The author says:

Paul is a dealer in demonic contracts, a middle-man selling safe deals, deluded that he is a master of the dark arts. A seriously hot uber-witch tries to kill him as the start of a hostile management restructuring from the demons who need to replenish their human livestock. Paul is caught in the battle between the demons, an obscure Church sect (led by the uber-witch’s crazed and violent sister), and the other demon traders in town who think he’s playing for the wrong side. It’s not a good time, but Paul also wants a date with the psycho witch. Paul is just trying to survive – he’s already died once and come back, but you only get one do-over like that. As his friends are drawn into the fight there is no way out, and once the demons complete their planned acquisition, his sacrifice is needed to get everyone home again.

Genre: Urban Fantasy with a touch of dark humour

Target: Adult – a lighter tone for fans of Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series, or Richard Cadrey’s Sandman Slim, with a hint of Pratchett and Gaiman’s “Good Omens”

Nathan says:

I can see what you were going for here, but too many little problems add up for a big problem.

1. The title is too small (there’s nothing in the background that shouldn’t be covered up), and the gradient through it makes it harder to read in thumbnail.  It also clashes with the background.
2. The filter effect for the main photo muddies the contrast instead of heightening it. It looks like you rebooted your computer in safe mode.
3. The glowing Greek letters on the wall end up being the only part of the image aside from the title and byline that draw the eye — but the photo is arranged so that there’s a human figure dead center.  The result is that nothing is dominant in the image; it becomes focus-less.
4. The human figure… It’s not clear, but it’s not a mysterious silhouette; it’s just indistinct.  The pose doesn’t convey dynamism, or strength, or humor; it’s boring.
5. The edges between the midground (with the strongly filtered effect) and the background (rendered in an entirely different visual style) are distinct and artificial.
6. The fonts you chose are all different sans serif fonts — not close enough to be unified in their effect, not far enough to contrast effectively.  They seem like fonts that just happened, instead of fonts that were deliberately chosen.

Take a look at your cover in thumbnail, and compare it to the thumbnails for covers from Mike Carey and Jim Butcher: stark and bold typography, strong contrasts, narrow color schemes.  This is how readers of books like yours understand that the book is for them. Go and do likewise.

Other comments?

The author says:

Setting: Birmingham UK, the present.

Genre: Horror/Crime

Target Audience: Fans of Stephen King and TV show Dexter

On the day that Joe Coffin, hitman for Birmingham gang The Slaughterhouse Mob, is released from jail he has nothing but murder on his mind. While inside his wife and young son were killed, and now he is out for bloody revenge. The problem is, Coffin’s enemies are circling, and his wife might not be quite as dead as she should be. Joe Coffin is a vampire horror story and a gritty gangster thriller, written TV style in episodes and seasons. If you liked Breaking Bad and Dexter, and if you prefer your vampires bloody and brutal, then you will love Joe Coffin. With a fast paced, multi character storyline, smart dialogue and great characters, the Joe Coffin books are written to be binge consumed, just like those TV shows you love.

Nathan says:

Know what the first thing that leapt out at my was? You’ve got an unattributed Amazon review front and center on your cover. GET RID OF IT. Pullquotes are only valuable if they carry authority with the reader, and “some random reviewer on Amazon” does not have authority.  While we’re at it, if you can’t put an actual name to the second pullquote, at least attribute it to the website instead of just the site name; that way, readers feel that they could actually check on the review if they wanted.

Second: Aside from the fact that two nameless people liked it, I can tell very little about the book from the cover. Yes, I get that it’s violent, but aside from that, nothing. Now, it’s not necessary to convey setting or storyline on the cover, but there’s got to be something that draws the interest of the potential reader — something to catch the eye.  Especially when your book is going to be first seen by most potential readers at thumbnail size, there needs to be something that registers on their consciousness as a thing of interest.  As it is, the only things that register instantly at thumbnail size are “Coffin” and “Season One” (even “Joe” takes a second to register, as it’s smaller and against a deeper red of the blotch).

I’m not talking about cutting and pasting an extraneous object into the layout.  What could be a part of the bloody background? A shoeprint? Pocketknife? Cigarette butt? Broken crucifix?  Something that relates to your story, sure, but also — and more importantly — something that the right brain (the non-verbal side) can focus on.

So: Lost the first pullquote (and maybe even the second one), increases the size and contrast of “Joe,” give a little bit of space so that “Joe Coffin” and “Season One” can be read as discrete phrases, and use the space between the byline and title to add a feature of visual interest.

Other suggestions?

The author says:

A Fanfiction writen on the Watch_Dogs game franchise* It started in late 2014, the second assassianation attempt didn’t go as planned, leading the Fox and his hitwoman into a rabbithole of the company 1337 Electronics.(Go harsh, I’m new to this.)

Nathan says:

I know nothing about Watch_Dogs, the fan community thereof, or how fanfic is normally published in that unknown country.  So my comments are confined to basic design concerns:

• I like it — the thin lettering, which is normally hard to see at thumbnail size, is surprisingly clear against the white sky.
• Color? Any color? I’d probably add a gradient red near the base of the buildings that fades out as the buildings get higher.
• Make your name/handle bigger — there’s no reason for it to be completely unreadable in thumbnail.

Anyone got some expertise in the field to lend?

The author says:

Get That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview is packed with all you need to get ready for the best interview of your life. Through proven interview tips and step-by-step instructions, you will learn to:

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Nathan says:

Honestly, I’ve got no suggestions. It looks fine to me as-is. Over to you, hive-brain!

The author says:

A contemporary romance for Young Adults set in the Caribbean nation of Belize. Adam Lockwood is bamboozled into a date with an escort– who doesn’t seem to approve of her own job. Through a series of adventures, they draw closer and fall in love.

Nathan says:

First up: If it’s set in the Caribbean, why am I not seeing any indication of that?  Romantic novels are a form of escapist entertainment, and that means that the exotic setting is a big part of its draw. I should see sunny beaches or colorful Mayan ruins or something in that big blank area.

Second: Because the cursive font for “Falling For” is less easily readable than the font in which the byline and rest of the title is rendered, the eye (and the attention behind it) has to linger longer on it to decipher it, with the unintentional result that it gains more emphasis.  In the reader’s mind, the title becomes “FALLING FOR Mr. Nice Guy.”

My suggestions:

• Move the byline up to the upper left, put “Falling For” in the same readable font, and render “Mr. Nice Guy” in the cursive font — or better yet, a similar cursive font which is both heavier (thus making it more readable in thumbnail) and less ornate (ditto).
• Add something colorful and tropical in that unused area thus created by moving the byline up.

Other suggestions?