To make a long story short, I wrote a book series (actually the series is not complete), and I need help deciding on a cover for the 1st book. I can't decide..help!

One is simple and refined and the other is setting a scene.

Update - Tolagon - Age of the Marcks, is now officially released!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZN7JV4R/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_rnVVDbV9S0MKP
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tolagon-gregory-benson/1134550610?ean=9781734019605

Tolagon Age of the Marcks (resized).jpgTolagon2 (resized).jpg

Yes. The top is the scene and the bottom is the simple logo cover.

Wow! Interesting perspective. That really puts a black mark on the second cover.

That would be super cool!

I agree with you on the text. I'm going to see if I can make that happen.

I know exactly what you're referring to. I can't unsee that now, but I'm glad you brought it up.

I know all about that journey. I started framing the story out in 2010. I had the first draft for books one and two finished over three years ago. I've been just editing and refining them for the last three years. Keep in mind the learning curve was steep and that I had times of fatigue, where I would put the manscripts away for two to three months at a time.

The back and spine will be wrap-around with a continuation of the front cover.

As far as marketing, that's the real trick now. My wife has taken point on this with social media and grassroots (hitting up local shops to carry it). I would be interested in what marketing strategies worked for your wife and what didn't work. This is the new mountain I have to climb.

My wife and I went through mine line by line and I swear we argued over each one. It's certainly a test of a good relationship. I hired two editors. The first one went over it years ago and made a lot of great changes, but the book was too far off at that time (no it was a mess). I had to go back into it for a few years with beta readers and more refining, before final editing and proofing. I cut a lot of it away. That was hard. As time went on, I would learn more and then get frustrated with what I had, now that my eyes were a little more open. Then start the process all over again, at times just wanting to say F-it, why am I doing this? I have a new respect for anyone that has done this.

Thanks for those suggestions. This isn't the final version, so I'll experiment around with some of these ideas.

Thanks for all the feedback! You guys have made a difficult choice easy. Honestly, before asking for outside thoughts on this, I was leaning slightly towards the bottom cover due to its simplicity. My wife created the original draft of the logo you see there, so it was really cool seeing that displayed so prominently. However, it was also her idea for the top cover as well.

I'm certainly going to take in some of the suggestions here and work to make the top cover the best it can be. I know from looking for books to read on my own, that the cover is a very critical first impression of a book, and then the description is a close second. Both have to hit the mark or no one will look at it.

You're very close, except for the crystals. Those are wrong on the cover and need to be reworked. They should be hanging from an underground inverted forest and much smaller in scale. sci-fantasy is the best way to describe it.

While I still have everyone's attention, what do you think of my description? This is what would go on the back cover. I found this to be the most difficult part to write. I'm not too proud to take any thoughts or suggestions.

Since his earliest memories, the blue orb has dwelled within Crix Emberook. He was instructed to never call upon its enigmatic power in fear that everything would be lost. It was a close friend that must be ignored. He was always able to endure this struggle until a mysterious, black ship blinked into the skyline and crashed nearby.
His quest to investigate this ship thrusts him into a world ruled by an oppressive mechanical force, and they have been searching for the blue orb for decades.
Who truly controls this relentless force? Who is Kerriah, the beautiful woman that has him so captivated? The timing of her arrival and her unique gifts has him questioning everything about her. Now he must assemble the puzzle of the past.
He discovers that a tyrannical force overshadows the entire Oro system. Crix will need to harness the power of the orb, he must become a Tolagon. He finds that nothing is as it seems and the costs are more than he could have imagined . . .

Thanks for the ideas. I've never been truly pleased with the blurb and it's been rewrote quite a bit. As I said, it's the most difficult thing I've had to write. Coming up with a clever hook that's under 200 words is no easy task. I may see if I can take a few last-minute chops at it again. It just needs to be completed before the final cover work is completed.

Here is a revised version of the blurb. I still may go with the original but I'm curious what your thoughts are between the two. Mostly subtle changes.

Revised-
Since his earliest memories, the blue orb has been a part of Crix Emberook. It has dwelled within him, whispering thoughts into his mind, and tempted him to release its energy. He has been warned never to use its enigmatic power in fear that everything would be lost. He was always able to endure this struggle until the day that a mysterious, black ship blinked into the skyline and crashed nearby.
His quest to investigate this ship thrusts him into a world ruled by an oppressive mechanical force, and they have been searching for the blue orb for decades.
Who truly controls this relentless force? Who is Kerriah, the beautiful woman that has him so captivated? The timing of her arrival and her unique gifts has him questioning everything about her. Now he must assemble the puzzle of the past. He must unleash the power of the orb and become a Tolagon.

Original -
Since his earliest memories, the blue orb has dwelled within Crix Emberook. He was instructed to never call upon its enigmatic power in fear that everything would be lost. It was a close friend that must be ignored. He was always able to endure this struggle until a mysterious, black ship blinked into the skyline and crashed nearby.
His quest to investigate this ship thrusts him into a world ruled by an oppressive mechanical force, and they have been searching for the blue orb for decades.
Who truly controls this relentless force? Who is Kerriah, the beautiful woman that has him so captivated? The timing of her arrival and her unique gifts has him questioning everything about her. Now he must assemble the puzzle of the past.
He discovers that a tyrannical force overshadows the entire Oro system. Crix will need to harness the power of the orb, he must become a Tolagon. He finds that nothing is as it seems and the costs are more than he could have imagined . . .

Here is the final cover. It took a lot of back and forth revisions to get here. I can assure you that all the feedback here was taken into consideration and in some cases, used. Thanks for all the input and suggestions. Hopefully, everyone likes it!

Now I'm just waiting on the spine and back.

The book release should be in the next few weeks.

Tolagon Age of the Marcks 8 (resized).jpg

A big thanks to everyone here that provided input on the book cover design and blurb.

Book one, Tolagon – Age of the Marcks, is now available to read! Book 2, The Core, is soon to follow.

If you enjoy reading Science Fiction and Fantasy, please give my new book a try. I would love to have a discussion here with your thoughts over its characters and their journey.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZN7JV4R/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_rnVVDbV9S0MKP
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tolagon-gregory-benson/1134550610?ean=9781734019605

Here's an excerpt from the book. This scene ties directly to the book cover.

“Krath? Kerriah?” he called out and waited.
He was unable to see anything and swung around desperately, banging his elbow into one of the pillars. A horrible, painful shrill screamed out from the once-silent piece of stone. Crix detected no other sounds within this space and no replies from Kerriah or Krath, only an eerie silence mixed with the throbbing thump of his fast-beating heart. It pounded—pounding so loud he was positive someone or something would hear it. He moved his hands blindly around to assist his lack of sight. The only thing he felt was the irrepressible stone pillars, and each time one was touched, it executed that awful shrill that echoed through the forest.
Where are they?
Thoughts raced through his mind, and he tried not to succumb to the overwhelming feelings of fear and uneasiness. He wanted to take captive every thought. A whispering hiss fluttered from all directions as though something was searching for him. His throat tightened, his stomach felt constricted, and his eyes were unable to focus. Then, at that moment, an icy hand grabbed his shoulder. He helplessly yelled out and awkwardly spun around. There was nothing there: no light, no sounds, not even a wisp of a breeze.

Thanks! It's certainly challenging for a 1st-time author to gain some traction. I knew that going into this. Right now I just need to get some reviews in.