Urban Fantasy Cover Query (Contains cookies!)

[Rin]

Here's my second go at getting my cover ready - the first version featured the illustration that's in my signature banner - and while I had some positive comments, it seemed that overall, it gave the impression that it's a YA book, and while I don't doubt I'll get some YA readers, that's not my target audience.

It's an entirely different approach - single abstract image, which should look as good in full as it does in a thumbnail, and one that could very easily used for successive books in the series, just with some colour changes, or other elements added.

I'm fairly happy with the top half - though I'm welcoming feedback about the whole image. It's the bottom half that's giving me trouble - everything in the black section is pretty much place holder for now - I would like include the cookie, as...well, it's the series name, and as a sort of recognisable symbol for people to look for), but I'm not sure what to do with the font, or how to lay out the section so it doesn't look jumbled.

The black bar (bounded by the barcodey-blue stripes is something I'd like to replicate across all my covers, so I'd got a set amount of space to play with for the series/title - though do you think I'd be better off moving the series title to the top of the cover, or placing it in a smaller, but more widely spaced font where it is?

[Imogen Rose]

I don't think it gives a YA feel.  If I saw that on Amazon, I might have guessed it was an app or game. Are you going to put your name on it?

[Deanna Chase]

This urban fantasy adult? If so, I don't see it. I am very much your target audience. I read a ton of urban fantasy. But this cover makes me confused. I'm thinking it's a space theme, possibly science fiction. The cookie throws me off altogether.

[ShayneHellerman]

The cover makes me think new age self-help book, or science fiction. But when combined with the cookie, I just wind up confused, because the cookie makes me think that it's a kid's book.  What is the genre, btw?

[telracs]

I'm with those who think that the cover looks science fiction.  And the cookie is confusing.   

[scslawin]

As a book cover, I don't find it compelling at all. It doesn't look like a book to me. I'm not sure what your story is about, but I just did a quick search for "urban fantasy" at Fotalia and found pages and pages of compelling images.

Just a thought!

[Millard]

Yeah... don't like it, sorry. What's ruining it for me is the barcode part with the cookie, which looks jarringly out of place, and the fonts, which are way too generic, and scream amateurish. Fonts, and lettering in general are the biggest downfall on indie covers, and a super-bland font just typed straight on in gray doesn't do it for me.

[Eliza Baum]

This urban fantasy adult? If so, I don't see it. I am very much your target audience. I read a ton of urban fantasy. But this cover makes me confused. I'm thinking it's a space theme, possibly science fiction. The cookie throws me off altogether.

^This 100%.

[Ian Marks]

Ambiguous to a fault. Not relevant to the genre. Terrible font choice. Sorry.

[Rin]

I don't think it gives a YA feel.  If I saw that on Amazon, I might have guessed it was an app or game. Are you going to put your name on it?

Sorry, I wasn't clear - the previous version (see below) was the one that gave the YA impression, I was trying to avoid that with this new version. (Ignore the silly nom d'plume ).

[scslawin]

If I might inquire... could you provide a brief synopsis? I've designed hundreds of book covers, perhaps I could help.

[ShaunaG]

I, too, am your target audience and I don't get either cover. I don't get the title either.

I hate to say it, but you may want to invest in a professional cover artist. You can find fairly inexpensive ones who still do wonderful work. If you tell someone not attached to your book what it's about, what the title means they can sometimes develop something much better because they aren't emotionally attached to it.

[Rin]

This urban fantasy adult? If so, I don't see it. I am very much your target audience. I read a ton of urban fantasy. But this cover makes me confused. I'm thinking it's a space theme, possibly science fiction. The cookie throws me off altogether.

As a book cover, I don't find it compelling at all. It doesn't look like a book to me. I'm not sure what your story is about, but I just did a quick search for "urban fantasy" at Fotalia and found pages and pages of compelling images.

Just a thought!

My problem is that it's really not like a lot of UF out there - it's sort of Neil Gaiman meets the Matrix via memebase (the main character often break into LOLcat), so a more standardised UF cover doesn't really work - my MC isn't a hot chick in leather, or a hot chick at all, more a smelly hacker in sneakers with the figure of a ten-year-old boy. Dramatic city landscapes aren't really appropriate either (and it's hard to make Brisbane look interesting).

Tech's sort of appropriate, since technology is a very important element to the story.

The cookie is important - the series is "Require: Cookie" and the MC spends an inordinate amount of time sitting around conjuring (n.b. "requiring") cookies during the book.

[Rin]

If I might inquire... could you provide a brief synopsis? I've designed hundreds of book covers, perhaps I could help.

I'm terrible at blurbs (another issue I've got to deal with later), but here's one that a fan wrote recently:

A geeky urban fantasy series set mostly in an alternate version of Brisbane. I could say that the main protagonist is a hacker girl who dies and becomes an angel, and it would be technically true while probably leading you to form a completely inaccurate impression. Angels in this setting are more likely to be sporting suits than feathered wings these days, and they belong to The Agency responsible for maintaining order in a world where humans and fae live side by side, and the prevalence of magic doesn't stop some people from wanting to wipe it out.

[Rin]

The cover makes me think new age self-help book, or science fiction. But when combined with the cookie, I just wind up confused, because the cookie makes me think that it's a kid's book.  What is the genre, btw?

Urban fantasy.

And the cookie is confusing.   

It's part of the series name, and thematically important.

[scslawin]

I'm terrible at blurbs (another issue I've got to deal with later), but here's one that a fan wrote recently:

A geeky urban fantasy series set mostly in an alternate version of Brisbane. I could say that the main protagonist is a hacker girl who dies and becomes an angel, and it would be technically true while probably leading you to form a completely inaccurate impression. Angels in this setting are more likely to be sporting suits than feathered wings these days, and they belong to The Agency responsible for maintaining order in a world where humans and fae live side by side, and the prevalence of magic doesn't stop some people from wanting to wipe it out.

Ok, that explains the series, now what about this particular book? And what is the significance of the title "Mirrorfall"?

[Rin]

Ok, that explains the series, now what about this particular book? And what is the significance of the title "Mirrorfall"?

In as TL;DR as fashion as possible...a mirrorfall is basically a cosmic natural disaster. When a dies and it sort of rips degrades and rips apart, releasing the mirror from in the core, the mirror then, well, falls (through a rip in space) and drops somewhere else. Mirror's a coveted resource, as it's basically a big blob of shiny wishes/stuff in potentia, so you grab a bit and wish for anything.

[emilyward]

I wonder if what you currently have could look more like this with some tweaking:


I'm not a huge fan of the font you have. It just looks like TNR and you can find better fonts for covers.

[Imogen Rose]

Urban fantasy.

It's part of the series name, and thematically important.

Even though it's important, you don't necessarily need a visual of it.

[scslawin]

Give me a little while to do a mock up.

[NathanWrann]

My problem is that it's really not like a lot of UF out there - it's sort of Neil Gaiman meets the Matrix via memebase (the main character often break into LOLcat), so a more standardised UF cover doesn't really work - my MC isn't a hot chick in leather, or a hot chick at all, more a smelly hacker in sneakers with the figure of a ten-year-old boy. Dramatic city landscapes aren't really appropriate either (and it's hard to make Brisbane look interesting).

Tech's sort of appropriate, since technology is a very important element to the story.

The cookie is important - the series is "Require: Cookie" and the MC spends an inordinate amount of time sitting around conjuring (n.b. "requiring") cookies during the book.

A whole bunch of what it isn't. Just because other UFs have covers with MCs as "hot chick's in leather" doesn't meant that that's the only way to cover a UF.

Your book is Tech heavy? So for images stick with the tech and a hint of the MC. call the book Mirrorfall (top 1/3rd) with a tech-ish, sans serif font, maybe a subtitle (14pt font) that says "Require: Cookie" then lower third put your name.

[Willsin]

Dramatic city landscapes aren't really appropriate either (and it's hard to make Brisbane look interesting).

Hi, Rin. If I may semi-hijack here...have you thought about going into the CBD, say down along Riverside or further along where the Comalco building is, and taking some shots straight up at the sky? There's plenty of glass in some of those buildings, and if you went on a sunny day there'd be a lot of mirror effect available. The title could potentially fit into the sky areas. I realise the buildings aren't all that densely-packed down there, but with a little tweaking in Photoshop...

Just a thought from a fellow Brisneylander...

[Willsin]

In fact, I have a shot here in my files (not of Brizzie), that could illustrate the point I'm making. Unfortunately I'm about to head out for the dreaded afternoon school run...

Someone else has already offered, I realise, but if you're interested I could mock up an idea for you. Feel free to message me if you'd like. No obligation either way. I'm not trolling for work, just offering to help a "neighbour".

[psychotick]

Hi,

I'm confused by it. The top part, the sort of round spacey bit I like. But it screams sci fi and stars at me,not urban fantasy. The bar code line is also more sci fi to me. The cookie is lame. It doesn't fit with the rest and it makes no sense at all. And where's the author?

The cover doesn't tell me who wrote it or what the books about, so why would I go any further and read the blurb?

Sorry if that seems harsh. But I think it's important having a cover that not only draws the eye, but tells you a little bit about the book. It is after all the first thing the reader sees. Heaven knows I've created a few stinkers of my own.

Cheers, Greg.

[scslawin]

Here's one I banged out as an example: