What’s Your Favorite Style of Book Cover?

Since I may be looking to create covers for my own epic fantasy novels, I am curious what sort of cover the top sellers use, and which my friends prefer. To make the choice easy and define the conversation, I’ve identified four main categories in top-selling fantasy novels:

     1: The Definitive Character Close-up

     2: The Open-ended Character Silhouette / Back View  

      3: Otherworldly Landscape w/ Optional Foreground Figure 

       4: The Fantasy Icon

And below I’ve assembled a collection of thumbnails for each category. (Most of these I gleaned from Amazon’s top 30 epic fantasies — the ones with the “Look Inside” graphic. Those without the graphic are from B & N and Kobo.)

1  – DEFINITIVE CHARACTER SHOT  (single figure, close-up to medium shot)

           

PROS & CONS

       + clear, definitive view of character

       + simple and uncluttered (good for thumbnail)

       + can include action and dramatic hooks 

       – leaves little of character’s appearance to imagination

       – defines race*

*I suspect covers that don’t define the race of the main character–that leave race ambiguous–may appeal to a wider readership.

 

2) OPEN-ENDED CHARACTER SILHOUETTE OR BACK VIEW   (medium shot)

The Broken Eye (Lightbringer)              

PROS & CONS

       + some setting, fairly simple, high contrast good for thumbnail

       + leaves character appearance and race to imagination

       + can have action and dramatic hooks

       – absence of face / fewer details of appearance may provide fewer emotional hooks

 

3) OTHERWORLDLY  LANDSCAPE  (long shot, optional lonely figure(s) in foreground)

       

PROS & CONS

       + inspires dreams of fantasy setting, defines nothing of character appearance

       – provides no emotional hook via characters, action or drama

 

4) ICON COVER   (thematic emblem only )

 

PROS & CONS

     + defines nothing of character appearance or even setting — the true black box cover

     – provides no emotional hook via characters, action, drama, or setting

 

HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS? 

 

Leave a comment below! : )