Photo Request for my Book Cover

[Lexingtongue]

I'm coming towards the end of writing my first full book and I recently got to thinking about the cover. I intend to self-publish if I cannot find a publisher to take me on and if that is the case then I will need a picture to use as my cover. After a chat with Not Spavin I decided to put a request up here to see if anyone has anything I can use or can possibly shoot something that is suitable.

The story is a post apocalyptic effort based around a boy who is the apparent lone survivor of a devastating plague. He passes the time by wandering the lonely streets of his ramshackle home town by day and hunkering down wherever he pleases by night. The blurb for the book is below if that helps build a picture in your minds eye:

If you were the only apparent survivor of a ravenous worldwide epidemic, what would you do to pass the time and preserve your sanity?

A single survivor wanders a godforsaken landscape. It has been five long years since his life was turned on its head, but against all odds he continues to cling to life.

Every day since the plague has been a battle for survival. With no family and no companion he wanders the empty streets of his desolate home town as a way to pass the lonely days, his familiar surroundings his only reminder of a more normal time. By sticking with little deviation to a daily routine he attempts to retard the erosion of his sanity.

Growing used to his new existence, and never expecting change, how would he react if he knew that, just around the corner, another life shattering change awaits him?

I have a current cover but I feel I might have copyright problems owing to the fact that the artist (our very own mini-x2) used an image from the net which I can't seem to trace in order to ask for actual permission to use. The image is shown below, however, and might give you a few ideas for shots that might be suitable:



The kind of shot that I feel would suit ideally are either:
i) a shot of an overgrown and foggy landscape
ii) a young man with an over packed backpack walking along a run down, abandoned street
iii) a young man with an over packed backpack walking along an overgrown country road
That said, I'm hardly the most creative when it comes to photography so if you have a fantastic idea or can think of something that might fit better then I would love to see what you have/can produce.

You would, of course, be given full credit for the shot on the inside cover.

Hope you lot are interested enough to pop something brilliantly eye-catching up for me that might help me sell some copies and get your photography skills some exposure on the shelves in Waterstones!

[taipeisafc]

Any good?

[Lexingtongue]

I do like that actually, definitely under consideration. Do you have it in a larger resolution?

Keep them coming folks.

[taipeisafc]

Originally Posted by Lexingtongue

I do like that actually, definitely under consideration. Do you have it in a larger resolution?

Keep them coming folks.

Anything you like mate - still got the Raw files and can give it to you as a 50 MB TIFF if you like.

[clyde]

sounds good mate, i have an idea like, one place sprung straight to mind and i'll be there as it happens this weekend...you ever heard of Steetley in hartlepool? it's an abandoned magnesium plant right on the beach and its amazing and great for photography..here is a few pics of mine from previous trips..









and here is a link to the rest of my pics from there..

http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&...teetley&m=text

any good then?

[Lexingtongue]

Some of those are great. Thanks clyde. If we can get a scruffy looking dude with a giant backpack onto one of those we could be on to a winner.

Also, although it is not mentioned in the story explicitly, it is set in Sunderland (with some room for creative freedom of course ) so if we can get some local shots of run down shitholes from our home city then they are more than welcome.

[Church]

Here's an idea.... (sorry for being a twat, I genuinely hope your book does well)

[clyde]

cheers mate, might be able to arrange a scruffy backpack dude quite easily, lol.

what about this place down hendon?

[Lexingtongue]

Originally Posted by Church

Here's an idea.... (sorry for being a twat, I genuinely hope your book does well)

Thanks you bastard (I did see your white text). There are no vampires in my story though but I have been told there are shades of I am Legend in there...

Originally Posted by clyde

cheers mate, might be able to arrange a scruffy backpack dude quite easily, lol.

what about this place down hendon?

Some of those are ace. If it could be a run down residential area with no lights then they would be nearly ideal. You know the area near pallion that is pretty much pulled down already? Something like that would be spot on (one scene actually takes place there ).

[Church]

Some quality photos on here like.