The Cover That Almost Broke Me!

I needed to listen to the readers. I needed to redo my cover.

At first, I attempted a cover that included cliffs with the crashing sea, overcast clouds, and an estate. Now, where should I place the seals? It was too much. Way too much for someone who was already struggling through a crash course in Photoshop!

I needed simplicity.

There was just too much going on with that cover, not to mention the frustration I was experiencing while trying to figure out layers and masking. I cried. I screamed. I cursed.

Then I said, “F IT!”

I scrapped the whole thing.

It was simply too much to work with, especially with my very limited experience with Photoshop. I decided I was going to use one image of storm clouds and the sea, with my FMC’s eyes peering through. I had the elements selected and sourced from Adobe, making sure to turn on the filter to keep AI-generated images out.

It was so much simpler.

It looked cleaner. It grabbed your attention.

Then I remembered something else readers had told me: There is nothing on your cover that tells readers this is fantasy.

Crap!

I needed an element, but I didn’t want it to take over the cover. I searched for artwork of a mermaid that I could work with, and I found her. I bought the license to support the artist and then struggled my way through Photoshop, transforming a black-and-white image of a mermaid into a beautiful mermaid badge.

I also needed to fix the font and the color of the text itself. There were so many steps involved in getting the perfect font and that gold color! It was definitely not as easy as it had been in Canva, but I could no longer use Canva for this cover.

I needed a platform where I could use the IngramSpark template as my first layer and build the entire cover according to their specific measurements and bleed requirements.

Through all of this, I have come to respect and admire cover designers and the hard work they do for authors. There is so much that goes into designing a cover, far more than I realized when I started this journey.

The paperback passed IngramSpark’s review, and I approved it.

Now I am waiting for my author copy.

I need to see it. I need to hold it in my hands. I need to make sure it is perfect for you, the reader.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

And I have already made a mental note: Start working on the covers for books two and three NOW!

This time, I don’t want to be rushed. I want to take my time and make them beautiful. When I’m ready, I would love to share the images with you and hear your thoughts before I make those final decisions.