the guy next door, another good aspect. I like goldfish but I don’t relate it to making money. The $100.00 bill was cool but it distorted the author’s face, not cool.
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Vik
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I would make the one fish hopping out of the water bigger to kind of symbolise the indivdual/inteded buyer or make the jumping fish look at the inteded buyer, thus speaking to the customer.
For the leaning cover, I would add an arrow pointing towards the person (you) standing there or I’d have you pointing toward the intended customer, not in a too Uncle Sam-ish way, though. This also for the purpose of directing the book at the customer, thus emphasizing the books title.
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Duncan
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I like the fish! I’m feeling a little childish so maybe improve it with a cartoon like speech bubble from the jumping fish saying “yippeeeee I’m free” or something about the other fish still not realising they’re swimming in/surrounded by water.
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Eamonn
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I think the one with your face is the best because it shows you “as you are” which is the theme of the book. The other covers are very cliche and I would instantly categorize it straight into the sea of useless self-help books out there that go over the same themes over and over.
Differenciate it. Make it how you want and to the market you want. Do you think the masses will benefit from this realistically and if not then who will and hone in on that, emphasize it and really do it how you want it, not how a publishing house has suggested. Only you know how it should be like because no one else has read the book.
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Rasmus
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I liked the typography of the “LEANING” and the imagery of the FISH. Make the typography in the FISH cover as good and that will be the best cover. Still, the fish that jumps up feels a bit too close to the text..
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Rich
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Fish for sure. Clean, uncluttered, well-composed, catches the eye with a striking metaphor for (what I take is meant to be) the theme of the book.
Leaning guy is second best of the four, mainly as it’s not too busy. But–just a personal response–it seems to me I’ve seen thousands of leaning-guy business/career/change-your-life books, and this one doesn’t call forth any emotional response for me.
Dan is right about bad grammar, misspellings (one of the covers referred to the “foreward”), and biz-speak clichés putting off buyers. Or maybe Dan and I are just the two people left in the United States who care about language … “Impact lives” didn’t grate on me as much as it did on Dan, but it does edge a little into trendyspeak. I’m not sure I have a better verb–“change lives” is more straightforward but could have the connotation of slipping into some other life, I guess.
Oh, the $100 bill–this one didn’t appeal to me at all. Esthetically jarring, and half your face obscured by a disproportioned piece of currency–covering your mouth–does that really convey what you want to be telling your readers? I would walk right past this in the bookstore or library, *unless* some other source had aroused my interest before I ever saw the cover.
Off the topic, I think I was in that Waterstone’s in Covent Garden last month–very busy indeed!
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Daniel
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First ask yourself what message you want to send. Is the book about being the best you and being successful and happy? Is the book about going your own rout. or is it about making money. Your inner philosophy will be the real truth to which cover you should use.
The Leaning one shows confidence and the idea of Leaning on who you are while wearing a big ol’ smile gave me a sense of confidence in the source material. I know I want to feel like that guy feels. You might try justifying the type on the title by adjusting the horizontal size. This might give it a more solid feel but over all the only uncomfortable thing on the cover is the Author placement.
The money one reminds me too much of infomercials where you can make a lot of money on realestate.
The fish one Has two problems. 1) it reminds too much of “The Big Leap” Cover. 2) it has two major elements fighting each other. The text is powerful and bold but doesn’t work with the image. The image is trying to tell you something about breaking free. A san-serif and reworking of the typeography to show a bigger and maybe different colored fish jumping over/through the title might help it overall.
Then there is the other one. ZZZZZZZ.
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Chris
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I think the Goldfish cover is by far the best. It is the most unique and relates to the subject matter in a clever/non-obvious way.
Improvements? hmmm.
Maybe give the “jumping” goldfish wings. Emphasizing the need to find your unique gifts *and* the right environment to utilize them in.
I would also consider making the background black. Hardly any self help books are black. I know it would catch *my* attention at least.
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Derek
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I also voted for the fish. It has a symbolic meaning and it is the one I could relate to most and it’s pleasing to the eyes.
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J.J.
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I voted fish. You’re a decent looking guy, but not recognizable-so having your picture wouldn’t help me make a decision to buy- save that for your future books.
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Misha
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I voted for the $100 note, while I find the fish more aesthetically appealing the $100 note appeals to the need for money (or just greed) and makes me want to pick it up and check it out.
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Erin
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I voted for the cover with the 100 dollar bill, mainly for its representation with success. The fish out of water cover is interesting and has a more authentic feel but lacking something. Perhaps showing the fish in a bowl with a little 9 to 5 time emblem, a dollar sign, a heart and a smiley face etched into it — emphasizing the freedom of having time, money, love of what you do and more happiness. Just a random thought. Hope the book does great! 😀
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Bill Minnis
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Thought the orange color too weak on the fish cover
Leaning cover also weak. Why lean??? Thought you are going for strengh!
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Dan – tell me what you really think! LOL. I love that I’m getting such straight feedback. Thank you!
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Shaun
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I voted for the fish because it caught my eye, Im an artist and unique things like that offten get my attention. I would change the font colour to be blue or that golden brown. do get lost with all the other fishes in doing the samething
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Kimo
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I didn’t really like any of the covers, however there are some elements that you could use in three of them. Of the four the goldfish was the most visually appealing overall, as well as the $100 note and the design elements of palm trees. If you combined the island motif and $100 note as what the goldfish was jumping out of it’s safe environment for it would communicate a lot more of what I think the book might be about.
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hassan
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THE LEANING. We tend to associate a relaxed image to doing something that we want to do for a living.
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Gabe
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The fish cover speaks to me the most. The fish out of water and having the guts to actually take the leap from the element in which you live and break from the pack — all pretty powerful.
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Alexander
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I liked the simplicity and clean look of the one with David Woods torso in the front, and green text above. I imagen it to say something like: “This is me and my brilliant ideas. I don’t need other stuff on this cover, beacause my honesty sells it self”.
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The fish cover leapt out at me and visually communicated the essence of the book.
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Johnny
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I vote forbthe $100 dollar note. Many people connect success with monetary gains. I also agree with the mentioned statement from one if the other comments that it would better stick out in a book store shelf.
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Jack Ritchie
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I chose the gold fish because of two reasons. One he didn’t stay with the crowd and second he took a leap of faith. To the fish he proved to himself he could do it (break free).
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Dan
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They all had their pros and cons.
The dollar bill one is, to me, the worst. For starters “Free up for your time” makes NO sense. I would never buy this book for the simple reason that NOT EVEN THE COVER WAS LOOKED AT BY AN EDITOR! That alone says to me that this book is going to be full of typos, errors, and bad writing. Visually, it’s cheesy, clichéd, and looks far more like it’s offering a get-rich-quick scheme than any actual tips to genuinely improve my life. It feels crass, even vulgar. The visual effects don’t really make an sense, either (though that’s totally nitpicky, I admit). That’s the cover that I’d most expect to see advertised on cable at 3am.
I voted for the fish one, because the aesthetic was the most pleasing / least off-putting. However, there are enough similar covers out there that it loses some impact. Which brings me to the worst part: the use of “impact lives” was a turn-off. Bad grammar on the cover is a HUGE turn off for me. Here, it makes me suspect I’m going to hear a lot of “business-speak” i.e. “big” words used incorrectly and repeatedly.
The leaning one isn’t bad. But it has been done before, and also uses “impact” improperly. But it’s less eye-catching and “uniqueness-indicating” than the fish.
The big head one doesn’t misuse “impact”, is simple, uncluttered, and clean. All very strong benefits. The problem is that I have no idea who this doofus is (no offense) or why he hasn’t even combed his hair. I’m almost unsure if he is the “before” or “after” picture. (Almost)
All that said, I voted for the fish, because the question was which one “would [I] buy?”, not “which one do you think will sell?”
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The $100 cover initially jumped out at me because it was so different and therefore striking, and while the goldfish one is the most artistic (for me), it didn’t convey to me, in an instant, what the book was going to be about. I ended up asking myself, “Which book would compel me to see what was inside it,” and that was the Leaning cover, because I definitely preferred seeing you to get a gut hit about who you are: your friendly face and full-body availability on the cover conveys authenticity, accessiblity, and expertise; and the leaning conveys “comfortable in his skin”; and the big vertical title conveys boldness, straight talk, solidity, height, simple truth.
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Wow! I get a call from my assistant at 6:35am Pacific time to day “They sent the email out before we finished the voting page!”
That’s why you were seeing two of some pictures. We’ve just updated the page with the final four so we are good to go now.
Thanks for all your comments guys – they are very valuable. And it’s so exciting for me to share these and get real feedback.
David
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I picked “leaning”. It does not need to “stand out on a shelf” as I suppose it’s gonna be an ebook. The design is the most professional. If you pick the 100$ one, you need to adjust it so the shoulders match, it looks really creepy.
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Boris
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Definetely the leaning one, it looks so effortless and relaxed, and that seems to be the whole point of the matter. Seems congruent with the title.
The fish one is beautiful, dut doesn’t make obvious sense. I get the flying fish thing, but I personally don’t associate succes with being a fish OUT of water!! Just the opposite in fact.
The portrait one … no offence, that’s not the way to go 😉
The $100 one … looks to stereotypical … too much focus on ‘money money money’, not enough on ‘being your self’. Classic succes-cheesy look.
And I hope you choose the one that YOU like the best!! And I hope it’s the leaning one 😉
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vincent
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I voted for 100$ note since it makes me image personal success associated with money
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Nick
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I voted for the Fish, because it was the only cover in which the subtitle (share your passion etc etc) was easily visible. Plus, I don’t recognize David so him being on the cover is not a selling point.
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Kylar
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I like seeing your face, but like Conrad I was drawn to the fish cover because it seemed to give me an immediate picture of trying to go against the expected, which being your authentic self often requires. Can’t wait to read it!
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Tom
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The relaxed look from leaning spoke of authentic cofindence. “I’m a success, my way and I enjoy my life!
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conrad
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Hey, I immediately was drawn to the fish one. I had the sense that by reading the book that I would/could have the experience of rising out of my current comfort zone, the surrounding water, and soar into unknown territory, like I was no longer just a fish and could become freer and more expansive.
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I chose the goldfish.
“for who you are” is the exciting part of the title for me.
If I was going to be excited about being me and getting paid for it. I’d want an image that I could project that feeling on to- not an image with a specific face or a skinny guy with jeans (no offense of course). -
Joe
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I immediately connected to the fish that has jumped out of the water, therefore I voted for ‘The Fish’ cover.
The jumping fish signifies momentum towards ones goal. It personifies the qualities of individuality, courage and belief. It captures what this book is about, dare to be different and follow your dream.
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Drew
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The Goldfish. The ones that have a picture of the author made me think, “does this guy really know what the f#$! he’s talking about??” The fish were aesthetically pleasing and didn’t bring up any judgmental thoughts about the author. Plus I liked the imagery of one fish figuring out how to launch out of the water, made me want to be that fish.
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I voted for the $100 cover because it stands out very clearly.
Besides,it shows money which is a symbol of success.
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I voted for the leaning picture. The $100 note version is vulgar in a way only money-obsessed Americans might respond to, in my humble opinion (I am not American) and because your face is obscured I don’t feel spoken to. The fish motifs don’t seem relevant. The leaning cover is aesthetic and well-balanced with clean lines; the message is conveyed clearly and the happy guy drives it home. It’s true what the bookseller says about the $100 version standing out more, but do you really want to put yourself on the same level as cheap scams and lose your credibility?
It seems that some people get two leaning versions. I got one leaning and two fish.
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I like the $100 note the best. All where very good. Can’t wait to read the book!
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The leaning cover got my vote. It just stands out, is friendly and makes me want to see what is inside.
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Alister
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I voted for the leaning one because it stood out more clearly, particularly the type – bold clear message saying what the book is about. If the type had been clearer on the goldfish one I might have voted for it, as I think the image is better than just another book with a picture of the author on it.
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Andrew
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I felt the Leaning cover was best, the $100 dollar one looked cheesey and unsettling, the fish is totally un-original I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that cover or picture elsewhere but if I had a nickle for every time….
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Michael
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Fish – while it didn’t immediately seem to connect with the title & what I assume the subject matter will contain, it did make me think about what that picture was conveying, and so seemed to create a deeper connection in my mind.
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Doug
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I voted for the $100 note…I associate “getting paid” with greenbacks, not goldfish, nor someone just standing there…
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Joe
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The $100 note cover stood out the most and conveyed the message crisply. The leaning covers looked generic, the fish was interesting but you don’t want to convey that these ideas translate to “a fish out of water” (not an inspiring thought, that the ideas in this book will make you feel out of your element and gasping!)
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I voted for the 4th one over on the right…The one with David Staning on the left and the title in big bold down the right side.
What’s important to remember here is…this cover is going to be super small because I’m assuming it’s going to be on the web. If that’s the case, you’re going to want the words to be extremely clear and easy to read.
I also like the symbolism of the money. Maybe you could add money to the one of the far right with big words?
The two with the fish made me think too much. I want something for this cover that doesn’t make me guess what’s going on.
My two cents worth.
Best to you.
Otto
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Cash cover: tacky
The lean: it’s been (over)done
The fish: perfectly represents the book’s message -
Terry O'Carroll
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I voted for the $100 note. The two “leaning” covers struck me as rather generic, I’ve seen too many similar covers. The fish… just didn’t seem relevant to what the book is about. OTOH, I’m a rather literal-minded person. Of the four, I felt the $100 note had the most impact. I disagree with poster KJSM, above. I don’t think that anyone in the major English-speaking countries who is the kind of person who would buy such a book, would fail to get the reference. I mean, anyone who watches TV in Australia has seen enough American shows to know what US dollars look like. If I heard someone talking about “folding green” or “dead presidents” I’d know he meant money, not lettuce or expired political leaders. I should also add that I’ve worked in bookstores for years and buy a lot of books, so I’ve seen plenty of book covers. 🙂
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Bjorn
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I voted for THE FISH, as it screamed individuality with that single fish jumping up out of the water aka going its own way. Awesome for the books purpose. It was also the most beautiful cover.
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Troy
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$100 note – no question. The leaning looks to me as if it will be a comedy or something. And the fish – another new age feel good book! We already have more of those than any culture should.
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Ben
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The fish……….The money didnt encapsulate the bigger picture, however the fish while looking more athsteticly pleasing also reminded me of the the Richard Bach story ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’. Be individual, AUTHENTIC and move away from the average fish!
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Adam
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I voted for the fish, it has a symbolic meaning and it is the one I could relate to most.
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I picked the $100 note cover since I feel it captures the essence of what I just read up above, and that one stuck out the most to me. I almost picked the goldfish one, and I love the analogy that cover gives the potential reader, though it didn’t stick out as much to me as the $100 note cover. The leaning ones are alright, but seemed almost a little too simple and I feel they would get lost in the crowd. Whichever one you end up going with, I can’t wait to check out the book when it’s ready!
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The bill on the cover is the best HOWEVER USING AMERICAN MONEY MAKES OTHER COUNTRIES FEEL EXCLUDED. Not me personally as i was raised in the united states – but it’s like when american tv/film uses the word ‘green’ as a money reference or perhaps play on words: 9/10 other countries aren’t gonna get the reference. And i mean english-speaking countries. Obviously you cant have a bill that suits ever nations currency – sure you could make some multicolored thing but just as many people would be confused and think what the hell as would think ”ah money of the world”.
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TIm
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I like the one with the $100 note. It’s more catchy and jumps out more.
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Obie Hunt
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The bill on the cover seemed to match the title.
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I voted for “The Fish” visually it was the most stimulating as I connected with the fish out of water aspect of being different.
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Rich
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I just went with the lean. What bugs me though is that the title seems somehow grammatically awkward. Shouldn’t it be “Get Paid for Being Who You Are” or something?
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Chris
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The goldfish as I thought it was a good example of anything being possible with thinking differently and daring to do what others are afraid to do.
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Jeremiah
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The goldfish “leapt” out to me immediately. It was powerful, professional and whimsical at the same time.
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Bob Heitker
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I voted for the $100 cover. Having worked at a bookstore for a few years, my experience tells me that cover would draw the most interest from the casual shopper to pick it up and start thumbing thru it. Although a great cover doesn’t guarantee a sale, covers are a prime reason for a browser to pick up a book to check out its contents.
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Victor
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I chose the leaning one because it spoke authenticity to me, genuine, it looked simple, casual, guy in t-shirt and jeans and getting paid for it wthout the extras was appealing. IT wasnt cluttered and it wouldbe a cover id gladly add to my library
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Maurice
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I voted for the gold fish cover. The fish jumping out of the water as opposed to the others swimming around better captures the essence of the title.
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dan
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I like the $100 note. It screams ‘success’ thru authenticity, the other 2 covers were just too…..cuddly.
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James
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Actually it showed up on my screen as two of the LEANING and one of the $100 NOTE. While the $100 NOTE stood out, the way it broke up your face was unsettling. LEANING was more accessible.
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Andrew
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In the spirit of complete honesty, I voted for the goldfish cover on pure aesthetics. I think your book sounds awesome, however I think you should look a little more stylish on the cover of your own book. Sorry if that’s harsh!
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Cody
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I voted for the $100 note, because I tend to associate success and freedom with having money.
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Hakon
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THE $100 NOTE as it was the only one that would stick out on a shelf.
THE LEANING is bland and would melt into the landscape of other books, while THE FISH has no connection with the subject and wouldn’t catch a potential buyer’s interest (for this sort of book).
I managed several sections in a very busy Waterstone’s in Covent Garden in the heart of London for a year and it’s tricky finding a cover that actually sticks out.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Hakon
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