Review of book cover

T

TomJW

New Member
Hi There,

I recently have published an e-book and had a go at doing the cover myself using a combination of sketch and photoshop. I was really hoping to get some design advice on the outcome and whether or not it is working in terms of layout, colour etc etc. Or whether I should scrap it and go the route of hiring a professional to do it.

Just to set the context of the cover. I have added an abstract about what the book is about. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Abstract
This is a story about two young men from different worlds. Tyson is from the rough streets of Trentan, Joey from the affluent northern suburbs. The worlds of these two young men collide through a chance encounter, and as a result, they begin to question their life situations. This connection sparks a shared journey of self-development; one which brings about necessary changes for both men.

The story has a self-help thread throughout, which is inspired by the author’s personal experience of living with anxiety and depression. The text conveys the truths that enabled him to rise out of suffering, and to live a life of peace and fulfilment. The teachings are centred on the concept of “present moment awareness”, and how this can be applied to everyday life.

Tyson and Joey Cover.jpg
 
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You don't necessarily need to hire a professional, you just need to use the tools you have better.
Do a few Photoshop tutorials and look at a few book covers.
 
I'm going to disagree with Wardy and suggest you look at hiring a designer. What you currently have looks like a rough scamp of an idea, not a finished cover, and I couldn't imagine many people being drawn to the story form the cover.
There's a few things wrong with it, namely the text which seems disjointed, the overall sketchy nature of the image, and the mis-matched scale of the bridge and the figures. The composition too is lacking, the whole design is bottom-heavy and just doesn't feel right. Surely the bridge should be towering above them and the reader?

Designer rates vary drastically. The higher the budget, the higher the quality, though I've seen people pay way too much for what I would consider to be a below-professional level design so shop around. If you have a low budget, you may find it hard to find a designer who can give you a decent quality design at that price. Since it's an e-book, there's less work than a printed cover though, so that's a bonus. What I often do when working to a tight/low budget is verbally agree on an idea with a client first, then work that up into a design with limited amends rather than presenting different ideas. You may find another designer who is willing to work like this.
 
I'd also add that I think the font choice is wrong for both the design idea and the concept of the book. The water under the bridge looks too digitalised, the gradients don't work with it, it doesn't really look like water - it looks too solid. There's no relationship with it and your hand drawn/ sketched bridge. Overall the cover is very rough - ok for a design idea to build on, but far from a finished, final design.
 
Really appreciate the design advice. I think I'm going to scrap it and start again. Wouldn't be doing the book any justice by putting out something that looks unprofessional. I will think about getting a professional on board.
 
My answer seems a bit glib now, sorry. What I should have said is you don't necessarily need to be a professional to design
a professional-looking ebook cover, with a little bit of effort and hard work. You'll need to spend a few hundred quid to have it done
properly, and you have to weigh that up against how many you're likely to sell.

Further to what others have put, you need to do a bit of research into what category your book will sit. There are various
styles of design and illustration for different book genres. Have a good trawl through Amazon and see what others are
doing in each category. To me, it sounds like your book would fit with a hand-drawn or graphic style (and even hand-written) you see a lot in
contemporary fiction these days. It might be easier than you think and you don't need to be a great artist, and also, sometimes the simpler
designs are the more eye-catching.
 
Thanks Wardy - good point.

Maybe I will have a crack at a design over the weekend. Keeping it very simple, and having a good scroll through amazon before I start. If it turns out to be a disaster, will have to go the route of a professional.

Cheers
 
A couple that spring to mind - Elizabeth Is Missing and The Shock of the Fall. Simple but effective.
 
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