The Devil's Chamber - contest to design a cover for a dark Scottish novel

The Devil's Chamber

Neil Cocker

Neil Cocker was born in Scotland. After graduating from Aberdeen University he ventured overseas, and has since lived and worked in Lithuania, Australia, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Luxembourg. He likes to write about emigrants and expats, displaced Scots and cultural dislocation, and how the shadow of the past darkens the present. His novel Amsterdam Rampant was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize in 2012, and his short stories have won prizes (Canongate 2001), been shortlisted for prizes (Bridport 2010), published in print (New Writing Scotland), and been taught on a Scottish Literature course at Oldenburg University.

BLURB: Miro McGarrity has built a successful life in Singapore, trying to forget the Scotland of his youth. But one afternoon he receives the news he has dreaded for twenty years – an email that takes him back to Edinburgh in 1999 and his first job in a sprawling council archive. Over the course of a few weeks in that long-lost autumn, Miro fell under the spell of two urban explorers seeking a legendary underground room known as the Devil’s Chamber. This fragile alliance would lead him into the forgotten corners of the archives, into grungy pubs and derelict buildings, until finally, in the shadows under the city, they discovered the shocking truth behind the legend. Now, after two decades of running away, Miro must return to the Devil’s Chamber to face his fate – but there might be one last chance of a way out... MORE INFO: “The Devil’s Chamber” is a dark mystery / urban adventure novel (with a hint of black humour) about a mysterious underground room in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland. Set mainly in the late 1990s, it follows the story of a young archivist who discovers a map to the legendary Devil’s Chamber, and decides to visit it with the help of two urban explorers. In the musty darkness they uncover something horrific, and after fleeing the scene, they are unable to stay away, and are gradually drawn back into its shadows…

Adults aged 20-60, mainly in the UK. People who enjoy dark, edgy books, TV, and movies – for example, Breaking Bad, Ozark, Fight Club, Trainspotting, Stranger Things, the novels of Iain Banks and Donna Tartt.

Hopefully I describe my preferences quite clearly above but feel free to ask me questions. When I ran a competition for the Amsterdam Rampant design many artists didn't read the brief, so paying close attention to my asks is really appreciated! In a nutshell, the design should have a bold colour scheme and work as a thumbnail, should come across as quite dark and indie, and somehow capture the essence of the novel's subject matter.

I don't like detailed pictures of people/characters on a novel cover. I'm also not keen on the kind of fonts and designs you see on mass marketed thrillers and popular fiction. Originality is key!

Every design category has flexible pricing for all budgets. Book cover starts at €269.