The first is my original and I went in to fix that it’s slightly off centre.
The second is my re-try.
The third is my scrap and start again.
(Am having a lot of trouble representing the book with the cover. I don’t like people on my covers but I saw the perfect drawing of a face to put on there, but it was AI generated and I won’t use it on principle, but it’s making it hard to like anything else)
@wendypalmer@johnhowesauthor Visually, these are lovely (the second and third being stronger). However if someone isn't familiar with your work, the cover doesn't communicate much about what's inside (Fantasy, SF, historical fiction, a treatise on fractals, gear design?). I believe you could make the cover work better if you give readers more reason to pick it up.
ah, ok, thank you - I’m terrible at synopses but I’ll give it a go…
It’s a fantasy romance, roughly 1400s setting, in a world where the magic is solely the purview of Mancers, non-binary magical engineers (hence, gears) who must create their magical works or suffer and eventually die. They’re rare and thus high-prized, so strongholds undertake to host them and give them everything they need in exchange for their inventions. It’s meant to be a protective function, but some strongholds imprison their Mancer, and some kidnap other strongholds’ Mancers.
Main character Hazel is one of the guards of a Mancer in Stronghold Fair Haven, a place renowned for safety and kindness. One of the inventions is a magic light (hence, glowing orb) which plays into the story later.
The story opens with a new Mancer showing up requesting sanctuary, but also refusing to admit which stronghold they’ve run from in an effort to hide, and just because they’re congenitally distrustful and secretive. So we have simultaneously the developing relationship between Hazel and the new Mancer, and also the growing threat of this previous stronghold invading to get them back (but it’s not an epic fantasy with big battles).
So on the one hand, typical medieval fantasy imagery might work but isn’t really accurate (plus I made the mistake of making the stronghold very specific in appearance, so generic castle isn’t going to cut it); I’ve gone the steampunkish angle which also isn’t right, I’d most like to feature my Mancer character in their distinctive long green vest, but I’m generally at a bit of a loss with my resources, which amounts to Canva and stock imagery…
😂 that would be ever so slightly misleading as MC is male and love interest is non-binary — but yes, I might be at the stage of looking at pre-made covers depending on if inspiration strikes in the next month or so
@wendypalmer@johnhowesauthor If anything that might make it easier. A quick scan revealed more "dude with orb" images than the other way around, although designers do seem to have a predilection for wizards...
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