The author says:

This is a 90 minute fantasy short read of a boy who meets the seven deadly sins. In the story he prays for the seven, but now they want more from him. He just wanted peace on earth, but now he’s summoned the seven into his home. The story is for fans of Frank Peretti and Bill Myers.

Nathan says:

I CAN’T READ ANYTHING.

Seriously. Between the uppercase cursive font, the lack of leading, and the placement of the text over the busiest part of the image, you’ve done everything you can to make it unreadable, even at full size.

Put the title in the top half of the image (that’s what it’s for), in an easy-to-read font, with enough contrast with the background that it stands out, and you’ll be halfway there.  (Then you can deal with things like the poor resolution of the statue photograph, or the way that the lamb’s neck is half-absent.)

The author says:

This book is written for those who are uncertain of their eternal destiny. Many give little thought to what happens when they die. This books lays out the truth about heaven and what changes can be made to help one change the trajectory of their life if necessary to be sure they get to heaven.

Nathan says:

It just comes across as perfunctory and plain.  While a handwriting font could certainly work in this context, this specific font seems far too casual to me, given the subject matter,

One of the frequent commenters here likes to use this test: If the text were in a foreign language, could a reader know generally what the book is about?  I think this cover pretty clearly fails that test.

Obviously it’s neither easy nor desirable to try to convey any doctrinal specifics through the cover imagery, but I think the two concepts that the non-text elements of this cover could be expected to convey are “Christianity” and “hope.”  If I were designing this cover from scratch, my first impulse would be to use an image of Jesus’ hand reaching out to the reader — that covers both of those concepts, and very clearly bullseyes the intended readership.

Other ideas?

The author says:

I’ve included the entire cover, including blurb. This isn’t final, and not yet published, but my current design. I am particularly interested in any response in regards to thoughts on copyright, as it intentionally parodies an existing movie poster design. All the elements are entirely originally made by me, but I’d still like to check thoughts. Thank you.

[original submission and comments here]

Nathan says:

Much, MUCH stronger concept, riffing on the visual motifs of one of the best known slasher movies of all time.  I don’t know that the italicized title works, and I’d definitely find another font for the byline, but I think you’ve got most of the heavy lifting done.

Re: “Parody”:  I don’t think you’ll run into any legal trouble hearkening back to elements from the Friday the 13th poster, but I also want to point out that, if “parody” is what you’re going for (i.e., emphasizing the “tongue-in-cheek” element that you mentioned with your last submission), I would encourage you to play up the humor just a little bit.  My first thought is to have something else in her hand instead of a blood knife — a bloody fork, or egg beater, or tennis racket, or…

Other thoughts?

The author says:

A group of teenagers work as camp counselors at a recently reopened summer camp. One that hides a sinister secret. An undead monster returns from the grave, picking them off one by one, until there’s only one girl left standing. For Ellie Cartwright, that’s not how the story ends. That’s how it begins. Because she’s not the only girl to have faced evil and survived. There are others. And now, they’ve sworn to protect those in danger. They’ve sworn to fight back against the creatures that lurk in the darkness. They are The Last Girls Standing. And Ellie’s journey is just beginning… (This cover is not final, hence I’m seeking feedback before I move on with it. Thank you for any help).

Nathan says:

I really think you’re missing a bet by not having the cover showcase Ellie and the rest of the Last Girls Standing. The “hook” to this story are the protagonists, not the monster, so having a bunch of blood-spattered teenage girls in a stance like the Bad Girls movie poster (what, that reference is too old? Fine, how about Birds of Prey?), with a shadowy monster looming them, would more clearly promise what the book’s main attraction is.

That kind of thing is budget-intensive, I understand; if you need to be more scaled-back, how about imagery which juxtaposes “teen girl” with “horror violence”?  (The first thing that came to my mind is an iPhone in a pink, bejeweled case, leaning against a bloody Louisville Slugger wrapped in barb wire.)  You could find someone to photoshop something like that together competently for a lot less than the custom artwork in my idea above.

Also: That font’s too self-consciously spooooky to be taken seriously. Only use it if you’re going for a solidly tongue-in-cheek, R.L. Stine-loving demographic. And even then, it really doesn’t work well on a slant.

Other comments?