# Re: What do you think of the New Harry Potter eBook Covers?



## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

Pottermore has released a new line of Harry Potter book covers - for their digital line only. I absolutely love these cover designs and will probably post higher-res individual images later (because they're fun to analyze and talk about). Either way, I find it interesting that Pottermore is using exclusive covers to push the digital versions.

And credit where credit's due - Olly Moss was commissioned for the design


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

Here are the first two - apart from the allusion to Harry's lightning scar with the tree branch, the Philosopher's Stone is pretty straightforward. The Chamber of Secrets might be my favorite though. Through the whole collection, Moss uses negative space to create interesting shapes - in this case it's an underground tunnel that looks like a snakeskin, with Harry right in the belly of the beast. It's clever, balanced, and beautiful. The guy's inspiring.


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## Joseph J Bailey (Jun 28, 2013)

I love the tone and artistic feel to the covers.

They are clear, creative, and very well done.

I also enjoy the dual meanings behind each cover, so cleverly evoked by the use of negative space and expressive, relevant imagery.


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## Neoptolemus (Oct 19, 2016)

Very classy. I like.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

Joseph J Bailey said:


> I love the tone and artistic feel to the covers.


I looked a bit closer at them and saw just how much effort he put into giving them that artistic feel. I'm pretty sure the whole thing was done in Photoshop, but he's overlaid the whole image with an 'old-book' texture. He also grunged up the font so it looks like those old canvas hardcovers with the print rubbing off. And if you look at Azkaban/Wolf below, he's deliberately gone with a rough/textured brush to make it look like a real painting.

Interesting that these are probably the most traditional-looking HP book covers, given that they're only for eBooks!


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

Here's the fourth digital cover (Goblet of Fire) - great to see those tents making an appearance! Again, I really like his clever use of key story moments to create a beautiful, evocative illustration.


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## Brownskins (Nov 18, 2011)

I think these are great as the reprise covers, especially for heavily invested fans who can see the symbolism and what you refer to as "key story moments".  However, to new grade school readers, like my kids a few years back, the original covers just had a certain attraction to them - maybe because they looked like they were also painted by a fellow middle grader (who won an art contest or something).


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## WDR (Jan 8, 2014)

I like them. Visually simple and eye-catching. The illustration style strikes me as a tad more mature than the original covers, which were clearly designed for the young audiences which the books were originally targeted.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

My husband picked up the first Harry Potter book for me based solely on the cover (and the magic)...
I don't know that I would be drawn to the books if they had these new covers on them instead of the illustrated ones that showed part of the story.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

What Writes at Midnight said:


> Would you have been drawn to the books if you'd seen these covers without having heard of the author or the books?


Good point. Everyone else in this thread seems to be on the same page with that, too. Personally, I would have been attracted to these new covers anyway (just from a visual standpoint), but I definitely would not have understood the symbolism. I think the new covers are appropriate, given that the HP series has moved away from being 'childrens' books' and into the realm of literature. But I agree - they would never work as the original covers. As Brownskins said, there was something amateurish about the original illustrations, but they certainly reached their target market! It reminds me of something I read recently; if you want a breakout novel, don't try to appeal to the broadest population you can. Focus on absolutely satisfying your target market. Give them everything they want and more, and they'll be so thrilled they'll spread the word for you. That's certainly what happened in this case!

Having said all that, this is my favorite in the new series - I love its simplicity:


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## EthanRussellErway (Nov 17, 2011)

I think they give the books a more mature look than the original covers. I like them a lot. They remind me a bit of the original Game of Thrones covers, but I like these better.


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## RightHoJeeves (Jun 30, 2016)

Gorgeous.

I'm working with an artist to develop my book covers, and one thing I only noticed during this process was that "classic" books tend to have more abstract covers. I think it's because most people already have an idea of what they're about, so they function as less of a sales pitch and more of a thematic representation. Eg the cover below. Far out, it's great.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

I love that one! There are so many great Gatsby covers out there, but that's one of my favourites too!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Since these are specifically for e-books, what do they look like on monochrome e-ink screens? My guess is that the general lack of contrast would be less than ideal for that medium; but then the main function of the covers would be to grab readers' attention on sites where they would order the book. Once the sale is made, how it looks on e-readers is not going to be all that important to the publisher, I suspect.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Since these are specifically for e-books, what do they look like on monochrome e-ink screens? My guess is that the general lack of contrast would be less than ideal for that medium; but then the main function of the covers would be to grab readers' attention on sites where they would order the book. Once the sale is made, how it looks on e-readers is not going to be all that important to the publisher, I suspect.


Agreed. And these are the Potter books that have an immediate audience so I suppose it won't make a difference.

Other than that, I think they are very dull and boring. I like a cover that shows me something right off. Not one that I have to search for hidden symbols and meaning. They remind me of the third movie and how Cuaron messed it up with artsy symbolism. These are straightforward books (not literary fiction) and deserve straightforward covers.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

NogDog said:


> Since these are specifically for e-books, what do they look like on monochrome e-ink screens? My guess is that the general lack of contrast would be less than ideal for that medium; but then the main function of the covers would be to grab readers' attention on sites where they would order the book. Once the sale is made, how it looks on e-readers is not going to be all that important to the publisher, I suspect.


I'd say you're right! But then, that's one of the drawbacks of e-ink. Great for reading, not so great for book covers.


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## stillmyheart (Aug 29, 2016)

I love the new covers, and would honestly consider buying new copies of my physical books if they had these covers. I didn't notice a lot of the hidden symbols until I saw them bigger in this post, and now I love them even more.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

stillmyheart said:


> I love the new covers, and would honestly consider buying new copies of my physical books if they had these covers. I didn't notice a lot of the hidden symbols until I saw them bigger in this post, and now I love them even more.


I agree - it's such a shame these aren't available with the physical books. I think this one's probably the cleverest of them - it features the potions book from HBP while also giving a nod to the original covers (the ones with Dumbledore raising his wand to conjure fire). The designer's a great visual puzzle-solver!


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## Shanna Moncuse (Jan 26, 2016)

I really like the new covers. They're pretty cool. If I saw it on the shelves, and had no idea what Harry Potter was, it would definitely make me pick the book up to find out more.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> Those covers are very handsome, and I like them a lot.
> 
> However...
> 
> ...


The thing is: while she probably had readers starting around age 11 in mind to start with, clearly the books appealed to lots of people way outside that demographic! And because of the time it took to get all 7 written, by the time Harry got to his 17th year, many of the original readers were already in their 20s or beyond -- depending on how old they were when they first heard of 'em.

As an example, I didn't really hear about them until around the time the third one was published here in the US -- probably late 1999. I was 40! But I'd heard good things -- specifically, "yeah, these are kids books, but, ya know what, they're really good and you owe yourself a trial read."  So I read the first and immediately gave it to my son, 16 at the time, and he devoured it as well. We both finished the first 3 in about a week and a half and, from then on, when a new book was out I'd always order 2 copies. 

So I think it makes sense, at this point, for there to be more than one set of covers and special covers for special editions. I currently have all 7 books in hardback, my son has them in paperback, I also have a set in the original British -- which have different covers, and kindle editions of all 7. Next year is the 20th anniversary of the initial publication of the first book -- I expect there will be special anniversary editions published.


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## 5ngela (Sep 7, 2015)

To be honest I prefer the original cover. But I can understand why the new covers may appeal for some people.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

Hi everyone, I wound up doing a blog post about these covers - I was interested in what so many people were saying about target market (ie. that these covers would not have been suitable for the original release). It'll be a 2-parter, but the first is up if you're interested 

3 Ways the New Harry Potter eBook Covers Nailed Design.

It's a look at how certain effects were achieved for the new ebook-only covers (including font choice and graphic effects). The second part will go into Target Market. Let me know your thoughts!


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## ThomasDiehl (Aug 23, 2014)

I find the artstyles jarring at times - Goblet of Fire might as well be from a completely different series. Deathly Hallows also looks like it came from an entirely different set of books (I guess it's going for a rather odd take on the invisibility cloak?). The strangely semi-realistic style of the  owl on Philosopher's Stone is markedly different from the style of all the other books.

Other than that, hey're really nice.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

ThomasDiehl said:


> I find the artstyles jarring at times - Goblet of Fire might as well be from a completely different series. Deathly Hallows also looks like it came from an entirely different set of books (I guess it's going for a rather odd take on the invisibility cloak?). The strangely semi-realistic style of the owl on Philosopher's Stone is markedly different from the style of all the other books.
> 
> Other than that, hey're really nice.


 I find myself wondering if we're looking at the same set of covers!  

If we're talking about the 7 shown in the OP, it seems to me they're all very much in the same style. Whether that style is to everyone's taste is, of course, a different question.

I totally see what the artist was going for with each image, though I would say some are more subtle than others.


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## ThomasDiehl (Aug 23, 2014)

They all have an "old book"  look to them, yes. But within the realm of old books, they are very far apart, imho.


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## SarahCarter (Nov 8, 2012)

I really like Philosopher's Stone, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Half-blood Prince, but the others don't have enough contrast for my liking.


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## KyleArmstrong (Nov 19, 2016)

I'm not JK's biggest fan but "Goblet Of Fire" & "Half-Blood Prince" are absolutely fantastic. 

I haven't read the new play manuscript, would anyone recommend it?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

KyleArmstrong said:


> I'm not JK's biggest fan but "Goblet Of Fire" & "Half-Blood Prince" are absolutely fantastic.
> 
> I haven't read the new play manuscript, would anyone recommend it?


I enjoyed it.

It didn't have the depth of the books since it was just a screenplay. But if you've read the books and/or seen the movies, you could probably visualize the action pretty well.


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

ThomasDiehl said:


> They all have an "old book" look to them, yes. But within the realm of old books, they are very far apart, imho.


I agree - it's more of an allusion to old books than an absolute reproduction. There's no way you would mistake these books for anything other than modern books, but the styling (in my opinion) does manage to capture some old-world charm. It's a tough line to walk. In that regard, I think the designer did a good job


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## Angela Haddon (Jul 3, 2016)

SarahCarter said:


> I really like Philosopher's Stone, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Half-blood Prince, but the others don't have enough contrast for my liking.


Interesting - I notice that with the exception of GoF, the covers you prefer also have warmer colors. I know that on Pinterest, images with warmer colors (reds, oranges and yellows) are pinned more frequently than images with cool colors (blues & greens). So people are naturally more drawn to warmer colors. Maybe that also has something to do with it too? Either way, you're right about contrast - it really does help the images to 'pop'.


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