1 Topic by j p lundstrom (edited by j p lundstrom 2018-12-23 02:12:01)

Topic: What, no picture?

Looking over the homepage, I see no one except Marilyn has bothered to post a cover image for their poem or short story. Fortunately, the book authors have done a good job. Thank you, authors of books.

What many don't realize is that the written word is only one form of communication. Readers are often drawn to a book by the cover. It's not an insult to a writer or a reader. It's just the way some people's brains are wired. Mine is one of those. In school, I had a hard time deciding between a major in art or language.

For those of you whose works are currently appearing in plain, nondistinctive wrappers, I have a few questions.

If you can't be bothered to pull a free image from the internet to set the mood and lure the reader, what does that say about how much you value your own work?

While we're talking about the increasingly lazy attitude of members (in other threads), think about this: why should we care about your work if you don't?

What's the point of having a home page (created with a great deal of effort in the days when the site was being built) that offers readers and authors an opportunity to enhance their stories, poems, etc., with illustrations if no one takes advantage of it?

I wish you'd try a little harder to present your work in an appealing way. It means something to a lot of us.  JP

https://www.google.com/search?q=a+pictu … mp;bih=526

Quote Post 1

Re: What, no picture?

Not sure about anyone else, but I never notice any of those pictures on the home page when I look for something to read/review. Don't know why it would make any difference on this site in attracting most readers. Of all the short stories I've posted over the years, none have and most likely never will have pictures attached to them. For starters not a single picture I could find on the link provided or any other would come anywhere close to associating with anything I have ever written.

LAZY? Matter of opinion I would say. You like pictures and want to use them, fine by me. But to call another author lazy for not doing so simply because you might like a pretty picture is the height of arrogance imho. Others may disagree and that is their right and yours; no skin off my back. Different strokes for different folks. BTW, if I were lazy, I could've made this a whole lot shorter with a few shorter words. Take care. Vern

Quote Post 2

3 Reply by Temple Wang (edited by Temple Wang 2018-12-23 09:44:41)

Re: What, no picture?

j p lundstrom wrote:

Looking over the homepage, I see no one except Marilyn has bothered to post a cover image for their poem or short story. Fortunately, the book authors have done a good job. Thank you, authors of books.

What many don't realize is that the written word is only one form of communication. Readers are often drawn to a book by the cover. It's not an insult to a writer or a reader. It's just the way some people's brains are wired. Mine is one of those. In school, I had a hard time deciding between a major in art or language.

For those of you whose works are currently appearing in plain, nondistinctive wrappers, I have a few questions.

If you can't be bothered to pull a free image from the internet to set the mood and lure the reader, what does that say about how much you value your own work?

While we're talking about the increasingly lazy attitude of members (in other threads), think about this: why should we care about your work if you don't?

What's the point of having a home page (created with a great deal of effort in the days when the site was being built) that offers readers and authors an opportunity to enhance their stories, poems, etc., with illustrations if no one takes advantage of it?

I wish you'd try a little harder to present your work in an appealing way. It means something to a lot of us.  JP

https://www.google.com/search?q=a+pictu … mp;bih=526

Lordy, that’s a helluva rant over absolutely nothing ... grab an eggnog and chill, girl.

Quote Post 3

Re: What, no picture?

Short and sweeter: Maybe the author wants to be judged by the words, without relying on a picture to crank the engine.

Quote Post 4

Re: What, no picture?

j p lundstrom wrote:

Looking over the homepage, I see no one except Marilyn has bothered to post a cover image for their poem or short story. Fortunately, the book authors have done a good job. Thank you, authors of books.

What many don't realize is that the written word is only one form of communication. Readers are often drawn to a book by the cover. It's not an insult to a writer or a reader. It's just the way some people's brains are wired. Mine is one of those. In school, I had a hard time deciding between a major in art or language.

Agreed.


j p lundstrom wrote:

While we're talking about the increasingly lazy attitude of members (in other threads), think about this: why should we care about your work if you don't?

On the other hand, it's not a simple or easy thing to superimpose the lettering of Title and Author of decent quality. Upload a plain picture, sure, but going to a paint program -- and all that climbing the learning curve only to produce a mediocre result -- for a short story seems obsessive.

Quote Post 5