Another cover design, requesting your judgement

[sigmadog]

Overall I think it works well. The gun silhouette is a bit cheesy, but not a deal breaker (I don't think it's necessary because you've already got the targeting reticle, but if you love it, keep it).

The blue fade top and bottom is subtle and I don't have a preference one way or the other on it.

I want to say the title text is too small, but I think the graphic of the cityscape and target reticle make the dominant statement here and give a better sense of what the story is about, so the title isn't the main selling point (though it needs to be easily seen).

If I were to revise this in any way, I would try making the graphic image (cityscape and target reticle) much bigger and bleeding off the page, and move the title up a bit to make better use of the space. It might make the visual impact a bit stronger, but I wouldn't know for sure until I saw it.

My opinion: Creating a good cover, ad, poster, logo or whatever is 10% technique, 20% talent, and 70% playing around. Most people quit too soon with "Well, that's good enough!"

[MistWolf]

The reticle being behind the cityscape says to me, the city isn't being targetted.

[Eicca]

The reticle being behind the cityscape says to me, the city isn't being targetted.

You are right, in the story it isn't. Also, I think I mentioned this earlier, but on top of each element of the cover directly representing a part of the story, they all form an eye when viewed from a distance, which is another part of the story, and grabs someone who is distance/thumbnail viewing. See my avatar.

[MistWolf]

You are right, in the story it isn't. Also, I think I mentioned this earlier, but on top of each element of the cover directly representing a part of the story, they all form an eye when viewed from a distance, which is another part of the story, and grabs someone who is distance/thumbnail viewing. See my avatar.

Ah, I see. Very clever

[Taylor]

I changed “A Thriller” back to all caps just for the sake of experimentation and I think that works ok. Definitely still trying to figure out what to do with all the black space. The central graphic has to stay the way it is for one big reason: in thumbnail form or from a distance, it looks like an eye. Much more compelling if you’re scrolling through a website or spy it on a shelf.

Maybe I’ll try some additional subtle gradient on the black spaces. Perhaps if it fades back to deep blue at the top and bottom edge that would fill it out without taking away from the minimalism.

Really like the eye concept. Can you make it more prominent so it appears like an eye on the larger size?

[Backstroke_Italics]

I don't think the eye needs to be more obvious. It's OK to have something subtle on a book cover, as long as it's not something necessary to getting people interested. One thing, though. If you want the eye motif to be more obvious, you could do that on the spine.

[Eicca]

I don't think the eye needs to be more obvious. It's OK to have something subtle on a book cover, as long as it's not something necessary to getting people interested. One thing, though. If you want the eye motif to be more obvious, you could do that on the spine.

Ooh now that is a good idea. Thanks!