30 Covers, 30 Days 2011: Day 25 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126 Tim Kim Today's cover was created in 24 hours by the ingenious Jamie Keenan: <img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv8ap4p5qT1r0x68m.jpg"><strong> Lancer's War</strong> by <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/en/participants/tom-martin" rel="nofollow">Tom Martin</a> (Tom Martin is the author's username. His name requested for his cover was Tom Olivier-Martin). No one can predict the future. There was no apocalypse that ravaged the planet, no global disaster. The near collapse of humanity came from the apathy and depravity that has always defined us. The last megacorporations are now pivotal to humanity's survival, specializing in resource recycling, agriculture and energy, the secrets of which are highly coveted and incredibly well guarded. It would seem that war would be inevitable, but a new sort of global conflict has arisen. Enter the Lancers, mercenaries that pilot massive cyborgs, sponsored by governments and private organizations. They fight for the access rights to the megacorporation's resources, dueling in gladiatorial-style combat, at once both a source of great entertainment for the masses and the only hope some countries have of re-emerging from this new age of poverty. Ethan and Chloe are up-and-coming Lancers, orphaned twins that were raised and bred to be the best. All seems well in their world until they meet Rana, a secretive and anti-social girl that might just be the best Lancer anyone has ever seen, but whose true nature might tear them apart. And even as they struggle to consolidate their differences, the war of the Lancers will take its toll and cost them more than they could ever imagine. Will they survive the true price of being a Lancer, or will it destroy them, like it has so many others before? No one can predict the future. <strong><a href="http://www.keenandesign.com/" rel="nofollow">Jamie Keenan</a></strong> lives in England and designs book covers. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:20:10 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841448 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841448 Lilia Sparks Really busy, but once you see the title, you're like OHHH Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:35:22 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841595 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841595 DeepEnder44 I LOVE THIS ....very very very clever Only I couldn't find the title..but that dosen't matter, it attracts readers immediatley! Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:58:25 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841784 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841784 cleobourne Do you think the major companies might get a little edgy seeing thier logos on a book cover like this? Don't get me wrong, the execution of the style is astoundingly clever, but, I had a very very hard time looking for the name of the author who I thought might have been Oliver, or that might have been the name of the book, I had to scroll down to work it out. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:11:22 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841877 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841877 lycaenide Very clever. The synopsis sounds great too. But I'm a little confused as to why the name Oliver is there. Maybe I'm missing something... Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:16:24 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841925 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841925 arrawyn LOve this cover! very different and clever. love all the different logos but what other people have said - it's hard to figure out the author's name ( and title) Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:18:13 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841945 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_841945 JEMMYTEE Sorry, but this one's too confusing to me. I like the concept, but you have to already know the title in order to find it. As an off-note, I find it interesting that the vast majority of synopses chosen for cover art are fantasy-oriented. Was that a deliberate meme? Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:48:06 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842242 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842242 Lady_Indis_Dress Don't like this one. Too difficult to pick out the title and author name from the noise of other things. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:50:48 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842268 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842268 Auld Soul After my eyes stopped darting all over the cover, they still couldn't pick out the title or the author. Finding out these vitally important things from the synopsis still didn't help. Also, it seems that Olivier is just as important as the other words on the cover. If I were Tom Martin, I'd be very disappointed but probably too polite to comment negatively. The synopsis is good, but I wouldn't pick up the book to read it based on this cover. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:52:58 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842824 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842824 akaaliza I feel like most nanos are fantasy/ sci-fi, lol. As for the cover, I'm not feeling it. :/ Looks like an expose at first glance, and not in a good way. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:56:20 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842853 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842853 Hautegeisha ....really? Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:08:12 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842968 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_842968 dolphinherovamp5 :-/ Honestly, not my favorite cover. Can I be honest? I liked the covers from last year better. They just were. But all the synopses have been amazing. One of the things that bugs me though is that last year, if you wanted to be even considered, you had to try and keep up with the daily word count and such. This year some of them haven't and that makes me wonder if just having a synopsis is the only thing that's important instead of ACTUALLY writing it. I mean, you can see the effort and I know people have busy lives, but really, I prefer the method they had last year. But anyways, here is what I think of the synopsis. Tom Olivier-Martin, it is excellent. It's not vague, flows, and sounds like it'd be an amazing book to read. I hope to see it in a Barnes and Noble store in the future. :) Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:56:41 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844147 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844147 RoboPhantom I love the sound of the book, but I'm not feeling the cover. As many have already said, it's too busy and too difficult to pick out the vitally important title and author's name. I finally got tired of it and just scrolled down to see what it was. That said, I might pick it up just to find out what on earth such a busy cover was for, so it would get it's job done at the very least. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:06:13 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844249 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844249 WriterGirl11 synopsis=amazing. Cover= a little bit confusing, but still eye-catching. I would definitely read this, and hope to read it soon! Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:06:31 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844253 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844253 Anahlynn The cover is really good and I can't wait for it to be published, but the cover is less than spectacular. Yet another cover that is confusing and hard to understand. The only way you would know what the title was is if you knew before hand. I agree with dolphinherovamp5. The covers from last year were much better. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:09:27 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844280 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844280 HeraldMage I feel like I'm the only one who immediately saw the title and author's name before scrolling down xD (okay I thought his name was just Tom Olivier). It just popped out at me, since Lancer's War seem to be the only two words that followed one another and made sense, and I figured the author's name would be right under it, or close by. I think it'd help if the title and his name were used in the same font/coloring. Anyway, I do agree that it's congested and kinda just looks like some sort of traveling guide. Or maybe like a kid's collage project o.o Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:13:49 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844337 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844337 Lorata Yeah, just look at the number of novels/authors on the site and you'll see it skews high toward the speculative fiction end. It's just numbers. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:17:12 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844367 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844367 Lorata Apparently I'm not American-consumer-culture-savvy enough to realise those were logos; even after being told, I recognised the one that's a credit card (Mastercard?) but that's it. So whoops. But I'm definitely an outlier in this case. Other than that, though ... ehhhhhhh. I have no idea what the title or the author's name is, and even when I looked down to see, I still can't find any instances of the words coming together in a meaningful way, so. I'd pick it up in a store just because I was like "wtf is this??" and check the spine for the relevant information, but whether I end up picking it up and opening it is another matter. The synopsis, on the other hand, sounds fantastic. Not sure if I'd read it, because (as I said on another cover, actually) I'm depressed enough by real life that I'm sort of shying away from dystopia lately, but that's not a comment on the synopsis. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:20:02 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844394 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844394 Lorata Just by the by, I went to the artist's webpage and absolutely adored the covers I saw there, so ...... off-day? It was done in 24 hours after all. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:22:02 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844412 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844412 Anahlynn Whoops. Meant the synopsis is really good, not the cover. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:05:27 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844849 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_844849 Auld Soul After reading the post of the person above, I also went to the artist's webpage. The covers are awesome and I really enjoyed looking at them. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 02:35:37 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_845707 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_845707 arrawyn Now that the original post has been amended with the author's full name, the Olivier makes TONS more sense (i was really confused about it originally!) but now i can immediately make out the authors name and title ... but you do have to know his name first lol his name really stands out though once you know what to look for! i'm assuming the 'main' name is the Tom in the grey circle, the green italicized Olivier and then purple Martin surrounded by dashes. i love the tiny 'a novel' in the top right hand corner as the amazon logo! Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:05:38 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_845980 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_845980 sarahlucielle I'd agree with a lot of people here and say it is really hard just by looking at it to find the title and author. I get what he's trying to do with all the logos of the corporations, but something should stand out the most and be obvious as the title and author. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:32:17 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_846232 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_846232 Eyes of Fire I agree. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 04:25:27 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_846738 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_846738 ZeroDraftingGenius I want to like the over-the-top use of corporate iconography for this cover — but, like others who commented before me, I found it impossible to single out LANCER'S WAR and TOM OLIVIER-MARTIN from the jumble without reading the note and synopsis below. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:20:09 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_847334 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_847334 jobydog Pretty, but a little too busy for my taste. But I do like the concept of the different logos. And nice symopsis. I also would like to say that I think it is great of these designers to do these covers (and I still love my cover from day 16 and am so appreciative that the designers are taking the time to do these for us). I am amazed at all the work and the creativity that is going into these covers and they are all phenomenal gifts to the authors, in my humble opinion. All the cover artists should be very proud and thank you! Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:55:12 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_847761 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_847761 CAM53 More annoyed by the word count..1 and it gets a cover...how about someone who is serious? Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:36:48 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848199 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848199 Burnt Sushi It's clever, but I wouldn't even bother reading the jacket if that were the cover. Too busy. Too much of too much. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 07:53:25 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848907 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_848907 ZeroDraftingGenius I can understand your confusion, but Tim Kim is the nano admin who created the thread ... Tom Martin is the novelist, who has almost 39K words right now. :) Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:30:20 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_849121 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_849121 britthatsit I want to read this. Well done (both cover and synopsis) ^_^ Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:05:56 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_849371 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_849371 deadkanon This is my first year doing NaNo, so I may be speaking out of line, but I don't think 38k is too bad of a word count (and I'm not trying to justify my pitiful 30k here :x). From what I've seen around the forums, there are quite a few people who rely on weekends or days off to do some catching up, and I feel like as long as authors get in their 50k before the first of December this shouldn't be too much of a problem. I personally prefer to sit and clack at my keyboard for hours without moving, and find shorter daily writing sessions wholly distracting (I'm also a junkie for near-deadline adrenaline rushes). It's not a very good habit, but that's how I work best. As I've said, though, this is my first year, and if there was some sort of tradition in previous years that only writers who could keep up with the daily word count would get covers, I respectfully and apologetically retract everything I've said. Slight off-topic ramble aside, I actually really liked this cover. It might be that I'm partial to typography and logos, but I thought the idea for the cover was very clever. I would absolutely pick up this book if I saw it in a store. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:32:07 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_849771 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_849771 Seaquille Looks like advertising. The whole presentation is like a war between different advertisers. I would never pick up a confused book like this in a store. Fantastic plot idea, though. I would really like to find out more about this novel. I think the artist would have helped the author out more, if he had just used a plain white background, and put the novel synopses on the front. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:18:11 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_851559 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_851559 dolphinherovamp5 Well, last year was the first time they ever done 30 Covers, 30 Days and they had said then that you are more likely to get one if you do the daily word count goal. For some reason they changed it up this year and it kind of upsets me. Also, I agree that 38k (even 30k) isn't bad, especially for your first year. Trust me. In my first year, I started out with one story, got to 4k, switched to a different story three weeks in, and managed about 6k. It was a terrible word count and has helped me learn more about commitment. But yeah. A couple days I looked at the profile of basically every person that has received a cover this year (not only am I a compulsive word count updater, but I also look at random profiles to compare word counts) and there were a few that disappointed me for being under 25k. I mean, they've probably improved by now, but it still upsets me because many people have been nominated and worked their butts off to get this wonderful opportunity. No need to retract anything. It's best to speak your mind, or at least that's what I think. XD Plus, you made some really good points. :) Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:54:51 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_852368 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=1#forum_thread_comment_852368 jobydog My word count is at almost 47000 right now so how am I not serious enough about my novel? I have a busy life so I don't always get my word count in every day, but, God willing, I will meet the count by the deadline without a problem, since this is the way I work. I didn't see a daily word count goal as one of the criteria for getting a cover. I personally don't remember the rules for last years' 30 covers, but if that is one of this year's rules, I must have missed it. Even if some people had 30,000 words on day 3, that does not necessarily mean they will get the other 20,000 words in by the deadline. BTW, I like this cover and love the synopsis! I would buy this book. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:08:58 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_855769 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_855769 Anahlynn Um, no one was referring to you so you can calm your tits. Last year you had to keep up with the daily word goal to be considered and I think that's fair. Good for you that you can work that way, but not everyone can and I think that if someone doesn't bother to keep up with their novel than they shouldn't be given a cover over all the other participants who keep up diligently. But that's just my opinion. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:17:25 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_869087 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_869087 dolphinherovamp5 Whoops. I'm sorry for causing you to think that I was including you in that grouping, but I did say there were only a few. I didn't say everybody was. And, I'm pretty sure there are no rules this year really and the thing about the word count from last year was more like a criteria than a rule. And I understand not getting your word count in every day. But I think if somebody wants a cover, they should try to write some every day (even 50 words) so they can stay committed in some way and they don't stray. Because, when you're trying to accomplish a goal within a month and you decide to skip, you're bond to continue that routine. I personally think getting lazy and not doing something one day can completely throw you off. But yeah. If somebody wants a cover, they should be trying harder before getting considered. And congratulations on your cover from day 16. It looks nice and the synopsis sounds interesting. :) Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:06:03 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_870272 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_870272 42Gears Huh. I'm not sure why there's so much hate for this cover - I actually rather like it, really. I didn't have any trouble picking out the author and title, and the synopsis looks like something I'd read. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:51:42 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_875669 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_875669 Tom Martin Oh wow! I hadn't realized they took my title! I was sure you had to have your word count up to the expected daily minimum. I intend on finishing this year, though, even if it looks like it'll be a couple of sleepless nights, so for those of you who think I'm slacking off, nyah to you! <em>Nyah,</em> I say! (That much more incentive for me to finish on time!) Thanks everyone for the good feedback on the synopsis! I agonized over it, so I'm glad it paid off! For the cover itself, I <em>love</em> the concept! Something like this totally hadn't occurred to me. I'll agree that it is a little busy to really pick things out (even I had trouble finding the title!), but the concept is solid and really plays on one of the more crucial concepts of my story. If anything, a minor tweak could easily make it easier to pick out the more important elements: <a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/titleversion.png/" rel="nofollow">clicky!</a> Huge thanks to Jamie Keenan and the rest of the Nano team involved in making this. This is incredibly motivating! Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:10:16 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_878308 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_878308 thebananaphone I like what you did to it! Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:35:11 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_888462 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_888462 MrZiggles I love the idea / concept. Awesome stuff. The execution could be better though. It's just a mattter of tweaking it a bit to be more clear about author and title. Sun, 26 Feb 2012 02:51:25 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1170583 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/30-covers-30-days/threads/43126?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1170583