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Advice on cover image
Here’s a brief synopsis of my book, Greet Suzon for me:
In 1685 France, 15-year-old Gédéon d’Albert witnesses the brutal reality of Huguenot persecution under Louis XIV’s dragoons. When his family is torn apart, Gédéon takes on the mantle of leadership, guiding his remaining family on a treacherous journey to safety in Jersey. Their escape is fraught with hardship, as they face perilous seas and the loss of a loved one. Stranded on a desolate island, Gédéon encounters Jesus in a transformative moment that cements his faith.
Settling in Jersey, Gédéon builds a new life, pursuing a legal career while wrestling with his newfound beliefs. On his 21st birthday, a shocking revelation shatters his world, which leads to a clandestine mission to King William III in London and forever alters his destiny.
The title – Greet Suzon for me – is a cryptic instruction to Gédéon from his Papa, as he is being arrested.
I have had maps of Gédéon’s journeys made, in 17th century style (see attachment), including symbols of the Huguenots, Catholics and the Sun King, which may or may not feature on the cover.
I have two draft suggestions for a cover image (attached), but it could be something quite different. I’d welcome any suggestions or tips.
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6 Replies
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Hi Vince. I really like the stormy sea one, it’s got drama, movement, peril, it looks like a story I’d like to read. The other one looks a bit downbeat. Incidentally, I’ve got both Catholic and Huguenot ancestry, so it would also fill me in on details of family history.
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The synopsis sounds great, but I’m afraid when I looked at the cover images I felt a bit disappointed. I don’t see how the one with the horse invokes the excitement/jeopardy of the synopsis, it is just a bit too static. The seascape is much better, looks exciting and indicates a physical journey (and perhaps an emotional/spiritual one too). But it it looks very AI-generated, which would put me off, the choppy waves in the background don’t work for me at all. The protagonist looks a bit older from what I pictured in my mind from the synopsis, and looks a bit too clean-cut despite the beard (and makes me think of David Tennant). This version reminded me a bit of a Disney cartoon. Sorry to be downbeat – but it’s only my 2p. Is this adult or YA? I feel the cover might be more YA than adult orientated.
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This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Dave Sinclair.
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This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by
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Thanks very much, Dave. And thanks for the 2p worth of comments on the cover images. They are, of course, AI generated, but only serve as ideas for a true artist to work on. So you want excitement/jeopardy. Good point. And Gédéon is 18 at the time of their flight. Doy you have any other suggestions? Should I smuggle in the Royal, Huguenot and Catholic symbols?
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Well, the simple answer is I don’t know – I’m far from an expert on covers. I like the stormy sea cover because it says something about what I might expect from the book. And I think that is the key thing. If you show me a vampire in the cover, I’m definitely not going to look at the book (not my area of interest). So the reader is often going to make a snap decision after a cursory look at the cover, so setting expectations that match the book content is important. I don’t think you need to go into any great detail – but a simple picture like the stormy sea says (at least to me) – Male protagonist, dangerous journey, maybe because of a family problem (the figures in the background). And I like a story with an obvious journey (either physical or moral), so the cover would make me look a bit further. But if this is a religious conflict rather than one of physical endeavour. (eg is like Robert Harris’s Conclave rather than a Lord of the Rings-type quest) then maybe a bit more abstract indication of the story content might be appropriate (eg a church, a sinister cardinal figure, symbols of catholicism vs Protestantism etc).
Looking at the recent historical fiction covers on Amazon might give some ideas of what is thought to work in the marketplace:
My feeling is it is better to keep it simple, rather than to put too much complexity on the cover. But as I say I’m no professional, your mileage may well vary ! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Dave. I did look at the Amazon HF covers. Interesting – but inconclusive. Some just use symbols, some feature a full image, some have a scene in the lower half and large text, some have a dominant person…
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Hi Vince.
I would go for the stormy sea if I had to choose between these two. But maybe you could come up with something even better.
