The author says:

An adult paranormal romance set in present-day USA in which a vampire assassin and the prince of the werewolves fight their desire for one another while trying to prevent a war between their clashing factions. It’s the first book in a series aimed at women over the age of eighteen. It’s in a similar vein as Kresley Cole and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Nathan says:

Nice cover for a steamy romance — but where’s the paranormal?  Nothing on this cover indicates “werewolf,” “vampire,” “supernatural,” or anything but two hot people getting groiny. Far be it for me to defend the “photobombing wolf” we see far too often on covers at LBC, but at least they serve the purpose of letting potential readers know that the book isn’t just 100,000 words of standard hookups.

What can you do with the color scheme to make it look not just warm and fuzzy?  If you make the figures smaller, could you put something in the background, like crypts or vaulted cathedral ceilings?  Could you convey something in your fonts — old Germanic, or clawed scratches?

Other ideas?

The author says:

Evelyn Carter is a struggling video news stringer, who stumbles into the biggest story of her life. After she records and reveals to the world the arrival of a time machine, she is recruited to become a member of an elite government time travel team. She and her team travel through time, with the public goal of recording historical events on video for the world to see. Along the way she learns of a hidden agenda that must be kept secret from the public at all costs. Buried deep in the past is a potential solution to stop the unstoppable. The team must journey farther through time and space than anyone has ever gone or thought possible, in order to put the pieces of the puzzle together. However they are blocked at every turn in their efforts, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Nathan says:

Hmm. There are a lot of choices that seem almost-right here, but they’re cumulatively less than the sum of their parts.  I’ll try to pick them apart.

First, I’ve got real problems with your font choices.  The title font is too plain to be enticing, but too innocuous to be urgent.  The back cover font is an impediment to reading the text.  And while I have no problems with the byline font itself, it doesn’t mesh well with the other fonts at all.

The color-transparency of the silhouetted figures is also annoying.  But more than that, they seem to be indicating that whatever is worth looking at is happening somewhere off the cover.

And then you’ve got an egg-shaped moon on the back cover. Definite demerits there.

To tweak this cover, I would move the sun to behind the couple and crop it like this:

Since the other detail in the image doesn’t actually convey any additional information, it can be excised in favor of focus.

Anyone think differently?

The author says:

A young adult, zombie, horror novel that focuses more on their internal struggles while surviving in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Synopsis: Stella Carlisle is a thousand miles from her destination, and she’s willing to do anything to get there. Whether that means manipulating fellow survivors, or killing them, nothing is going to deter her. While infected lurk around every corner and bandits hide in every shadow, starvation and illness follow closely in their wake. In a world of personal demons, void of connection, Stella truly is living in a world alone.

Thank you so much for any criticism you can give me!

Nathan says:

First, a niggling little ebook design tip: When you’ve got white background to the edge of the page, add a very thin border to separate your cover from the (likely white) background of the page on which it’s sold. (Yes, I know that it’s off-white, but so subtly so that it’s still a problem.)

Now on to the cover itself:  It’s a very solid design, and you’ve done well with separating it from the blood/guts/etc. of most of the zombie genre… perhaps too well.  Nothing on this cover looks dangerous.  Nothing looks like the world is out of whack.  It looks almost completely introspective.

Also, the only person you mention in your synopsis is a woman who’s completely alone — but that’s a man’s silhouette.

I would add some “noise” to the picture — cracks, probably, not only showing that something is “crumbling,” but also giving me the opportunity to add hints of a contrasting color.

Heck, the file you sent me is large enough; I’ll show you what I mean.

Not the best possible design solution, obviously; I just grabbed a lava texture out of my textures folder to show what I mean.  (Doesn’t everybody have a textures folders?) The point is that distressing the image can add some of the apocalyptic vibe that the current image doesn’t hold.

And fix that man.

Other comments?

The author says:

Book two in the middle grade Young Marian series. Deep in the serpentine caves beneath Nottingham, a plot unravels, its sinister tendrils threatening to ensnare Marian’s father in dark accusations of treachery. With her home under a blanket of suspicion and the long shadow of Prince John looming over them, fourteen year old Marian and her best friend Robin seek to uncover the true culprit behind the mysterious theft of the crown’s gold. Her quest to catch the thief and prove her father’s innocence leads Marian on a chase through the heart of Sherwood Forest to the bowels of Nottingham Castle. Events unfold rapidly and the villainous Lord Ranulf hovers ever in the background, whispers and lies at the ready. As he weaves his web of deceit, Marian begins to worry that her own impulsive actions may play a part in destroying her father and everything she loves.

Nathan says:

As this is the second volume in the series, I looked up the first one to see what elements were already established for branding.  My comments are divided into those specifically for Echoes in the Cavern, and for the series as a whole:

Comments specifically about Echoes in the Cavern:

It’s very professionally done.  I think the only things I would toy with changing are:

1. Somehow, I don’t think the lighter color behind the title works as well.  Maybe it calls attention to the lack of illustration up there; I dunno.
2. The title seems marginally harder to read.  That could be because of the overlap between E and C, confusing the order in which the words are to be read.  Again, I dunno.

Comments about the series branding:

I like all of your elements.  I wish the titles were larger (after all, it’s not like you’d be obscuring the illustration behind the title — it’s just dead space), and I especially wish your byline were larger.  Let your fans know it’s another Mandy Webster book!

Any other comments?

The author says:

What happens when a book-smart Jewish girl who haunts museums falls for a street-smart Latino guy who creates radical in-your-face artwork? Author Erica Miles invites you to take a trip back in time to the 1960s art scene in Brooklyn, New York, to find out.

Nathan says:

If I were to see the cover without the description, I’d assume it was a paranormal romance.  (Not the kind with alpha wolves and shifter bears, but still.)  The color scheme and sparkle definitely buy into that otherworldly vibe that the “reincarnated psychics in love” novels cultivate.

Where’s the ’60s in this?  Yes, he’s got a peace sign around his neck, but it doesn’t really draw the eye, and it’s invisible in the thumbnail.  But you could do so much with the color scheme, the font choices… Heck, it’s a book about a radical artist.  Show me some radical artwork!

(Also: The guy’s hairline makes it look like his ‘fro wig is sliding off his head.)

Anyone think differently?