It’s time to open the curtain to our fantastic custom book cover design service. What are its advantages?
- Unlimited revisions
- Payment only when you are satisfied with the result
- One month of free reviewing after the book cover design is completed
- The first concept is ready within 7 business days.
You can also order a second book cover concept for an extra fee – $100.
Today we want to share the result of the custom book cover design with 2 concepts for the urban fantasy novel “Between Light and Shadow” by Sara Tonin. Are you excited to get started?
The story of the book
- Title: Between Light and Shadow
- Author: Sara Tonin
- Genre: Urban Fantasy
- Plot: Lena is having the worst summer of her life. Her mom died months ago in a car wreck, and her work-obsessed dad took a job a thousand miles away in a small Colorado city, leaving her friendless and alone in a new town to start her Junior year of high school. It only worsens when, on a weekend getaway to an old castle built on a sacred site, Lena falls and cracks her skull open. The doctors chop off her beautiful hair to sew her scalp up but now spots flash in her vision, causing migraines and hallucinations that blur reality. A talking chipmunk named Cooper and a pop-culture-quoting classmate, Hayden, are her only friends as she uncovers why, in the city’s rotten heart, strange dog-like creatures follow her, patrolling the streets and enslaving homeless people for who knows what reason.
- Settings: Today, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
How did we see this book cover?
Sara Tonin shared an AI-generated image as a starting point for creating the main character. The author said he wanted to see the main character on the book cover with a chipmunk on her shoulder against the background of a small town. She could have two magic spheres in her hands. Also, the composition could include other characters: a nerdy boy with sandy blond hair, Kobolds, and a dragon.
AI-generated image, attached by author
However, Sarah Tonin also noted that the essential thing is that the book cover fully matches the genre and conveys the story’s meaning. Therefore, our designers read the book’s description and created two concepts.
Book cover concept #1
General composition
The designer included a maximum of elements that the author noted in this version. Readers can see the main character, the nerdy boy, the chipmunk, and the dragon’s eyes. There is a small sleeping town in the background.
Main character
Sara Tonin noted that the main character likes to wear hoodies so that it is convenient to carry her chipmunk friend with her. We can also see her short spiky brown hair and magic spheres in her hands.
Colors and typography
For this version, our designer chose dark twilight colors to emphasize the story’s mystery and evil events happening in the town. The serif font suits the genre perfectly. Our designer also emphasized the word ‘Light’ with the glowing effect.
Book cover concept #2
General composition
This version is also character-based as this book cover type suits the urban fantasy genre perfectly. The concept doesn’t include other heroes to avoid distraction from the protagonist. There is also a small town in the background, but this time it’s represented by different cozy cottages.
Main character
Lena also has short spiky brown hair here but different clothes. Her friend, a talking chipmunk Cooper, is sitting on her shoulder. Readers can see magic spheres in her hands.
Colors and typography
This book cover is brighter and more colorful than the previous one. Our designer used a serif font with fantasy curls.
What concept did the author choose?
The author liked both concepts because each of them had its advantages. In the first version, he appreciated how the designer used a glowing effect for the word ‘Light’ and a metallic effect for the word ‘Dark.’ Sara Tonin liked the character modeling of the second version, mainly the textures of her coat and lightning. However, the background did not fit the story.
The author decided to proceed with the second version.
Typography
The author loved the typography style of the first version, so we used it for the updated version.
Background
Our designer changed the background to a more modern city at dusk to suit the book’s context.
What about the final book cover design?
Combining elements of the two versions really worked well for this story. The background emphasized the features of the urban fantasy genre. A few things remain to five to make this book cover perfect.
Author and series names
We fixed the typo in the author’s name and changed the location of the series title.
Main character
Our designer added make-up to highlight the main character’s facial features. We also changed the shape of magic balls and streams.
Background
The author noticed a bright orange-pink light on one of the buildings, which was distracting, so we removed this spot.
Now you can enjoy the final book cover:
Summing up
Our designers created an eye-catching and colorful book cover that suits the urban fantasy genre 100%. Readers’ attention is drawn to the main character with an extraordinary appearance, a chipmunk on her shoulder, and magical power. At first glance, you want to unravel the story described in the novel. The cityscape in the background emphasizes the genre, and the typography interestingly plays with the book’s title.
Do you like this custom book cover design? Share your opinion in the comment section.
