The author says:

This is a short in a series that I hope to compile as a novel. I’d like to see if these covers work or not. Set in modern day. A standard “serial killer with a mission” thriller. This would likely (I hope) appeal to anyone who liked “Silence of the Lambs” or John Sandford’s Prey series.

Nathan says:

There’s nothing here that I’d classify as “wrong.” It seems competent, but unremarkable. If this were my design, I’d now start experiments to crank it up a notch, and here’s what I’d try:

• pulling the image lower so that I could increase the size of the title (I’d either reduce the space between the letters of “PROTECTING” without squeezing the letters themselves, or I’d increase the font size just of “EMMA,” or possibly both)
• adding a tint and/or a filter to add some character to the stock photo; take a look at how, for instance, horror DVD covers often add a scratched-up texture on top of everything

You said that this is part of a series, so I looked on Amazon for the rest of them. You’ve been very consistent in the design and layout of the covers, which I was going to recommend. So any changes you make here, remember that you’re going to need to be sure they work across all covers.

Other ideas?

The author says:

The Magician’s Horses is a Sci-fi novel built heavily on mystery and suspense. My intention is to extend beyond the usual Sci-fi audience to reach any young adult reader, while also appealing to the older, more sophisticated Sci-fi fan. I am still working on the wording for the back cover, but envision it reading as follows: “Follow Dave as he is drawn out of his solitary life by a mysterious couple who introduce him to a world of adventure far beyond his television remote. Science and thought combine to form a magic act that breaks the boundaries of time and changes Dave’s world forever…”

Nathan says:

This is definitely a much stronger cover than the original. Strictly from a design standpoint: I think there’s too much dead space. Make the amulet bigger, and strengthen the grid/sine wave pattern in the background so it can be seen in the thumbnail. (It’s the only SFish element on the cover, and while I understand you don’t want to pigeonhole the book as sci-fi, I think the hint needs to be stronger.) Also, I’d toy with the font so it’s a little less common; Impact has been so overused (especially with LOLcats and such) that it’s lost a lot of its effectiveness. Here’s a five-minute redo to illustrate what I mean:

You could experiment further. Maybe make the background pattern bigger; there’s no reason the text can’t overlap it. I kept my font choice to the same general feel as yours, but maybe a more ornate font will fit the bill better.  Make a couple of different versions; look at them big, look at them small, look at them side by side with books that you think they’d be shelved with. Other ideas?

The author says:

In constant conflict with her family, Terry leaves home to prove she can make it on her own. Arriving in Denver, her plans unravel quickly and her drinking lands her in trouble. Then all her plans collapse when she is stopped by the police and the officer intimidates her into submitting to his pleasure. The cop isn’t content with one encounter and pursues her relentlessly. The only one Terry can depend on is her pup, Sprout. But the escalating pursuit is about to reach a deadly climax. SOMETHING TAKEN is a urban crime drama set in the 70′s. It’s graphic realism is directed to an adult audience.

Nathan says:

Definitely better at advertising the genre here. I can instantly tell “cops and a non-cop woman,” which is what I need to know.

From a design standpoint, the bottom half of the cover looks very plain compared to the top half, with too much of the unbroken red background.  I would scrunch the title, the silhouette and the byline further toward the bottom so there’s not as much empty red space to draw the eye.

Anyone else?

The author says:

In constant conflict with her family, Terry leaves home to prove she can make it on her own. Arriving in Denver, her plans unravel quickly and her drinking lands her in trouble. Then all her plans collapse when she is stopped by the police and the officer intimidates her into submitting to his pleasure. The cop isn’t content with one encounter and pursues her relentlessly. The only one Terry can depend on is her pup, Sprout. But the escalating pursuit is about to reach a deadly climax. SOMETHING TAKEN is a urban crime drama set in the 70’s. It’s graphic realism is directed to an adult audience.

Nathan says:

I think this cover suffers from the same thing that the previously posted one does: it doesn’t convey the genre that the blurb describes.  Seeing a city from far away doesn’t say “urban crime drama” to me; there’s no indication that this is a story involving police, or non-consensual (semi-consensual?) sex, or the ’70s (that last might not be a bad thing, but…)  If I had to guess, I’d assume that the cover shown here is about a woman taking a self-discovery road trip away from the city with her dog.

If you want your audience to think “urban crime drama,” show me city streets at night. Show me police lights. Show me a face with heavy chiaroscuro shadows. Show me a bold, blocky typeface.

What does everyone else think?