A book cover I put together for Maureen Johnson’s #coverflip challenge. 1. Take a popular book. Make a new cover for it by switching the author’s gender and imagining the result.
I actually do book covers for a living. More of my stuff can be seen here..
Here’s what I heard the invisible art director telling me as I composed it:
“Emphasize bonding between female characters. De-emphasize conflict, but make sure the female leads are plucky. Include a small dragon and a white wolf; make sure neither is snarling. In the background include a handsome young male in clean armor, e.g. Jaime Lannister… Blondes have been proven to sell more books.
“Typography: avoid all caps. Use Medieval/Celtic font-faces but avoid heavy metal/Third Reich styles of blackletter.
“Look & Feel: moodboard should necessarily include M. Whelan’s work for Dragonriders of Pern and the landscape portraits of Maxfield Parrish. No mud or blood; keep it sparkly and magical.”