Just for the heck of it - another cover concept?

[mary_j_59]

I love deirdrej's cover art, in the icon - it says so much about the story and its themes. But covers are difficult! I don't suppose I will have much say in any of my covers, if my books get published, but I've been wondering exactly what a good cover should do. It should intrigue potential readers, convey a mood, and give some information about the book - genre, possible themes, and so on. Deirdre's design does all of that, IMHO, except for one thing. It's not at all clear that the book is SF, set in the future. That's why I began playing around in photoshop. This is what I came up with. Thoughts?



I love the colors Deirdre uses; they are very meaningful if you know the story. But I think maybe a simpler image, like this, would work better for those who don't know the book. Of course, the boy is too young, but he'd do for my MC at ten or so.

Comments

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Um - thanks! The thing about Deirdre's concept is that it makes the most sense after one has read the book. A cover, though, has to attract someone who knows nothing about it. In the case of my concept - I wish I'd been able to detach the kid from his original background more cleanly and that the two moons in the background were clearer. But I do think it conveys the MC's serious character, the mood, and the genre(s) pretty well.

I adore my sister and her artwork, and I really love the colors she chose - they are reflected in my author page. But covers are tricky. I wonder what I'll actually end up with if/when I get published?