I like covers #2 and #1 in that order.

I like the first and the last versions. The last is my personal favourite, but the first is perhaps more representative of the contents of the book? I don't really like the middle ones, although the drawing is great. They don't have the same atmosphere as the book itself, I think.
Apart from that, it's cool that the book is making it into paperback. Good luck with the Christmas sales, too (I worked as an editor at a publishing house this year, so that's probably why I care :)

#5, great values and eye catching

I like cover #5.

I like #5 the best. I also like #1, but the crinkled paper seems too distracting with the writing over it.

I think Cover #2 embodies the EM philosophy best. Does a subtle cover attract more attention in a bookshop these days than a vibrant one? I'd pick it up, anyway.

#4 would make me pick up the book and want to read more wondering who the guy was and what the book is about. (I have the first book)
#2 makes me look and stare at the cover look at it all over but if I was not an artist I would probably put it back after looking.
#4 makes me curious and interested to read for some reason.
Good luck!

for the covers, i'll vote for #2 first, and #4 second. c2 has more for the eye and c4 has nice contrast and eye-catching white cover. take it easy

I'm liking #1 and #5....specifically, esp.#1 minus the color "film strip" going across the middle....on the other hand I still like the original hardcover version

#2 is awesome{the others are grand}. As are you.

Hi Danny

I am a hardback book owner - I prefer your version #2 but also really like the hardback cover, especially the apple on the back cover.

and...the title "Everyday matters: a new york diary."

I like the new york diary addition.

By the way, I loved the part of the book entitled, a story a disabled friend told me...we live in Italy...my husband is suffering from Parkinson's Disease (and is only 45 yrs young) and anyway, it resonated with me....thank you.

ciao ciao

Danny,

Beautiful job on the new designs!

My fave fave is Cover #1 followed by Cover #2::

The colorful strip of drawings in the middle {of #1} looks really really beautiful to my eye. I can also read it better than some of the other designs.

covers 3 and 4 seem a bit masculine to me, maybe because of the man's face? but the others seem more inclusive to me.

Hope that helps!
xo
andrea

I have the hardback copy of the book and I like that cover. Out of these ones however I really like No.1 best, followed by 5 and 2 and I'm not at all keen on 3 and 4.

#2 for the paperback version, #5 for the hardcover. They really say "New York."

Irene

On a quick look it's between 2 and 5 for me Danny with 2 just ahead at the finish line. I love the hardcover cover - I like the montage of the different drawings, how I always used to hope one of my sketchbook pages would look.

So #2 for me. Good luck with paperback sales.

Best wishes from Wales

Michael

I like the hard-cover cover (which I own and cherish), and feel the same way about thus as I do about radically changing logos and packaging: you shouldn't do it. It creates confusion and ultimately, distrust (I'm a graphic designer and have given this spiel to many a client).

Hi Kevin,

I like first one best with its small splashes of color across the center.

I'm very partial to No. 2.

My favourite is the second... ;-)

I love cover #5. It's clean and gives the reader a good idea what he's going to get. #1 and 2 do that as well, but I felt the blocks of copy and title seemed more lost on those pages. I really like how all the elements of cover 5 work together.

#2!

Hi Danny,

I just found your site today and love it. Is love too strong a word? It feels really good. I ordered your book from Amazon. I like all your covers. Is it like picking your favorite child?

I tried out your email list thingee, and got back this message: An error occurred:Email notifications have not been configured! The weblog owner needs to set the EmailVerificationSecret configuration variable. at lib/MT/App/NotifyList.pm line 31.

Its OK if its not supposed to work, but if it is, well, I guess you need to fix something. Thanks!

I vote for #1, but #5 is a really close second. My opinion is not based on market research to increase sales, however, so take it with several grains of salt (from D. Price's shakers in the magazine I bought on your recommendation).

1 or 5. i have the hardcover and actually prefer that design--i like the color and the collaging effect a lot.

I definetly prefer cover #2 over the rest~but your first one is just as great and already on my studio bookshelf!

I prefer choice one. I think it is lyrical and inviting. The portraits on 3 and 4 are overwhelming, (a little scary?). Two is also quite nice. The notebook style is appealing.

I am hoping Santa brings me a copy of this book, then I will know more about what I am talking about.

I am so enjoying this website. I am a new visitor. It's a real treat. Thank you.

Molly Hart

I'm partial to Cover #2. With nice examples of your sketching. Cover #1 is my second choice.

I prefer cover #5, for it's simplicity, and that it isn't cluttered. The first two turn me off in that there's too much going on, while #4 and #5 just don't seem to fit.

So #5 is my pick.

Danny, I prefer cover #2. It is a cleaner, less cluttered design and the written information is easier to gather. While I thought the other designs were interesting, I think there is just too much information - visual and otherwise. I do own a hard cover copy of your book and I consider it a treasure. Good luck with this project - I look forward to seeing which one you pick.

definitely #1 or #2 in my humble opinion.

good luck!

I vote for (in order from first preference to third)
#1 #2 and #5
I do own the hardcover, but I am hard-pressed to pick any of your illustrations from it that don't capture the essence of the book any better than the examples you have here. Good luck!

i like the second the best, with maybe the fifth as backup

but they're all so good i had a hard time choosing
:)

At first I was drawn to 4, but 2 was the one that struck me the most.

I would grab #2 off the shelf without even looking inside.

I like the first cover the most.

I love #1 and #2 i love the brown paper look of the former and the splattered ink of the latter. anychance of a combination?..or is that overkill.. i love your work.. keep it up thanks you
drew

I think #1 communicates the essence of the book best but have to agree with some of the others that the hardcover version is best --especially if this is not a revised edition. Good luck and I am really looking forward to the publication of Creative License!

I like #1 the best.

I vote for #1 (invites me in the most and is the most intriguing), followed by #2. Unlike many others, who really liked #5, I find the dark tree-blobs off-putting rather than inviting. Something else I like better about numbers 1 and 2 is the variety of drawing illustrated on them, which I think will appeal to readers of this book, rather than the one scene on #5. Might be good to continue the "many drawings" feel of the hardback cover in the design of the paperback cover.
Thanks for asking!
Susan

Hi Danny, Of the layouts shown, #4 is the only cover that comes close to expressing the book. It's fun to see your portrait up front and it has a dry wit to it. But it reads dangerously as an attempt to be 2nd rate Crumbish to me--which you are not. In my opinion, none of these properly convey the book content, or you as an artist, as well as they should/could. The first printing's cover at least was colorful and looked like an artist's whose notebook I'd like to spend time with. That's a key here, make it intrinsically beautiful to have and hold in my home and THAT will draw me to it to pick up in the bookshop or Amazon. A more emotionally appealing cover will do 1/2 the sales job, then have the essential messages in bite-sized pieces to get it to the check out. I have a vested interest in it looking good as I gave away my husbands's copy and will be buying a second. Best of luck, Shelley

I'm in the #5 and #1 camp. #5 is my top pick. Beautiful!

First I want to prefice that I work at Running Press Book Publishers, and even though so much is based on personal opinion, there are other things to consider.

Personally I love #2. It has so many pieces of what the book is about: the city, your wife (as illustrated). As a consumer, even if I didn't read the blurb on the back, I get pieces of what it's about. Also, I think that the simplicity with cover #2 really works with this. Good luck!

#1 is by far the best. It is most appealing. I would buy this book just for it's cover! I love the crinkly brown paper look, and the variety of drawings. If I had to choose a runner-up, it would be #2.

ooh those look niiiiice :-)
i am torn between the first and second ones. i am leaning towards the first, it looks really neat, interesting... like a neat old journal. i like it a lot now that i think about it!!
:-)
xoxoxo
eMiLy

I have no idea where I got the name "Kevin" from. Sorry, I meant "Hi Danny"

(doh!)

I still think #1 is my fav.

In descending order of preference: 2, 1, 5, 4, 3.

I like the vignettes, and having them in hand-drawn boxes fits with the drawing theme. Love the hardcover version, btw.

Numero Uno - it has you written all over it. Might scale back the intensity of the background a smidge to give it a bit more contrast.....

#1-- has the best mix of your personalities: the sketching... on crumpled papers... with the cleaner notebook inserts overlaying all this.

They are all good but I think that the pick is either #1 or #2 and I cannot decide which I like better.

cheers

#4 plain & u

# 2 is great. Neat layout and not lacking artistically and it provides some information about the content of the book without one having to refer to the inside.

I own two [!] copies of the hardback, and I vote for 1 and then 2.

I think the splashes of color in 1 would attract more bookstore eyes.

Your book is full of hope...and I don't think 3, 4 and 5 communicate that.

-Joy

#1 is the one that would instantly make me grab the book and take it home to enjoy. Thanks.

I think that #2 best alludes to what is inside. With #1 coming in second. #3 & #4 are my least favorite.

Fantastic work all the way around.

Kris

#5 and then #2

2 surpasses all other covers

5 is muddy and the title is presented as a second thought.

although the illustrations on 3 and 4 are nice, they are not as compelling as the group presented on 2

1 is ok. i think it is 'over-designed'. too many photoshop touches, the screening on the back isn't enough to make the type legible, etc. but the paper bag texture is nice, i just don't immediately see how it connects to anything.

2 is the BEST. it is interesting, encourages me to explore the back to see the rest of the drawings. the type throughout is clear, and the watercolor paper background texture is a lot more suitable than the paper bag of 1.

GOOD LUCK!!

definitely the second one.
i don't like the first, third or fourth at all.
the first one is too confused and busy, the third and fourth one would not make me pick up the book. The last one is all right, but the second one I like very much.

btw, i bought the hard cover version a while ago in the process of doing research for my dissertation :)

I preferred cover #5. I saw the high contrast in the thumb nail and then preferred the large single drawing when it was enlarged

After much deliberation...I gotta go number 2.

Sorry, WITH number 2...

Better.

Good luck on your forthcoming book, I can't wait to read it.

Change your underwear twice a week is fantastic!

Did I mention how great #1 is too?

Cover #1 is my first choice. I think it is the more pop-out-at-ya and the elements on it seem to capture the contents more directly.

Cover #5 is also nice, but in a much more reserved and serious manner. It would also pop-out-at-ya if there was, say, an element of discord somewhere - maybe a single splash of color in the traffic light, or the mailbox, or whatever.

I like #1 or two I own the hard back version... thats my vote!

i like the cover on the hardcover edition. the sketch on the back is one of my all-time favs. it was one of the things that drew (pardon the pun) me to investigate your blog more and to eventually buy the book. i'm not sure where i first saw that sketch, but it was one of my first impressions of your work.

that said, i think cover number #2 best represents the book.
it says 'city,' but it also communicates intimate detail and shows that the book is personal. i also like the energy of this cover. i like that the cover feels like many of the sketches in the book, with art and text side by side.

following that, in order of preference:
#4 - depicts the personal, human aspect of the book. would make the book pop on the shelf. ("who's that guy staring at me")
#5 - very cohesive and pleasant. might get lost on shelf.
#3 - like it, but prefer the images in opposite positions, as in #4
#1 - closer to the original hardcover. like the sketchbook motif. cover is busy. like the back.

congrats on going paperback.
keep up the wonderful work.

My favorite is #2, followed by #5. Either would make me very curious about what is inside that book!

I prefer the cover number 1, i prefer this one, because it shows more aspects of your illsutrations.

cover #1 would make me buy it again :) (and continue to buy it for my friends :)

Cover #2 appeals the most to me.

Hey they are all very handsome. Number two kind of drew me first then when I looked again the nice brown wrinkled paper of number one and the way that worked in contrast to the little band of white sketch book images across it really appealed to me more. I will vote for number ONE because it has the color and feel that is most simular to the original hardcover book.
Good luck, hope all this feed back is helpful to you. Your weblog is always a bright point in my day.Thanks for sharing your thoughts and drawings.

Danny,
I would pick #5. I like the tonality of it without any injection of color even though you draw both in color and blk and white. I also like the fact that it's just one drawing spread over the cover. It's more elegant.

I like #1. I'm a sucker for bright colors. #3 and #4 are a little scary. It's cool to have your face, but the angle is a bit creepy.

hi danny! i'm a frequent stalker of your site. i love cover 1 and 2. hope your book will be available in singapore, i'll certainly wait for it.

Speaking as a former bookstore employee and amateur merchandising critic, I think #2 and #5 are best. That being said, #5 is the most striking and would draw the most attention on the shelf. Plus, I agree #5 is the most elegant.

Number 5. Number 5. Number 5. That gorgeous drawing alone is worth the price of the book.
Number 5.

number 5 is the one I'd be most likely to pick up in a bookstore.

I like the first one the best!

I like #2 and #5, with a slight lean towards #5.

#1 i liked right away. #5 is a close second but i wonder if it would have the same impact closed?

I really like cover 1 best. It's colorful, busy and beautiful. #2 is probably my second choice and #5 my third. The ones with the faces don't grab me quite the same.

hi - how fun is this post... can you post a tally of the votes?
i love #1 and #5 ... but you really couldn't go wrong with any of these... i have the hard cover and love it... so I would miss having the "apple lesson" from the back cover... but hey that's me...

I love 1 & 2 -- if # 1 had a wheelchair in it, that would be the one. Very cool.
Julia

I like #2. #1 has just too much spiral binding. #3 & 4 I feel as though I'm looking up your nose. #5 is a bit dense... maybe hard to read the top quote with white on brown?
So... #2 it lets my eye wander over the page. I like the frames in the middle, the texture is cool, and the little bit of color used is nice.
You're very brave for asking our opinions!

I like #2 and #5, in that order.

Hi Danny, I'm an avid fan...and took up drawing after readiing your book. I'm totally hooked! I first liked cover #1, but felt that # is the best graphic design, with the black spaces for the blurbs...but now I think #2 is the best. It conveys the book's ideas, what's inside, and says a lot about your style. whichever you choose, I'm getting several for friends so they can start sketching.

I think 5 is my favorite, but I also like 1 and 2. I don't really care for 3 and 4; the face puts me off for some reason.

I don't think I can wait for the paperback; I think I'll order myself a hardcover version for Christmas!

number 2 and number 5 are the most eye-catching with out being overwhelming.

2, definitely. It's the best readability of title and the one that sparks multiple delights such as the texture of paper, ink spots, variety of imates --2 is the cover most true to the process of drawing. The ones with your face -- it's such a serious dour look and distorted-- I find it a little off putting. And I would have to look into your eyes everytime I picked it up. I mean, if this is only about you then why should I get past the cover? The drama is sufficiently in the copy about your wife's accident and why you took up pen and paper. I think the title is most important--it speaks volumes to the why of drawing/seeing/being. Pick the one that emphasizes that. That plus an immediate read on what the book is about makes a winner. Good luck. Can't wait to pick up my copy when it comes forth in whatever guise. Slainte, Melinda

#1 is too busy
#3 & #4 would follow crumb's recommendation of going with one strong image. I like the blue, better than the white.
#5 is too dark. Black gash.
If it were my book, I'd use #2.

#2 without doubt!

#5 is good too but the type colours don't quite gel for me.

#2 or #1

#2 for shizzle!

The last #5 is great!

i have the hardcover and love it... of these i choose #2

#2!

If I saw it on a shelf I would definitely pick it up... numbers 3,4,5 look more like 'zine covers to me (which is great if you are going for that, but you would appealing to a smaller audience!). I like 1 as well but two really pops and I think best represents the book!

Number 5 for sure.

I like 1 & 2 in that order. Sorry but I dont think 3-4-5 represent the flavour of the book. They are uninteresting especially 4 & 5 they look like a face with devil horns.

My .02

#1 b/c it's got the best feel of a journal fulla drawings
#5 b/c of the great contrast and line quality.

#2.

Five is good too.

Hello..I like no. 2. The way it is laid out gives you breathing room, some humor/city/your story.
Best design.
Happy Year.
Annie

hi! i like covers #2 first and #5 second. i might have to buy the paperback, too, just for the cover. :-)

Definitely number 1.