So a couple of weeks ago, I posed this question:
https://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2018/11/color-or-no-color-that-is-question.html
And then I received some great feedback on Facebook.
Most of the responses favored a black and white frontispiece, citing black and white best kept with the prequel's vintage (and over all nineteenth century) theme.
However, I have a book published in 1908 with a color frontispiece. And I found a medical book from 1848 with a color frontispiece. And Rebekah Baran said, "I feel that Victorians would have used color if it was available to them."
Well, it was. And they did, at least some of the time.
We decided to order the first proof with color just to see.
And then we learned if we chose color, we'd have to give up the cream interior. That prompted a call to KDP. My very nice service representative put me on hold to talk up the ladder to find out why. He soon returned with the answer: Because colors don't print accurately on cream paper.
Fair enough.
I felt white was too stark for a novel, so we flipped through some of the novels we owned. We did find a few printed on white paper (not many) and decided to order the first proof in color on white paper to see if we liked it.
Well, last night we had one more blow.
The base cost for a 150-page book with one color illustration was more than twice times the base cost of Bryony, which was nearly twice as many pages.
Then KDP said the lowest we could set the retail price was $20.
Which meant the consumer would have to pay $100 to read all five, which is really one book.
Heck, I wrote it and wouldn't pay $100 for a soft cover book. Even if I signed all five volumes.
So we aborted last night's upload until tomorrow when we can call KDP, but I doubt the answer will favor color.
Technically, a frontispiece would have a color plate and not be printed directly on the same paper as the prose. But that's a feature KDP or any "for-free" self-publishing service offers at the present time.
That's not to say down the road someday it won't be.
But it looks like the frontispieces will be black and white.
On cream paper.
But black and white.
BTW, here is the frontispiece for the third book. In stunning color that perfectly reflects them themes and quote to accompany it.
Which is why we are so attached to the color.
Because the colors themselves are a sort ot "subtext" to each book's mood.
It's a darn shame to lose them.
https://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2018/11/color-or-no-color-that-is-question.html
And then I received some great feedback on Facebook.
Most of the responses favored a black and white frontispiece, citing black and white best kept with the prequel's vintage (and over all nineteenth century) theme.
However, I have a book published in 1908 with a color frontispiece. And I found a medical book from 1848 with a color frontispiece. And Rebekah Baran said, "I feel that Victorians would have used color if it was available to them."
Well, it was. And they did, at least some of the time.
We decided to order the first proof with color just to see.
And then we learned if we chose color, we'd have to give up the cream interior. That prompted a call to KDP. My very nice service representative put me on hold to talk up the ladder to find out why. He soon returned with the answer: Because colors don't print accurately on cream paper.
Fair enough.
I felt white was too stark for a novel, so we flipped through some of the novels we owned. We did find a few printed on white paper (not many) and decided to order the first proof in color on white paper to see if we liked it.
Well, last night we had one more blow.
The base cost for a 150-page book with one color illustration was more than twice times the base cost of Bryony, which was nearly twice as many pages.
Then KDP said the lowest we could set the retail price was $20.
Which meant the consumer would have to pay $100 to read all five, which is really one book.
Heck, I wrote it and wouldn't pay $100 for a soft cover book. Even if I signed all five volumes.
So we aborted last night's upload until tomorrow when we can call KDP, but I doubt the answer will favor color.
Technically, a frontispiece would have a color plate and not be printed directly on the same paper as the prose. But that's a feature KDP or any "for-free" self-publishing service offers at the present time.
That's not to say down the road someday it won't be.
But it looks like the frontispieces will be black and white.
On cream paper.
But black and white.
BTW, here is the frontispiece for the third book. In stunning color that perfectly reflects them themes and quote to accompany it.
Which is why we are so attached to the color.
Because the colors themselves are a sort ot "subtext" to each book's mood.
It's a darn shame to lose them.
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