Welcome to our Cover Art critique week!
Critiques are welcome from anyone and everyone. Just remember our rules: Be nice. Be constructive. Be specific. Be polite.
For anyone just joining us, check out a previous post about the Cover Art critique event.
If you comment with your critique, please feel free to enter this week’s Rafflecopter giveaway. One lucky person will win a $10 Amazon gift card, an eCopy of It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy by Quanie Miller, and an eCopy of Guarding Angel by S. L. Saboviec.
Entry #1: For the Love of Temperance
Entry by: Ichabod Temperance
Title: For The Love of Temperance
Genre: Steampunk/Paranormal
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MM Jaye's HEAs 
Okay, the overall feel I get is that this is professional quality work. One big brownie point for that. The main feature–the weird spider-like transport machine carrying a couple in period clothes (or outline thereof)–screams steampunk. Two big brownie points! The title font set against a velvet-like red tapestry also spot on! It looks like the inside of a luxury nineteenth century coach. Excellent!
My only pointer concerns the author name: I don’t think there should be a “by” before it and most definitely not in capital letters and on the same line as the author name. My suggestion, therefore, is to do away with the “by” and to try to enlarge your name font size as much as possible, taking up the space the preposition currently occupies. Other than that, I could instantly say “steampunk” without knowing the genre, so your cover is a success! Well done!
I like this cover. Makes me want to know what the kooky machine does and who the two folks in the driver’s seat are (especially the guy with the derby). Lose the ‘BY’ before the author’s name. Otherwise it’s solid.
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When I look at this cover I immediately think science fiction adventure.The machine looks like a spider/intergalactic time travel machine.The title, coupled with the two silhouettes, makes me think there might be some romance involved. Overall I think it looks good. The title is a good size and I agree with MM Jaye that you don’t need the “by” before your name. Good job!
This is a fantastic cover! From the mechanation bursting through the cover to the busy background. The details are all very flowery. I can almost feel the texture of the cover through my computer screen. Very well done!
I do have one suggestion. The title is the last thing I notice in this graphic. The metallic border for the title takes away from it a bit because it’s placed on such a busy background. It would jump out more if the border was a solid color or if you used a gentle gradient similar to what you use for the author name. It’s just something small that could be improved on, but not completely necessary.
This is a really great cover! I thought right away that it was steampunk. The drawing in the middle, the crushed red velvet look to the background, the gold details – it all came together to work well for this genre. As others have already said, the title disappears. I think the fading part of it and the fact that it’s exactly like the rest makes it blend instead of pop. I also agree that “by” is not only unnecessary but makes you sound new to the field. Whether you are or not, you don’t want to sound like a newbie author.
Great job!
Thank you everyone for your kind words and helpful criticisms!
I will pass them along to the obstreperous Sergeant Turk, my fearsome graphics guy, and the inimitable Wolfgang Metzger, my silhouette guy.
Great Cheer and Splendid Days, to all of you, my friends, for taking a look!
~Ichabod.
Sorry I’m getting in late to the party. My one big critique was noted already, and that’s the busy background against the font of the title. Separately they would work, but together, they clash, in my humble opinion. If it were me, I’d go with a single-color font of the title because I think the busy background works to bring interest to the overall book.
However, one other note — I might want to see what it looks like a bit smaller and in black and white, like it’s going to be rendered on some eReaders. I think a lot of the devices now are color, but you might want to consider it anyway. I still have a B&W Kobo that’s about three years old, so some of your readers will as well. And I don’t know if all the dark colors will work in B&W.