Inspiration
On a freezing cold winter’s day in lockdown, too drizzly to even venture out for a Sunday walk, I started thinking about book cover designs. I’ll keep this post relatively short but I ended up with 3 designs and would very much welcome some comments, here, with regards to which one works best. Bearing in mind that when designing a book cover it is more than just a picture; more a shop window for promoting your master piece, so the balance of imagery text and colours is important.
Lethal Ties is a tense psychological thriller set in West Sussex.
Two characters, who met in a children’s home, share traumatic memories. But as they attempt to seek the truth and trace a missing friend, they are plunged into a vortex of online threats and intimidation… until a police investigation is launched.
DESIGN 1
The thinking behind this first design is fairly simple. Female lead character, Maisie, has a recurring nightmare, where she finds herself trapped in a forest. Staring up, she sees a circle of trees, the night sky just visible through the bare branches.
It is a chilling image and the lack of any other detail leaves an element of mystery, but is it too understated? Perhaps a little boring?
DESIGN 2
I was wondering if the inclusion of a character would make the cover more appealing. Sam, an angelic but vulnerable 11-year-old boy vanished in 1995, never to be seen again. But 20 years later, Maisie is haunted by a vision of a similar looking boy stood on a dark wooded roadside.
I’ve blended in the same trees image from the first design. My only concern is the boy in this photo and although he seems traumatised, he looks younger than 11.
DESIGN 3
This photo was taken by the same photographer (and could be the same boy) but the back-of-the-head image portrays a sense of departure. When Sam disappeared from Joe and Maisie’s lives they never knew what happened to him. The tree in the background is very evocative of Maisie’s nightmare, as if the two are connected.
But is this image attention grabbing enough to make you stop and look? What about the title and wording? Would it tempt you to read the synopsis?
Now the book has now been professionally edited and soon to go out to beta-readers I’d love to get some opinions on the three designs. Please leave a comment in the box below to reveal your favourite cover.
Same Face Different Place 
Hi Helen, it is good to hear your book is almost ready. Mason thought 2 was well suited to the description. I found it too scary for me, so I preferred the 3rd.
Thanks for responding, Carol and I appreciate yours and Mason’s feedback. I’m torn now, but leaning towards no.3.
Helen i like the 3rd image. For me, it has a little more of interest than the other 2 … giving more scope for speculation, which leads to interest (for me, anyway!)
Hope thats helpful!
Fran
Hi Fran, thanks so much for your comment and I’m pleased you liked the 3rd one. That was my preference too 🙂
I prefer the third version. The colors catch my eye but their muted tone seem moody and uneasy. I think it’s a great fit!
Hi Molly and thanks for reading my post. The book has a very dark feel throughout, and you may well be right, especially if it stirs a feeling of uneasiness. I’m excited to hear you have a book of your own coming out soon!
I prefer the first one, Helen. No people just the spooky trees. It’s atmospheric and I like the wording too. Good luck with the new book. P x
Thanks Patricia and I’m pleased you like it. The creepy atmosphere is exactly what I was trying to achieve here, I just worry people will think it’s too empty x
I like one, especially the description, my second choice would be 3.
Hi Rosemary and thanks for posting. It’s getting harder to choose now, especially with 2 and 3 running neck and neck, but I am so pleased you like the wording on the first. It was a last minute idea.