Everyone's a critic....

I posted a mock-up of the cover that included the possible title, which still needs to be adjusted size wise and color wise, but shows the font the art director is thinking will work quite nicely.  We were expecting some comments on whether or not that font will work against the background....

Here is what I posted:

*sighing because OBVIOUSLY there are Photoshop professionals out there who are OFFENDED by this cover because I can't afford a location shoot*

Okay folks.  SINCE you don't seem to understand this any other way:

1)  There are all kinds of stories recently about authors who are making thousands of dollars each month from romance ebook sales.  These are people whose books have BEEN in a bookstore, and therefore they can put on their cover "New York Times Best Selling Author", because the New York Times puts you on their list if you can get your books picked up by book stores, thereby having book sales in places OTHER THAN on Amazon.  (And, since the bookstore sales are low, it's becoming easier and easier to get onto that New York Times list PROVIDED you can get a bookstore to buy your book and put it onto their shelves.)

2)  I AM NOT one of those authors who is making thousands.  In fact, if I break a single thousand in sales this year, I will be EXTREMELY impressed.  As such, my budget allowed me to pay for the models and the photographer, who was able to use a little Photoshop magic to make it look like Daniel Sobieray and Patrice Garza were on an Italian street for this photo instead of in David Wagner's studio in Los Angeles.  I get offended when you put down David Wagner's efforts - ESPECIALLY as I can't even think about doing what he did for me.  If you're such a Photoshop pro that you feel the right to put someone else's work down, then show me how it SHOULD look!  If you can't make it look better than the 3D effect I saw when I printed this off in a 5x8 size on cover stock with the inks that the print shop will be using, GO FOR IT - but DON'T be giving me this "you can do better" bull unless you're the one who is footing the bill for this.

In my personal opinion, the only way this would have looked better would have been if I could have paid for the tickets to send Daniel, Patrice and David to Italy to do a location shoot....but I don't have the budget, so quit your whining or show me that I should hire YOU next time.......

3)  The comments should be on the TITLE at this point!  If you didn't pay attention to the multiple cover options over the past several months that we've been working on it, I don't want your belated opinions that are indicating that I should have spent my money elsewhere!  Maybe next time, when I'm asking for a photographer and models for my newest project, YOU SHOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU'RE THE EXPERT AND I SHOULD HIRE YOU!  (And, by the way, I'll be expecting YOUR covers for a redo of "Night of the Tiger" and "The Tiger's Cub", as I no longer have the publisher who is going to "cheapen down" all my hard work.  If you come up with a great idea and can show me that YOU are the expert I need to hire, I'll get the money into my budget to afford YOUR services.)

In short, if you weren't paying attention when I was asking your opinion on the backgrounds and you aren't going to demonstrate your argument by showing me what YOU can do, PLEASE follow the advice of Bambi's little friend, Thumper:

"IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE (or at least, creatively constructive with proof that you can correct the problem you're pointing out), DON'T SAY NOTHING AT ALL"