Opinions wanted for "Writing Flash Fiction" cover

Okay, really take this with salt, because I've only designed one cover. There's a whole lot I don't know about the art form. I'm approaching this mostly as a reader and a painter. So if anyone with more experience has a conflicting opinion, you would probably be better advised to go with theirs. But I wanted to give you my impressions, in case they help.

Let me start with saying as it is, it's rather nice. It's certainly not a case of, "Good heavens, where do I start?" I'm hoping you release it soon, because it looks like something I'd like to read. So in that sense, the cover has already done its job.

Title: Consider a larger font, perhaps. It seems a bit...understated. The text that goes with it is quite good, but I'd consider moving it to the empty black space above your name instead. Then you'd have room for a title that might show up better in thumbnails.

Artwork: You've got three almost identical elements, in a group of three, and there's nothing wrong with that. You might want to try tinting one of the images blue and one amber, though. There would be a visual theme of trying different approaches which could be a useful metaphor for your book. And it would make it more colorful, although you'd have to try it before you decided if it was useful or distracting. I have decent visualization skills, but it could go either way, depending on execution, and the taste of the observer (like so much else).

I think your blurb on the back is excellent.

Hope this helps.

CathleenT said:

Artwork: You've got three almost identical elements, in a group of three, and there's nothing wrong with that. You might want to try tinting one of the images blue and one amber, though. There would be a visual theme of trying different approaches which could be a useful metaphor for your book.

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I'd use different images, personally. Concepts on the same theme: pen and paper, a writing desk, a raven (makes me think of writing, anyways, between Poe's reference and Huginn).

Locke said:

...a writing desk, a raven (makes me think of writing, anyways, between Poe's reference and Huginn).

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Ah - so that's how a raven is like a writing desk!

To the OP: The overall layout isn't bad to me, but I'm not sure that pink color on the keyboard graphics goes with the gray/beige theme you're using elsrwhere. Yeah, it pops, but not in a great way - more in a "The heck?! What's with the pink?" way. I'd either go more neutral or, as a previous poster suggested, use different colors.

The subtitle on the front is also a bit hard to read.

Also, having the black text overlap on the dark gray "box" bit on the back cover... not that easy to read, at least on my monitor. Keep the black text on the beige, choose a bolder font, or lighten up the gray.

JMHO...