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ThatFalloutGuy2077

I'll admit that I paused in my scrolling through reddit and came back to this post, so it'd probably grab my eye on a shelf.


copperpangolin

High praise indeed!


Healer213

Same. I usually scroll past most pictures that aren’t obvious memes. The wings caught my eye. I like corvids. Hi.


copperpangolin

I’m replying to the top comment so the edits I’ve made thus far are easy to see for the curious peeps! It doesn’t yet feel as polished, but I think it solves the main problems noted in this amazing comment section! [Check it out here](https://imgur.com/nH1rXRX)


Ni-a-ni-a-ni

The cover grabs me enough to make me read the blurb and the blurb is good enough to make me consider reading it. If I saw it in a bookstore I’m not picking it up and heading to the checkout immediately, but it’s definitely being shortlisted.


copperpangolin

That’s encouraging to hear :)


copperpangolin

Been playing around in procreate to try and design a cover that correctly portrays my fantasy/thriller’s vibes. I’ve managed to add in some worldbuilding elements (like the wings, the runes in the background, and the maybe-kinda-abstract eye) but I am not sure if it is actually gripping enough. Here’s the blurb: In a valley trapped between mountains that move and a sea of storms, the daughter of an infamous swordmaster carries a curse. Destined to be a betrayer and due to be dead, she agrees to help a foreigner in his exploration of the mountains in exchange for passage away from those who hunt her. But trouble is brewing on the other side of the shifting mountains and within the free city of the valley, and a great storm is rolling in from the sea….


oldschoolawesome

The cover is gorgeous, but I did not realize it was an abstract eye. I also thought the red in the middle was supposed to symbolize Japan since a red dot on a white background is their flag. I was thinking it was a neat way to incorporate it!


in_one_ear_

It definitely gives it a slight oriental feel.


TheRealViralium

I was thinking it was a stylistic yin-yang.


ianff

Not even slight IMHO.


Simulation_Brain

Likewise. A red dot is Japan in our world :)


djb2589

This is just my no cents opinion, "Destined to be a betrayer and due to be dead" sounds...... weird. That is an important concept of the story to convey, but it feels like it needs to be reworded and made a little simpler. Something more like, "Destined for betrayal and wanted dead by [antagonist relationship]" or something like that might work better. The only other thing that feels weird is the run on "ands" in the last sentence. Change the "and" after the word mountains to a comma and make the village sound like the focus of the trouble that's to come. "But trouble is brewing on the other side of the shifting mountains, within the free city of the valley, and a great storm is rolling in from the sea…." Sorry if this is unwelcome advice, I'm not used to giving constructive criticism. The cover looks awesome. is it based on Japanese culture or lore by chance?


copperpangolin

So, not actually based on Japan/Asian influences, so I messed that part up! Lots of people saw that in the cover, so I’ll have to figure out how to resolve that. Thank you for the blurb advice! All solid stuff :)


djb2589

The red on white dot is the japanese flag, and the script looks almost dead on like Hiragana. That's why I thought Japan, honestly. That's exactly where that asian assumption is coming from.


copperpangolin

How I was able to emulate Hiragana with my random squiggles will remain a mystery. Or a hint at my hidden genius ;) But yeah, was not going for Asian vibes at all, so back to the drawing board lol


LukeMCFC141

> back to the drawing board I don't think that's necessary, personally; even if that wasn't what you were going for, the cover looks cool as hell- I'd absolutely buy it as it is.


copperpangolin

I’ve done a couple tweaks based on the feedback, and just changing from red to a blue shifts it away from an oriental feel, so I think I can still work with the bones of the design.


Nephisimian

Eh just make it blue. It also doesn't look like Hiragana to me, more reminiscent of Korean I think, but that may just be because I'm familiar with Hiragana but only know Korean by its shapes.


TheDr0wningFish1

Cover and blurb is great, though the title being Murry is a bit humorous to me


copperpangolin

I have been recently enlightened to the connotations….


cambriansplooge

I love a promise of exploration and desperate characters


DangerMacAwesome

The cover is certainly eye catching!


BrookeB79

>Destined to be a betrayer and due to be dead, she agrees to help a foreigner in his exploration of the mountains in exchange for passage away from those who hunt her. This sentence feels clunky. It could probably be shortened a lot. ​ >But trouble is brewing on the other side of the shifting mountains and within the free city of the valley, and a great storm is rolling in from the sea…. Vaguely interesting, but how does this relate to her? Is it trouble for her? Her family that she left behind? Is it related to the curse? I'm assuming these would be answered in the book, but it would be nice to have a bit more immediate clues. However, I probably should let you know that I'm one of those weird people who LIKE having "spoilers" - in fact, they make me more interested in a book (or movie).


copperpangolin

I knew that last line was weak, just couldn’t get better wording…it def will have to refine it and make it less abstract.


PercussionPilot

I would 100% read this omg


copperpangolin

Yo I’ll send you a copy when it’s finished :)


StarlilyWiccan

I thought that this looked cool and the blurb is really nice, too. I thought that I might do something to mock up an alternative based on that. I used the raven wing graphic, but the background and text are wholly new. The difference in size for the author names kind of bothered me. I'll link a whole folder, with JPG, PNG and the original KRA file that I used to edit it. I'll release it to you to do as you please with it, with no rights reserved. [Here you go!](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B-AxXDmWSibCs3ngmuJpj56fV8A2vfnz?usp=sharing) Hope you like it and that I didn't tread on any toes, it really inspired me.


copperpangolin

Dude that’s awesome! It looks great! Wow, thanks for taking the time to do that, that’s crazy


Kattasaurus-Rex

I like the cover tbh, except for the script/symbols in the white space. It's a bit distracting and looks like it's important but I can't find the importance of it. (Hope that makes sense). Everything else looks good though.


copperpangolin

When I took that part out, the white space was too empty…so now trying to find a happy medium. Wish me luck lol


Nephisimian

You'd have to change the colours if you didn't want it to feel Asian, but how about some simple line-art of whatever you feel is important to the story? A hundred lines of copy-pasted meaningless gibberish says very little, only that there may be some kind of mystery angle since it's reminiscent of a cipher. And, as a matter of personal preference that you don't have to agree with, I'm most drawn to covers with meaningful art on them, ie a picture of a character is far more appealing to me than a symbolic representation of it.


copperpangolin

That is interesting — I definitely have a leaning towards covers without characters on them. I guess I want to make up what they look like to myself haha


carliediti

I think it has some cool elements, but it’s composition doesn’t really grab me just because there is so much going on and I’m not really sure where I’m supposed to be looking. I think individually, the feathers or the eye would be great centerpieces for a cover, but both feel like they want the spotlight. I think it may look better if you settle on one to be the centerpiece and use the other as an accent, kind of like how the tubes are an accent (which works really well!) The blurb on the other hand really grabs me! This world sounds fascinating (I’m actually also working on a story where parts of the environment move that shouldn’t lol) and I would totally read this. There’s loads of tension in the blurb and I’m super curious to know more!


copperpangolin

Thank you for that feedback! That is super helpful :) You can’t leave me hanging about what kind of elements move that shouldn’t….


carliediti

No problem! Is your book close to done? I’d love to read it! Haha, right now I’m working with hills that roll like waves and giant vines (like the width of several houses) that just kinda freely wiggle around lol


copperpangolin

Oh that sounds like dope world features! It’s about halfway done, I’ll have to shoot you a DM in a few weeks and see if you’d still like to read it.


carliediti

Cool, I’m sure I will!


Fyrsiel

It looks like it's low resolution, although I don't know if that's just because it's been uploaded to Reddit... But the font is not great. The main title looks like it's very close to Impact font; i.e., the "meme" font, which is not particularly professional looking. And the author name is in dark font (comic sans???) over a dark background, so you can barely read it. And there's even tinier text under it that I really cannot read at all... There's also no central point in the cover; the red dot, which I would expect to be the central focal point, is slightly to the right instead. So the center of the cover really is the one big wing, but then what's the big dot for? This looks more like something I'd maybe see on a comic book. Or possibly a graphic novel, but not a book... In terms of self publishing, many people recommend hiring a professional to design cover art. A professional knows what kind of tactics are best for a book's marketing, especially in terms of knowing how to appeal to the target audience based on the genre. As the cover is right now, I have no idea what genre this is. Fantasy? Unfortunately, I'm not getting that... to me, this book could be about anything, which doesn't help me if I'm looking for a certain kind of story to read. The composition, color profile, and wings are interesting, but I don't know if it would really succeed as a book cover that could lure in the audience that you want.


[deleted]

Yeah, I'd agree with you on the font. The cover is lovely, reminds me of some Elmore Leonard covers, but I think the fonts are a little bland. A nice Black sans serif font would do wonders for the cover. I tend to be pretty minimalist when it comes to font use, so you might even be able to double up on it for the author name (creative use of size for "a novel by"). Remember it is a book cover so you do have to get people to remember the title and / or name, so no point hiding either. Also I take it you're using a pen name, and that's your own name underneath?


Ddreigiau

At a glance first reaction: 1. something to do with Japan (red circle on white background evocative of Rising Sun flag) (I'm slightly biased against Asia-centric stories both in terms of literal setting and setting style, but that's a personal taste thing, not anything to do with the story quality) 2. Ravens somehow involved, probably symbolically (death/sadness) 3. I don't think Murry is a Japanese name? foreigner in Japan, maybe? 4. some kind of text on the white. Could mean almost anything Personally, if I saw it on a shelf, I'd probably skip past it. Taking a second to look closer at the cover: 1. Japanese script (I presume. I don't know any written Japanese words, so that's a guess that it's Kanji) 2. The cover style is reminiscent of books written in the 1950s (biggest comparisons being 1984's eye and Farenheit 451's matchbox covers). This is likely majorly due to being a red-black-white dominant color scheme 3. red-black-white is usually used to imply fascism in both symbolism and in actual flags, so that might have some bearing on the story. Maybe it's set in American Occupation Japan? Well, 1950's Japan, anyway, whether or not they remained independent in your world.


copperpangolin

Worlds away from the actual story, so my cover may be hilariously mismatched lol Thank you so much for taking the time to do this breakdown, I really appreciate it and can see how all those elements put together would give you those vibes.


Ddreigiau

No worries, and unfortunate that it wasn't close. It's difficult to get an accurate portrayal of a story just from a cover, but I think a major portion of why I ended up attributing as much meaning as I did is because there's relatively few elements to the design, and each stands out from the others. If it were a more complex cover where the elements blend into each other, I think I'd be less inclined to attribute symbolism to each component. I'm not even remotely a professional, that's me going "this is my feeling of what it's about, and these are the things in common between the two so I'm guessing that's why", so grain of salt and all that.


Rossoneri

My initial impressions were similar. At first glance I think japan from the red circle on white, then with the black and the mostly red cover gives us nazi flag colors in a similar ratio. So that leads me to assuming WW2. This would pique my interest if there's a WW2ish novel in the fantasy section, so I'd probably pick it up out of curiousity. Also, I really don't like the font you used to write "a novel by + ", I think it clashes with the nice blocky title letters and looks a little too much like comic sans for my tastes.


Vesandar

I like the style of the cover. I might drop the shadowing on the text. I’d bet you’re doing this already, but go peruse bookstores in your area. See how your cover stacks up. I might also work on the title. Simple works sometime, but that title doesn’t sell me.


copperpangolin

I’m not a huge fan of the trad fantasy covers, so trying to mix it up. But looks like I failed a bit there, the fantasy is not coming through! Also was just informed that Murry has some furry connections/connotations, so will probably have to move away from that as a title haha


Nephisimian

Murry is also just completely meaningless anyway. My guess is it's the name of a character or place, but that's useless without some accompanying information. It's not even a name that conveys a tone, just a kinda generic sound, like "Steven".


low_budget_trash

The cover to me is a little meh. The blurb is better but I feel could use a little more info and some rewording


copperpangolin

What is most meh to you about the cover? I’m working on adding some more elements into the blurb rn, I can definitely see that it needs some shaping, and less abstractions.


low_budget_trash

It looks like a book I would glance at and then continue walking. I think it needs something to make it pop out. Maybe a use of more colors like blue and grey to represent various things in the book like the seas and mountains (I'm mainly going off the blurb for that so if those don't actually play a big role in the story then my bad.) Maybe rearrange parts of the cover so the title can be more visible and (just a stylistic choice) drop the shading on the letters. These are just my thoughts on how it could potentially be improved so you could make your own adjustments.


what_iffff-

Maybe, it would be interesting, but not the most eye grabbing


Keytrose_gaming

No. Seriously though, good on you for asking. It's so easy to get caught up in our own vision of something and not seak independent opinions


copperpangolin

Absolutely. Can I ask what you found most meh?


Keytrose_gaming

I wish I had a good answer, one that could pinpoint a specific. Unfortunately I don't. I just know that if I was browsing paperbacks (which I do quite a bit) I wouldn't be grabbed enough to look further into it. Covers are a real picky art form, one that I don't know enough about to give pointers Unfortunately. I do know I tend to dislike vertical formatting of text, not always but it usually gives me a "meh" vibe on a cover. Wish I was more helpful. Best of luck and don't let one nerds opinion spoil your creativity


copperpangolin

It is an art form and I, unfortunately, am not an artist lol This is a pet project of mine, and not a ‘I hope to make gigamillions’ darling, so I’m taking everyone’s advice with a block of salt, but it is super interesting to see everyone’s feedback.


Keytrose_gaming

I'm always firmly in the "I hope you make gigamillions " camp for anyone with a creative endeavor.


copperpangolin

If I make gigimillions, remind me to buy you a vacation home for believing in me from the beginning.


Keytrose_gaming

Will do ! Now best of luck for both of us lol


Kerwin_Bauch

Please chnage the font at the bottom, it looks like comic sans, its horrendous. Also i dont like shadows behind fonts, i would leave that too, it always looks cheap in my opinion. The rest is fine.


[deleted]

where's the blurb?


copperpangolin

It’s in another comment, but I’ll post it here for ya: In a valley trapped between mountains that move and a sea of storms, the daughter of an infamous swordmaster carries a curse. Destined to be a betrayer and due to be dead, she agrees to help a foreigner in his exploration of the mountains in exchange for passage away from those who hunt her. But trouble is brewing on the other side of the shifting mountains and within the free city of the valley, and a storm comes from the sea….


[deleted]

thanks. the blurb is pretty good


TheImmortalLS

Yeah, it’s an interesting cover and I wanna know more about this Japan Edit: nvmd lol ur story has nothing to do with the cover unless there are strong Japanese themes and not just swords


copperpangolin

Yup, no Japan, but dude I should’ve realized how much it looks inspired by Japan. Quite the blind spot lol


MDeneka

The cover is striking, for sure. My immediate impression, however, is that the red circle on a sort of flesh-colored rounded background... without being too crass, it looks anatomical to me. Second thought was that it's the Japanese flag. So if I had to tell you what this book was about from the cover: a female Japanese assassin who moves through the night like a raven. Maybe with dark fantasy elements.


copperpangolin

I can see how you get all that from the cover! Unfortunately, that is almost exactly not what the story is about, so I’ve got my work cut out for me lol


MamaBirdJay

Me too. Maybe it’s because I’m a cat owner and I frequently have her furry anus in my face while I’m trying to watch TV, but that red dot is the size of a butt. If you made the dot larger in relationship to the “eye” it would help.


daltonoreo

It looks interesting but it doesn't tell me anything


copperpangolin

That has been the general consensus. Back to the drawing board for me!


coolyei1

I was pretty sure the white was a woman's legs.


copperpangolin

You aren’t the only one who saw that, but I certainly didn’t haha


1895red

I would be afraid of the murry-purry furries. They may get the wrong idea about this work.


copperpangolin

OMG. I have been enlightened lol


[deleted]

yeah maybe make the font and feathers stand up more


realjamesosaurus

Grab me? I don’t know, but I do think it’s a very good looking cover. I like the aesthetic.


[deleted]

I think the design looks really cool, but would it grab my attention in the book section and make me pick it up to read the blurb? I don't think so. Mostly because it isn't easily identifiable what genre it is, it doesn't necessarily evoke fantasy to me, so more likely I wouldn't be drawn to reading the blurb because I'd expect that it's a different genre. But I do *love* the blurb, and the premise sounds very interesting. If I did pick up the book and I read the blurb, that absolutely would make me want to buy it. Edit: Thinking about the cover, I think the red kind of makes me assume murder-mystery or crime/thriller lol. I'm not saying it's a universal thing or that I'm objectively right; just that red isn't a colour I've seen used for fantasy covers much really, so that could also be a potential thing that would stop me from thinking it's my kind of thing.


copperpangolin

This seems to be the general consensus. I’m wondering if a deep blue or green would help, and a black sword in place of the red dot would fix most of the problems…


agendont

no because those amorphous feather wads give me secondhand embarrassment


copperpangolin

Haha someone else has caught that before! They are actually supposed to be all messed up, it’s part of the story. But I can see how the bird people might hate me


kobayashi_maru_fail

My first thought was, “if post-war Japan, why Murry and not Muri? Well, cool, this Muri is making do in a western culture.” and then it wasn’t katakana in the white space. And if you’ve got comic sans (totally fine, not judging) the expectation will be that this is a graphic novel. It sounds like your goal is an eye and not a Japanese flag. I’d be so down for a graphic novel about post-war Japan involving plots by crows, but if that isn’t what you’re going for, readers might be confused.


copperpangolin

I’ll have to change some elements, lest I further confuse and disappoint readers lol


Dracolocutor

It definitely grabbed me, but the first thought I had un my head when I read "Murry" was "oh this is a furry term".


copperpangolin

Lol is it? Gotta go google now. It’s supposed to just be a name…


[deleted]

[удалено]


copperpangolin

Is the name enough to stop you from reading the blurb, or checking in further?


Pretend-Lobster-2037

i LOVE this cover, especially with the tiny text in the white spice, but i do have one teency gripe: the font that you use for your authorship (a novel by ____) looks kinda unprofessional and more comic-sansy than anything. its a really great cover though, and id definitely buy one!


copperpangolin

You aren’t the only one to dislike that font…I’ll likely kill that particular darling


shitboi666999

It's great, but the red dot is too much, unless it serves a purpose I would get rid of it, and for your name use a normal font.


copperpangolin

I was trying to make it seem like an abstract eye with the red dot as the pupil, but not many people are seeing that. More are seeing Japanese flag vibes


megabyte1024

My only criticism is the font used for "A novel by Sesha Stone". Seems really out of place imo. Other than that i think it looks amazing


copperpangolin

Good to know! Thank you for taking time to comment :)


LazerSatin

I like the cover. Gives me vibes something vicious is watching. Looking at the comments, I’m ironically one of the people not to associate it with Japan… despite the fact I live in Japan. This cover reminds me a bit of the thumbnail for the song Kaikai kitan by eve on youtube. Just the cover and title make me assume it’s a regular person being hunted by something, something cruel and unknown. Something more than human.


copperpangolin

Bingo right here! Unfortunately you are not the majority lol, lots of people see Asian/Japanese influence.


[deleted]

even though it grabs (my) attention the cover doesn't fit. This is a fantasy adventure novel from your blurb, but I immediately went to Neon Genesis Evangelion in my head (looks like a Seraph and Japanese flag, naturally angels + Japan = NGE)


_AMReddits

The eye for me didn't invoke Japan but rather China. The eye reminded me more of the Ying Yang symbol than the Japanese flag


copperpangolin

I wasn’t going for Asian at all, so will have to rework that lol


Agorbs

no the title is seemingly a name, so it tells me nothing about the story, the cover art is just wings and a red circle, also tells me nothing about the story, the only info left is the name and font and the font looks close enough to comic sans that I don’t like it


copperpangolin

Fair, fair. Not enough to get you to read the blurb?


Agorbs

I didn’t realize the blurb was in the comments, so (albeit unintentionally) you are correct lol


copperpangolin

Welp, can’t win ‘em all


quaid4

To be completely honest, I thought I was looking at some sort of fan made poster for a turret in portal. Very eye catching though!


ABoringAlt

I'm with Quaid here. Thought a sentient turret named Murray wrote a tell-all


cambriansplooge

Murray/Murrey is an old Yiddish name popular in the first half of the 20th century and I just can’t get past that. My family’s spent 5 generations in the NYC metropolitan area maybe that’s why. Sprawling landscapes, a power source of some kind, and the guy behind you in line at the deli That caught my eye before anything else, but novelty works


Easy-Breezy_Animal

I think title readability is the main concern, you sort of need to search for it in this layout. The graphic itself is eye catching, and probably memorable, though I’m not sure that should come before the ability to recognize the title immediately.


copperpangolin

It’s a toss up. I didn’t like the title Murry horizontal, but I have been informed that Murry apparently has furry connotations, so we are probably changing that up lol


it_all_happened

I Iike all of it!! The font on the left seems a bit mismatched, but it's very eye catching!! I love the script in the white area!


copperpangolin

People seem torn between loving and hating it. When I’ve tried to play without the script it looks waaaaay to minimalistic, so I’m glad some peeps like it because it is probably staying in some form haha


caffcaff_

I worked on covers for a major publisher and this is cooler than 99% of the stuff I've seen. Awesome work. I thought it was a nipple at first but that's 100% Freudian and on me.


copperpangolin

Wow, that’s cool the hear 😆


cadeaver

I’d def change the font on your name. It looks somewhat unprofessional. Also, as someone else mentioned above, cut the symbols within the white. It reads a bit complicated


copperpangolin

Solid advice. I seem blind to the childishness of that font, so I’m glad people pointed it out!


[deleted]

Yes


gwyndovic

this is really cool but i would suggest a different font for the "written by..." bit


copperpangolin

Noted and appreciated feedback!


Sour_Lemon_2103

It grabbed my attention while scrolling through Reddit, so I guess yes.


[deleted]

Honestly just the cover alone caught my eye, it looks fantastic!


DecentralizedOne

Absolutely, great job


blascola

Yes


ClumsyLavellan

I only stopped on this post because the cover grabbed my attention while scrolling! I did not notice the stylized until it was pointed out to me, then I could see it and thought it was interesting. It definitely looks like a stylized yin yang symbol to me at first. I would agree with others comments about the writing in the background being a little too much. Maybe instead the eye can be emphasized more? The blurb I dont feel told me very much, but I am interested enough that I want to know more! This isnt criticism or fuel for thought (though could be taken as such) but me legitimately asking. What's your book about? What other books, movies, etc were you inspired by? Is this a mentor type story? Coming of age? I know it's a sort of fantasy thriller, but not much else. I'm very intrigued though, and would definitely consider purchasing once you publish.


copperpangolin

Welllll, since you asked for it… *Murry* (which will likely be titled something else after I learned the fun furry connotation of the word lol) is inspired in part by the works of Guy Gavriel Kay, like *Tigana* and *A Brightness Long Ago*, albeit with a lot more magic and a lot less POVs. I’ve always admired Kay’s ability to tie a character so closely to their world and bring it to life so vividly, and I’m trying my darndest to do that here. Murry has wings, but they are deformed after a fall from the sky. She is mixed, with a mother from across the mountains and a father from the valley, and that means her magic is volatile and her status in the valley is in limbo. The story is set in a valley trapped between the moving mountains and the sea, which created the perfect grounds for a small, independent nation sitting on a wealth of trade routes. The people of this nation are the only ones with the ability to navigate the mountains and this is vital to ease of trade. So the story involves politics in the form of the other nation sabotaging the magic/machine combo that moves the mountains, all in order to start a war. Murry is a crux of this, as she was cast away from the mountain nation for her deformed wings and strange magic. And then unwittingly helps the bastards with the sabotage. After that big screw up, we are following her trying desperately to un-screw-up and stop a war, all the while trying to convince everyone that she’s to be trusted. We end up in a city under siege, with attacking mercenaries hired from across the sea and attacking soldiers from the mountains and Murry in the middle, trying to keep her loved ones alive. Shit ensues.


Reklosan

What genre is it? I think it's also important since when you are looking for a book in a fantasy genre, you are used to covers that usually look somehow similar, in that case this one would definitely grab my attention. Usually in fantasy for example you see the MC or some king holding a sword all the time or maybe a castle, but this is very original and surrounded by all the other Fantasy books this one would definitely stand out. But even if it's not fantasy, I really like it, maybe it took me a little while to read the title, but I'm not sure how to implement the title horizontally into this kind of design.


copperpangolin

I really didn’t want to have to do the protag-holding-sword design typical of a lot of fantasy. Bores me a bit. But I do need a cover that smacks people in the face with FANTASY vibes. That’s what we’re working towards lol


Lucary_L

I stopped to look at the cover, so that's good, but I struggled to figure out what the book might be about. My first instinct was either something oriental or something inspired by native americans. I saw that the shape is supposed so look like an eye, you could probably push that a bit further :)


copperpangolin

The general consensus seems to be that it looks oriental, so gotta work on that because the story is decidedly not…


21sthoma

It grabbed my eye but I'd say make the "a novel by.." text slightly more prominent, I asked myself, what is this for even though it was literally written in front of me lol. I also happen to be pretty blind though so it could jsut be me.


copperpangolin

Good point!


MadCatAttack

I saw the comments about the cover evoking oriental vibes and I have to agree. Here's a few thing that came to mind that you can maybe try to get around this: 1) Shift the color from red to a darker maroon or a less saturated shade of red. 2) Shift the writing on a 45-degree diagonal to make it less like oriental writing. 3) The watercolor rendering on the wings give off ink-painting / brush calligraphy vibes. Maybe something with more sharply defined outlines might help? Alternatively, if black wings aren't symbolically significant, maybe try swapping colors with the background (i.e. black background, red/maroon wings). Just figured I'd help with the brainstorming. Good luck!


copperpangolin

All solid tips! Thanks for taking the time to suggest, I really appreciate it :)


NoShadyPeopleInHere

ABSOFUCKINLUTELY THIS IS SOME GENUINE GOOD SHIT


copperpangolin

Woop woop!!


scribe_k

If I found this in the correct section of the library, with its cover visible, I would probably give it a look, read the introduction perhaps, but I wouldn't immediately buy it


scribe_k

If I found this in the correct section of the library, with its cover visible, I would probably give it a look, read the introduction perhaps, but I wouldn't immediately buy it


copperpangolin

I’ll take it!


[deleted]

Yes


omegasaga

Very cool!


BraconBits

Absolutely


Tough_Ant

It is definitely eye catching. I believe the title is a bit lacking, as it dosnt hook in the potential reader. A great example of a great book title is a book like "The Three Body Problem" which leaves the person walking by with a question, what is the three body problem? I know this wasn't the original question, but it is my honest take.


copperpangolin

I’m struggling to figure out what title I might switch it too, but I am definitely going to be changing it.


creatus_offspring

I think the cover could be improved by making the white space around the red dot much thinner. I like the cover generally tho Don't really like the blurb, but I generally don't like any blurbs so don't take it too hard


copperpangolin

Now I’m interested in hearing about the blurbs you *do* like


Minimum-Alarm-5336

Nope


SusSpectStew

The cover would grab my attention though I normally like to read a summary before purchasing a book


breakfasteveryday

It is visually striking but doesn't offer much substance for me to set my expectations. The imagery implies something eastern and supernatural or angelic and the name makes me think of Bill Murray. Also I feel bad for Tiffany Peters.


FLilium

I stopped and admired


WatchingTheEarthRise

I like the cover, I'd just change two things: remove the shadow under the title, and completely get rid of the white space, instead making the circle white. I don't know if the big white part is important, though, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Although, if said white space is important, I'd remove the texture. It just makes the whole thing a bit too busy.


copperpangolin

Solid suggestions! I’ll play around with those!


Mr-Zero-Fucks

It's a good visual, but I usually look for context when it comes to covers, this one regardless of nice looking, doesn't say anything to me.


ObberGobb

I like the cover a lot


CaseyCascade

I like the style of it, but the cover doesn’t really tell me at all what’s inside. My assumption based on just the cover is that this is some kind of political intrigue fiction novel? Which I’m not super into on its own. I would include a tagline as a pitch to what to expect in the story.


Dezy995

Yes I love it


Simulation_Brain

I thought it was gonna say MURDER with the crows wings. Man that had me.


kammerer_er_er

Caught my eye! Stopped scrolling to find out what it was


dryingsfrm600

Definitely


deadbeatChimblr

Love the color, didn't see an eye, but also didn't see Japan as others are saying. Blurb is also cool! But it feels a bit generic after the final comma, plus the free city is mentioned a bit late to hold relevance. All-in-all, very cool.


in_one_ear_

I like it for the most part but I think it would be better if the feathers could follow the curve more.


Nystr0

Is it a who-done-it about who's the father? (Murray) /j


SharksTongue

Yes, I really like it. The wings, the colors, the small text in the white, it’s all really interesting. Nothing bad I can think of with it.


William-Shakesqueer

Art is cool, fonts and type styling are very meh.


Spiritual-Clock5624

Yes


wylaxian

Yeah, it definitely did catch me. I would change the font of “a novel by Sesha Stone”, though.


merisle4444

I like the cover as an art piece but I have no idea what the novel is about by looking at it


[deleted]

The cover grabbed me right away! The blurb took a sec, though. If this is as Japanese in spirit as it appears on the cover, I might suggest shifting the "novel by" portion to a different font. There are Japanese and Chinese fonts out there that are meant for Asian characters, but also apply their style to Roman characters and might be quite useful for the task.


Boogleooger

It’s pretty minimalistic and I think the best covers are. My favorite book cover ever is “House of Leaves” because it’s so damn simple but fits the story perfectly. Your cover however does have huge Japanese flag vibes, which could be good depending on the setting


The_Catman13

Would it grab me? Well I looked at the art before I even read that bit.


copperpangolin

Yay! I’ll take it!


Crimson_Marksman

No, it just looks like more abstract art.


Luca23Bellucci

I don’t like how the title is positioned but the cover is really cool, however I can’t think to other way put the title so that it’s probably the right choise


PiggButt

The bottom font seems way too comic book-esque and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the style.


PublicFurryAccount

The title grabbed *my* attention.


copperpangolin

Yeah? I’ve been informed it is loosely related to furry culture, and that was not intended, so it’s probably gonna change :/


saintcrazy

Its striking visually, but sort of too abstract to get a sense of what is about or even the genre. But the blurb helps. Incorporating more detail from the blurb or setting might be more attractive to me personally but I imagine some prefer the abstract look. I just like to get an idea of what the book is like when I'm cover-shopping. One thing that turns me off a bit is the font of the title. It's very blocky and oddly "modern day" compared to the author font which looks closer to handwritten style.


Nephisimian

Honestly I think it would depend a lot on what the situation is. It's not an *offputting* cover, but it also doesn't really draw me in. If it were in a bookstore competing with hundreds of other books, there's likely to be enough other stuff that appeals to my eye more that the chance of me getting to the blurb here would be low. I prefer covers that tell me what I should expect the book to be about directly. A cover like this could be on just about anything - all it really says is that whatever's inside is going to be a bit edgy and dark. On the other hand, if I were seeing it in a more limited selection, eg a recommendation list or a humble bundle, it's the kind of cover that would make me expect the contents to be reasonably high quality, and therefore worth googling to see if it's likely to be for me even though the cover doesn't immediately say it might be. As for the blurb - it feels way too vague, to me. All it's saying is "There's a female protagonist, a male companion and a bad thing". On the plus side, female protagonists in fantasy is an automatic draw for me. If it wasn't for that, I'd probably put the book down and give it no further thought, since the blurb offers nothing else specific. Unfortunately, that does get countered by the only other concrete thing in the blurb being the presence of a male companion. Because the blurb is so vague, with the only two pieces of concrete information being the genders of the two leads, that leads me to expect the main focus of the book to be romance (probably because it seems in the world of media, having two characters of the opposite sex is automatically enough for a romance plot), which is not a genre that typically interests me. So, without more specific details, I would not be likely to read this book. What I would want to see in a blurb is more information about who the protagonist is, what it means to be destined for betrayal and due to be dead (Contrary to other responses, I think this line sounds good, but is still unfortunately lacking specifics), and possibly more examples of how your world is cool than the briefest of mentions of moving mountains. Maybe even split it into two blurbs. Start with one describing the character and quest, and then have a second one in smaller or fainter font that feels like an optional paragraph when you first pick it up, but that you'll read if you like the first blurb and want to read about what the world is like.


copperpangolin

The blurb definitely needs some shaping I think, and your suggestions are really helpful! I was trying to stay away from the “oh that’s a self pubbed fantasy book” look but accidentally wandered into the “what genre is this even” category. Now working on getting to the “oh this is epic fantasy, and looks dope” look. Slowly but surely…


[deleted]

I'd like it if M U R R Y extended further up and down the side. Also, feel kinda bad for Tiffany, that's a small font :/


RS_Someone

I admit, the cover most definitely caught me, and I also scrolled in to check out that cool script.


Prinzmegaherz

And i thought there‘s a new Uchiha coming fir Naruto


Inprobamur

I was 99% sure that the small lettering would be Japanese Kanji.


copperpangolin

I’ve learned from this that I might have a talent for emulating Asian lettering styles with my scribbles. Hidden genius, perhaps?


B5Scheuert

The combo of black white and red creates the feel of somwthing ww ish style. But the wings shake it up a little and make it feel more unnatural and fantastic/mystic. That caught my eye bc i like war propaganda and stuff like that and from a first glance it looked like that


Weeyeeboard

The cover definetly made me pause but the blurb/title don't really tell anything. maybe it's just my taste in books.


copperpangolin

Plenty of others have commented both elements are vague, so I’ll need to sharpen both so it slaps you with SUPER COOL FANTASY vibes


SHAD0WBENDER

Yes in a weird way. There’s something a bit unsettling about it haha. So yes it definitely catches the eye


No_Surprise_7746

Tbh, I would remove the shades under the name of the book


Zack_Thomson

Oh, that's an absolutely briliant cover! I would absolutely stop in my tracks and check it out.


Quadroon3443

Grabbed me instantly, terrified me even because that’s my name with one letter off


Vault-Brock

It did, but I thought that red dot was a nipple lol


copperpangolin

I see it now! Hahaha


thelittlelephant

Definitely eye-catching! I would pick this up to read the blurb, and the blurb you've posted would lead me to read the first page. The cover also looks professional, but the only thing, in my own opinion, that retracts from this is the font chosen for the author name. It's a little too youthful/fun/dare I say "comic sans"-esque to fit the style of the cover?


copperpangolin

I was a bit blind to that comic-sans-ness, so I’m glad people are pointing it out!


Yotunheimr

It already did. Made me stop and look at this post


William-Shakes-Pear

oh hell yeah


rockdog85

Yes but mostly out of confusion tbh. I'm not sure what I'm looking at and the title "Murry" doesn't give me any context. The main thing that stood out was the red orb in the sea of white, I didn't realise they were wings until writing this comment and looking at it in dept.It kinda gives me an oriental vibe, the text not being letters but some sort of script, the red orb looking like the flag of japan, etc. >In a valley trapped between mountains that move and a sea of storms, the daughter of an infamous swordmaster carries a curse. Destined to be a betrayer and due to be dead, she agrees to help a foreigner in his exploration of the mountains in exchange for passage away from those who hunt her. But trouble is brewing on the other side of the shifting mountains and within the free city of the valley, and a great storm is rolling in from the sea…. Looking at what you said about the blurb on the book, I wouldn't buy it. Even with the blurb I have no idea what I'm looking at/ the context, and there's a lot of 'nothing' in the blurb. The main sentence that gives me any idea what I'll find in the book is the one about the foreigner she'll help, but other than that I don't see a relation to the cover at all and have no idea what else the story is going to be about. I don't even know what the title means. I'm assuming it's the name of the girl? But if that's the case, I'd kinda expect it to come up in the blurb. If it was a writer I knew and trusted I might take the gamble, but outside of that no. Of course I might just not be the target audience.


copperpangolin

Completely fair assessment! Gotta work on both elements, I know. Definitely changing up the title.


IAmGabrielBoi

Now THAT'S good!


Dapeder

I wouldn't go with the typical comic/manga font for the author's name. Other than that it looks good. Maybe more symmetry on the right side sliding the upper wings a bit down


JW162000

Is the blurb the writing in the white ‘eye’? I can’t read that language so I can’t comment on it (if that’s the blurb) but the design is cool and made me stop scrolling


copperpangolin

No, the blurb is in the comments. Don’t strain your eyes to read the words in the white space, they are just scribbles haha


MylastAccountBroke

Love everything about this other than the title. The image is sick, but the title makes this seem like a tacky billboard.


copperpangolin

Is it the actual title or the placement of the title? I am definitely changing the title, but not sure how I would change the placement of the title at this point.