The author says:

Water: A Familiar Stranger is a popular science nonfiction book that explores water from multiple perspectives, including chemistry, human health, nature, psychology, art, technology, and sustainability. Rather than serving as a textbook, it takes readers on an accessible journey through one of the most familiar yet extraordinary substances on Earth. The book is intended for curious general readers with no scientific background who enjoy learning how science connects to everyday life. It is likely to appeal to readers who enjoy popular science works by authors such as Bill Bryson, Ed Yong, or Sam Kean. The goal of the book is to inspire curiosity and appreciation for water through engaging explanations and thoughtful reflections, rather than to provide a technical or academic treatment of the subject.

Nathan says:

The big problem here is that, at first glance, your cover looks like a YA fantasy, not a layperson’s nonfiction book. Your target audience will not recognize, in the split-second of attention they give it while browsing Amazon, that it’s meant for them.

Let’s look at the three authors you mention:

Kean’s books have a decidedly historical bent, which would make their cover style not completely appropriate for you.

Bryson and Yong’s covers, especially, show a clearness and simplicity that attracts the casually interested reader. I think you could create a very effective cover with simple type and a clear image of water splashing or running against a solid background.

A side note: “A Familiar Stranger” is clever, but requires a moment and a knowledge of what you’re talking about to get it. I might suggest something more immediately understandable — “So You Think You Know Water,” maybe.

Other comments?

The author says:

“True empire builders don’t wait for opportunity—they manufacture it through ruthless execution.”

What separates the business titans from the rest? It isn’t luck. It isn’t circumstance. It is a precise, repeatable playbook. In The Empire Builders Playbook, you will unlock the hidden strategies that transformed ambitious ideas into multi-billion-dollar global forces. From the relentless innovation of Silicon Valley to the timeless wisdom of Wall Street, this book dissects the exact formulas used by history’s greatest visionaries to disrupt industries, dominate markets, and build legacies that last.

Inside, you will discover:

• The 15 Core Strategies: Proven blueprints for scaling, leadership, and hyper-growth.
• Decoded Mindsets: How to think, pivot, and execute like a world-class builder.
• Actionable Frameworks: Tools you can implement in your own business today to achieve exponential results.

Don’t just watch history being made. Learn the rules of the game from the masters who wrote them, and start building your own empire.

Nathan says:

This a very appropriate cover for the genre.  My suggestions are small:

1. This book cover will most commonly be seen against a white background; because of this, there’s only an implied edge to the cover.  Having the title and subtitle narrower than the colored bar at the bottom is a little confusing on the eyes; I would suggest enlarging the title and subtitle to match the width of that bar:
    
2. I would suggest replacing the brown color with red in at least some instances. Red is a “take action” color, and I think it would connote that this isn’t just a book for learning about these “titans,” it’s about emulating them.

Other comments?

The author says:

about starting small business and make a differrnce in your life and earn independently.

Nathan says:

The description’s a little fragmentary; is this about starting a small business AND about making a difference in your life? Or making a difference in your life BY starting a small business?

If it’s the latter (which I suspect is true), then having something business-flavored on the cover would help a lot of potential readers discover it. Even just the outlines of one of those “folded spreadsheet on gatefold paper” cliparts in background would communicate a lot more.

Also: Is these stories inspired by everyday people, or stories OF everyday people? “Inspired by” can mean that a story sort of like what you’ve written actually happened, but that you weren’t bound by the truth.  (See all those TV-movies “inspired by” real events, which means that the writer saw a news item and said, “Yeah, but what if THIS happened?”)

Other comments?

[original submission and comments here]

Nathan says:

I definitely think we’re getting closer — we’re now entering the zone of personal preference, where several of us might agree that it needs something, but disagree on what that something is.

My suggestions would be:

• Add color into the flag, about half as strong as in RK’s revision.
• Make the female figure slightly warm-toned — not all the way to sepia, but just so the photo looks slightly “historic” and less like a stock image.

Other thoughts?