And the Winners Are

[mmcd]

...the pistols?

[yeltzen]

Too sophisticated for a beginner's book!? Do you realize that the cover is practically the only thing that sells a book to someone that knows very little about Hold'em? They can't tell the difference between one book or the next. You need to hire that tranceone guy for all of your covers.

[TransientR]

I'm not a fan of the winning cover, but I also don't think some of the nastier comments are called for.

That said, if I wanted to get started in Hold-em, knew nothing about 2+2 publishing, that cover would not scream "buy me."

Frank

[oreogod]

This is true...I agree with Traceone in saying the illuminous covers really were the runner up. Im going to buy the book anyway, so in the end the cover wont really matter, but it will be the ugly duckling on my poker bookshelf.

I know u have plans for Traceones covers, I think it will be really intresting to see one of his covers on a two plus two book.

Plus come to think of it, this winning cover is not going to fit stylisticly with the others once they are released. (the current twoplustwo covers are neutral so I dont really see them clashing...but think about this winning cover side by side at the store with the eventually covers...be intresting eye candy thats for sure.)

[yeltzen]

The only thing that cover screams is - "LOOK MOM I LERNED ME HOW 2 YOOS PHOTOSHOP!!!!!!!!!"

Now I'm banned. Good for me.

[Bukem_]

The cover looks low-budget and if I didn't know better, I would assume the content would be even worse.

I don't think any of your previous covers have been anything special, but I thought they all did a good job of informing the potential buyer that they would be getting high quality contect from winning expert poker players.

I don't get that idea at all from this cover.

I agree on Traceone's covers being more fitting for a NL book. I thought the Illunious cover was simple, sharp and well suited for the upcoming book.

[Leavenfish]

Wow...I'm taken aback by some of the more nasty comments and agree with others who have already said as much.

I happen to know the person who won the contest and as they have a good heart and are quite rightly proud and happy their design was chosen; I personally hope they never see those comments.

Me, I have been involved in many internet forums over the years and am well aware that...well, lets just say that the best side of people does not always come thru when it comes to impersonal internet discussion.

I think Mason has done a good job of explaining why this design was chosen over Traceone's for this particular book and that Trace's was more fitting of some of the titles 2+2 will be coming out with in the near future and that they will be used at that time. Fair enough.

I also believe that newbies -- particularly those whose only exposure to Texas Hold'em at this point may have been shows such as very popular "Celebrity Poker Showdown" -- will soon find this book with it's bright, inviting cover in bookstores across American...and that it may well become 2+2's all time best seller!

Of course, Ed's sage wisdom therein might well have someting to do with that as well in the end. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

---Leavenfish

[pastabatman]

Ok, I guess we'll have to accept that you're not backing off your choice for the cover. But, please do yourself a favor and do some serious re-work on it. For starters, fix the title - it just blends in too much with all the other scattered verbiage in the cluttered layout. If it's not immediately obvious to 'fresh eyes' what the title is, you've got a serious problem. And get rid of those 5 cards under the title - they add nothing but clutter.

This choice is just so amateurish. Good amateur, but still amateur.

[maryfield48]

[ QUOTE ]
I almost get the feeling there's some kind of 'ugly-chic' when it comes to poker books, as if to look cool would actually be un-cool. Kind of the 'dogs playing poker' school of design.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you are on to something there.

[theRealMacoy]

Hello Gentlemen,

Congratulations to the winners!

As much as I liked Traceone's designs I must agree with Mason as I didn't think they suited an intro book. This being said I would not have chosen the cover that won. Although somewhat distinctive the graphics simply look a little too 80's high-tech (now kiche?) for my liking. Instead, I was a big fan of Illuminous' cover. The design elements were very clean and straightforward and seemed to suit an intro book.

Ultimately, if you are the publisher of a book then you get to choose the cover. Period. This is not an issue decided by a vote. All the vitriolic behaviour regarding covers picked or not picked seems a little sophmoric.

Congratulations once again to the winners.

Cheers,
the Real Macoy