Marginally Human

The author says:

This is NOT the blurb: It is hard sci-fi set in the 25th century in a city covered with a dome. Much of the world population is decimated. Loads of new (imaginary) science, themes of human nature, relationships, politics, nature of power… Our protagonists live in the welfare dormitories encircling Dome 91-110.

Nathan says:

You’ve got some great elements here. Let’s fine-tune them.

First up, I think it’s a shame that the main tower is obscured, as that’s the focal point of the underlying artwork. Have you tried putting the title at the bottom as well, so that the tower is intelligible in thumbnail?

Second: I think the artwork and the futuristic type for “Human” does enough to set the mood/genre/milieu that you don’t need to use the same futuristic font for the subtitle as well. Remember that the smaller the type is, the more easy-to-read it needs to be. Does the byline font have upper and lowercase?

Other comments?

Letters to Fern

The editor says:

This book contains letters written from England during World War II by a US Army airman to his girlfriend and later wife in the United States. The main purpose of the book is to help their posterity remember them.

Nathan says:

That purpose is the clincher. If this is a book meant for the posterity of the letter-writer, then you have a captive audience whose attention really doesn’t need to be drawn by the cover.

My only suggestion would be a descriptive subtitle: “The Wartime Letters of Rex Furniss 1939-1945” or somesuch.

Preserving our forefathers’ stories is important, so good on you.

 

Before It’s Too Late

The publisher says:

Deserted by her mother, Lydia, as a high school student, Melissa Streeter vowed never to see her again – and never has, until a letter from Iowa arrives, imploring her to visit her dying mother before it’s too late. The ask comes from a man named Gabe, Lydia’s husband. A dairy farmer in beautiful northeast Iowa, his urgent words compel her to break her long-ago vow.

Nathan says:

Assuming that the inciting incident leads to drama and reconciliation, I think the cover’s very wrong for this novel. The face looks like Lichtenstein-lite pop art, and it took me far too long to realize that the blotchy shapes at the bottom were in fact cows.

I just don’t think this is going to attract readers who would like the novel. Your best bet is to go to Amazon, figure out what category this novel would fit in, and look at the covers against which this book would be competing — figure out how the target audience is used to being wooed.

(Also, “estrangement” needs another “e.”)

Other comments?

Redeye

The author says:

Greetings, you all helped me with my Call Numbers novels, now after three successful releases, I’m branching out with my first standalone novel, Redeye. Here’s the summary…

Nate and Cynthia Durant were a happy, loveable, full-figured couple. But then they both decided to live healthier, with him having weight-loss surgery and her losing the weight naturally. Now both turn heads wherever they go, fighting off advances from everywhere. And while everything looks amazing on the outside for them, each of them can’t shake the insecurities of their former selves.

Determined not to go back to how he was, Nate has become a renaissance man, with many jobs. From podcasting, to photography, writing, DJing, and even doing stand-up comedy, he has a lot on his plate. Meanwhile Cynthia lives off her wealthy parents as a former substitute teacher in-between jobs. With their 10th year wedding anniversary coming up, the couple’s appears to be passing each other like ships in the night. When Nate stumbles upon a picture online of someone from his past, a series of events leads the couple on a journey far from home, where their relationship will endure the ultimate test.

Nathan says:

Glad you’re finding our advice helpful.

My first impression of this cover is “not stark enough.” Both in terms of readability, and as a subtext to the theme in the novel of a hard choice, there needs to be more contrast between light and dark.

My second impression is that the title font gives a much more light-hearted, even comedic impression than your description does.

And my third impression is that there’s not enough of a visual focus. There are many disparate parts, but there’s not one place that the eye goes to and branches out from there.

My suggestion would be to have the couple central, with the man more clearly distracted by something to the side (a female silhouette).

Other comments?