Cover for The Messenger's Quest

My first quick impression is that it looks great. Image fits the title very well.

I'm not an expert on book covers, so take this with a grain of salt. Something about the author's name seems off, maybe font, spacing, placement, or size...I don't know. (For placement, maybe moved up just the smallest amount?) The space between "Th" and "e" in the book's title kinda stands out also.

 

I love it. The is a bit hard to read but that's subjective. In the end, the best​ thing to do is compare your cover to others in the sub-genre of fantasy you're targeting. Does it match reader expectations for that audience? That's what I'd focus on.

 

Hi,

For me the background is a little busy. On the one side you have this sun shining down through a forest on a cliff, and on the other a fog and dead tree, and the two don't go together well. They don't seem to be either one image or two.

I think you need to clarify your thought about the cover. What is the key idea you're trying to get across? Is he riding into fog or through an enchanted forest etc? Pick one. Remember often the simplest ideas work best.

Other than that I like it. And while I agree about the "e" in the "the" I wouldn't have noticed it if someone hadn't mentioned it.

Cheers, Greg.

 

Some suggestions:

You're using three pictures here right? When it comes to composition I'm not entirely sold on the far right picture's placement (tree's fitted way low compared to the perspective given by the far left and center images, and there's something about the birds)

Regarding the combination of the three pictures as a whole you should work a bit on color correction and adjustments, which is easier to do before you throw them all into the same document. There are plenty of tutorials on how to do it, and it won't take days to learn, so I highly recommend it This is to make sure that the color space is shared, that blacks aren't tinted inbetween pictures etc (The darkest blacks on the horseman are R4, G16, B12 which is a blueish green tint, while the far left picture has R1 G1 B1 as the darkest black). Once all pictures use the same colors, it is a much easier task to merge them and make it look more professional.

One important thing is also to have a look at the horseman's shadow. You have one major source of light, and perhaps a second (far right picture near horse's head?) The horseman's shadow seems to be quite small, suggesting a higher sun or source of light than is portrayed. It's sort of illusion breaking, and you'll notice an amazing difference if you can correct this.

Others have covered things on the font, and their advice is sound. All in all, I really like the concept of the cover, and I think it will make a great cover with some more work and polish Good luck!

 

I agree with the point about the "e" in "The", Kinslayer. And even considering what others have said, I find the cover interesting and thought provoking. It has a powerful impact that suggests a mythical land with endless dangers ahead. It also hints at the existence of an assassin's involvement, but that's probably just my take on the horseback rider.

But it is a great cover with endless potential. Well done. I hope you have it just the way you want in a very short time.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

The cover is beautiful. My only critique is that it seems flat. The colors are so similar there's no dimension, so everything runs together. The fonts for the author name and title runs with the color palate. So changing the printed font, or just the color, could help set it apart from the artwork.

 

I think maybe the guy's face could be pretty much submerged in shadow, to make him more mysterious/interesting? Also, the strong lighting from behind the trees seem to draw attention away from him. I don't like the color and font of the title. Assuming this is adult fiction, the font's pretty rounded/soft. And a more golden color might be more appropriate for fantasy.