_NMB_ needed a new book or magazine cover design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 114 designs submitted by 30 freelance designers.
Universe Eventual
Young Adult Science Fiction novel aimed at 13-17 year olds, male and female.
Book Cover (e-book):
"Universe Eventual: Chimera"
Byline: Nathan M. Beauchamp
This is the first book in a series.
Cover should conform to Amazon's requirements:
At least 1000px on the longest side
No more than 2500 pixels on the longest side
Ideally have a height-width ratio of 1.6
Must be in JPEG or TIFF format
Minimally compressed
Synopsis and Chapter #1 are attached as a word document. We advise that you at least take a look at them to give yourself a bit of familiarity with the book's content.
We're looking for a semi-abstract cover OR a cover that conveys a sense of the protagonist, Selena. Selena is a tough-as-nails 15 year old girl who works a blue collar job mining an asteroid with her father. She is half-hispanic, half white. Dark hair, gritty not girly, cute but compelling. We're not looking for "space porn" covers with lots of lens flare, sparkling stars, spaceships, etc... We want something real and captivating.
Abstract is fine. Simple is fine. The cover does not need to feature Selena at all, in fact. Surprise us.
All but the book cover for "Passenger" and image "605_max" are concept pieces created for the project. (We own this art).
The image "605_Max" is reflective of a style we like. Married to the cover of "Passenger" would be an interesting cover indeed. However, we are NOT "steam punk" nor are we looking for sepia tones. We like the "Passenger" book cover because of the design, the grittiness, and that it would attract a male or female reader.
Ideally we want industrial for any clothing, etc., but a touch of vulnerability and humanness for Selena herself. The concept of Selena that we've provided is okay, but don't be constrained by it when you imagine / re-imagine her.
The rest of the concept art is provided to give you a bit of a sense for the world Selena occupies.
To be clear: We'd be happy if you surprised us. We're not committed to one specific cover option. That said, we want a cover that will "pop" on Amazon, an image that will captivate, that will stop someone and encourage them to click on our book and not someone else's.
Don't be constrained by the attached images, or the idea of putting Selena on the cover. The images provided are for context.
Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. We're happy to answer them. We're also happy to provide text from the novel itself--even a chapter would give you a great sense of the story and the character of Selena.