Cover Evaluation

[Otto26]

I know it's rough (particularly the font), but would a cover like this make you interested in reading the story inside?


Edit to remove image. Site admins made it clear that any image that contains elements I didn't personally create are not permitted on site.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The hair seems a bit too much. It took my brain a few seconds to process what it was.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Very nice! AI?

 

[AlinaX]

I actually like the hair; not so much the rest. I think the background is so busy it makes it hard to see the slave girl.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The lettering doesn't seem consistent with the graphic, which would be better with facial features, I think.

I read this cover as an anachronistic robot, but in some place out of time. It's not clear messaging to me. Short answer: no.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

The hair seems a bit too much. It took my brain a few seconds to process what it was.

I really like the hair actually. The whole thing how it's shaped from cut paper is cute. It's just a question of whether 'cute' suits the tone of teh narrative or not.

 

[Yarglenurp]

It doesn’t really give me the right impression of an erotica story. I’m getting 9th grade reading assignment vibes, like this is some classic literature.

The story is about a young man who enlists in the French army on the eve of its invasion of Russia. The cover is a reference to the part of the story where the main character has ingested some questionable berries that he’s eating because he’s starving to death. The local villagers fled after burning their entire town. He starts tripping balls and sees a beautiful woman beckoning him towards a tree. A moment later, he’s shocked out of his stupor because his unit has been ambushed and he is only alive because the tree protected him from incoming fire.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

The lettering doesn't seem consistent with the graphic

I agree, the font is meh.

 

[XerXesXu]

Aesthetically pleasing but not commercial. Use large letter, in sans serif fonts, for the title, against a highly contrasting background. Imagery should be clear and evoke an instant impression of the nature of the contents. The imagery, and cover generally, should not require analysis, everything should be conveyed in one glance.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The imagery, and cover generally, should not require analysis, everything should be conveyed in one glance.

Agree this ^^^^^. Aesthetics is one thing, communication is another.

 

[Kasumi_Lee]

The basic idea is good, but I'm not a fan of the art style. It took me a moment to notice that the red blotch next to the soldier is actually the hair of the slave girl, and then another moment to notice that the background is a burning town. The prospective reader shouldn't have to squint to figure out what's going on in the image. For that, you need a much clearer image, not a Pable Picasso imitation.

I also think the title should be prominently displayed at the top, perhaps in a black bar above the cover image itself, not squeezed into the corner.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Something that threw me for a moment was the negative space between the guy's legs (ahem). It's in similar proportions to the towers on the left, so on first glance I was registering it as some kind of physical object rather than just a gap, and trying to make sense of what it was. It's also inconsistent with the trigger guard on the gun just to the right, which has been filled in so the background behind is blocked.

Other thing to consider is where you'll be using this image, and how large the image will appear there. On Smashwords, for instance, most people are first going to see the cover as a pretty small thumbnail, so it'd be important to have something that makes sense at that size. In particular, the title is not going to be very legible in thumbnail.

 

[THBGato]

Reminds me of a "Flashman" cover. It also smacks of non-consent, and the posture of the woman plus the implications of the title make me assume that female characters will just be treated as objects with zero agency. So I wouldn't open it.

I also like the hair though. It has a nice texture.

 

[KeithD]

Looks fine to me, although the author name is missing.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I know it's rough (particularly the font), but would a cover like this make you interested in reading the story inside?


View attachment 2365013

Conceptually, I like it. Flames might be a bit much, but you've got a seemingly naked red head on her knees. What else is there?

 

[intim8]

Reminds me of the Johnny Tremain film strip I had to make in high school.

It's too abstract, and as others have said, too busy. I don't get any useful visual impression of it at all. I have to deliberately parse each element and put them together. Once a potential reader has done that, the emotional impact is totally blunted. It's like having to explain a joke; you eventually get it, but you don't laugh.

And the cartoonish approach makes it seem unserious.

The basic concept might be OK, if it is reworked to make an immediate and impactful visual impression.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I don't get any useful visual impression of it at all.

Really? It's a naked hot girl on her knees in front of a soldier. Naked hot girl on her knees - isn't that what every guy wants?

 

[RejectReality]

#1, move that title to the left side where you have more room to make it bigger. It's also then above the female figure, which connects the title to the image more intimately. Then you can put your byline in the bottom right for some symmetry.

The detail of her ( hair and toes ) clashes with the simplicity of the rest of the image — particularly the soldier. She's the focus, so that's fine in and of itself. I feel like it's a touch too much difference. The level of detail in the background is fine, but he needs a little more detail. The pants and boots in particular, since they're right next to the primary foreground image. Doing that would more or less necessitate adding some detail to the sleeves and the hand in close proximity. Just setting off the lines of the sleeves would do a lot, so they don't blend into the coat.

Having his head tilted as though he's looking down on her would really liven up the image. I feel as though that would lessen the contrast of his completely featureless face as well.

You don't want the background distracting from the foreground too much. To that end, the height of those flames is out of proportion with the buildings. Smoke lit by more proportional flames below would probably be better. You could still get some varied color in there without drawing too much attention to it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I really like the hair actually. The whole thing how it's shaped from cut paper is cute.

To me, that's the problem. It looks like a three dimensional object on a two dimensional plain.It emphasizes the flatness of the rest of the image

 

[Otto26]

Thanks for all the comments.

Edited to remove irrelevant text.

 

[lovecraft68]

Does nothing for me, and if its AI I'd make I make it a point to never support anyone who uses it for covers or in their writing.

I prefer to support humans with actual talent.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

#1, move that title to the left side where you have more room to make it bigger. It's also then above the female figure, which connects the title to the image more intimately. Then you can put your byline in the bottom right for some symmetry.

Or better yet, move the soldier and the girl more to the right and make space on the left for title and author.

 

[THBGato]

Yep, it's a story about a woman being enslaved but I flatter myself (based on the many negative comments I have received) that I don't write typical sex-slave stories. Which annoys people who think that's what they're getting from me. I'm open to feedback on that, too, but it's not what I came to this thread for.

The woman is more detailed, particularly her red hair, because she's the focus of the story and the red hair plays a central part in that story.

In that case, can I suggest putting her in a more powerful position/stance? One that suggests she has some agency and isn't just an object/possession?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Yep, it's a story about a woman being enslaved

Well, then the cut paper art is probably too cute for such a dark heavy theme. I mean I haven't read it but on the surface, you know what I mean.

 

[RejectReality]

Or better yet, move the soldier and the girl more to the right and make space on the left for title and author.

Yeah, shifting it so she's dead center as the main focus of the image isn't a bad idea either. The ratio of width to height is a little off for a book cover as well. The height could be expanded to put the title on the top. Lots of somewhat jarring 'empty' space in those upper corners if you do that, though. I'd tweak it to a better ratio and adjust the image accordingly, still putting the title on the upper left.

I don't really see the art style as too cutesy for a heavy story. You've got those dark, drab, and muted houses in the background, and those tall, angry, dangerous steeples jutting out like bayonets. Dial up the soldier's detail a little, provide some menace by having him look down on her, and I think it conveys the nature of the story pretty well. Putting his face in deeper shadow would be nice, but that would clash severely with how well she's lit.