Help me create new covers for the next series!
I'd love to see examples of covers that have grabbed your attention, inspired you, or made you curious enough to grab a book from a shelf!
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This is a call to all my subscribers, and even to those who may be looking at Life of Fiction for the very first time.
It’s time for me to design a new cover…and I’d like your help, if you’re willing?
I’m not afraid to tell the truth. I designed the wrong covers for this series the first time.
That said, I’m also not afraid to ask for help.
After all, I’m doing this for you.
A Microwave History About Wanted Hero Covers
These stories started as comics. Those comics were branded by using the animated smiley from Wendell’s shirt. It did well as a comic book…but that attraction and success didn’t translate over to the novels.
The smiley is still a good brand — I use it for LoF — but it isn’t a good choice for the book covers.
It confused people (looked like a kids/middle grade book, not YA);
It wasn’t familiar to ANY genre;
It told you little to nothing about the book/story;
It took explaining the smiley at each and every turn for anyone to get it.
That’s why I’m redesigning the covers from scratch.
What I WANT In A Cover
The covers will be made my me, and I want to use my cartoon feel/style that made me so passionate about these stories in the first place. I won’t be using photographs, or Photoshop manipulation I see on many covers. This is about finding a design I can create and craft myself.
Since this is also a series, I’d like to create some common design features to carry forward to the next book. Something that will allow all of us to identify this series at a glance, without having to think about it.
It would be great to make something that draws the attention, something that’s talked about and shared.
SHOW me what you LOVE!
Join the comments below and show me the book covers you love. Post links to pictures online…and tell me WHY you love the covers!
I’m looking for ideas and explanations. I need to know and understand the WHY of covers through your eyes.
I’d like to collect ideas from these conversations and bring my designs back for your feedback. Honest, blunt views, so I can craft the best covers I am able…that represent the stories being written for you.
Will you help me?
…post your ideas and links in the comments!!!
Paid subscribers can comment, access the archive of this site, along with other stories, art, and any article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!
Yes you are very correct context is important. But that’s where you get into the vibe you want to put across (if you had Thule as a chubby little Disney esc guy ripping apart something with lots of the color red as you said it would still be for a older audience but becomes almost more comedic in its presentation while having a more “grungy” style makes it brings in a more serious tone.
Also I like the border/ background idea. I think it makes an easy way to have the cover feel more seem less from the front to the back of the book.
Also you might consider choosing a consistent font? Or even creating your own. I know your other books it changed all the time. And I guess you could do that but then you also might want to change the border/ background thingy. To suit the vibe of the font. Such as making it more industrial for gnome themed books for example. and changing it as the story progresses.
Just a thought.
I love your cartoon style like the ones you have on WantedHero.com - why not do character portraits and show them in some action pose that fits the story? Try to capture the emotion and story promise of each book with the cover art?