I’m very excited about the upcoming release of my new romantic mystery novel, and would like readers to help me choose which cover they prefer.
Here’s the blurb:
An ancient diadem unearthed from the ruins of Troy disappears from a Berlin museum at the end of the Second World War. In 1962, archaeologists Ellen and Marcus track the diadem into the mountains of the Drakensberg, believing it was hidden there by a Nazi who stole it and escaped before the Nuremberg trials. South Africa’s apartheid government wants the diadem, but so does the underground political party known as the ANC.
Ellen and Marcus have their own reasons for wanting the diadem, but Inspector Uys has a darker purpose and will stop at nothing to prevent Nelson Mandela and the ANC from taking control of the country.
Two generations later an Australian bartender and a South African travel agent put together the disjointed clues from their respective grandparents, and set off on a trail of their own in search of answers.
These are the two covers: Let’s call them A and B.
Which do you think is more eye-catching? Bear in mind this is for an ebook to be sold on Amazon, and the image can be quite small when viewed on some reading devices. It’s not part of a series, but it is the same genre as the first and third books in the sidebar on the right.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for your time – your input will be greatly appreciated!
Susan's Musings 
Hi Sue – my 5 cents worth is that the first one is more exciting to look at. The darker blue, more gold and brighter grass, with the white lettering is more eye catching. The other, paler cover is more peaceful and almost pastoral to look at. It could be mysterious too!
So I guess it depends on the emotion you’re going for 🙂 All the best with your new novel xx
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Thank you, Sharon.
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Hi Sue
I would absolutely go for no 2. I just find the mountain in the first one a bit in your face, but the slight fade on the 2nd one invites one closer.
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Thanks, Marita.
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Number two. Less busy.
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Thanks, Sarah.
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Of course! 😊
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Although I personally prefer the second one–less garish in coloration, is subtler, so it seems to suggest more depth and possibility–it does stand out more so is more eye-catching if you want to emphasize the action rather than the mystery at first glance. I also like the second braided design being less obtrusive, but, again, if you want to have a very forceful draw initially, the first would appeal to those readers. Congratulations!!
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Thank you, Cynthia.
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A
The forcefulness of the title and the colour saturation does it for me.
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Thanks, TP.
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Hello Susan,
The first one is more eye-catching and will draw attention, but personally I prefer the second one. Readers will see the first one instantly when searching for a book which is probably what you want.. Maybe you should add the real Trojan horse as a watermark? I was actually expecting it. I do have to add that I believe the saying Dont judge a book by its cover.
What a story!
Are you still working with Ginny?
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Thanks, Brigitta. It does need to be eye-catching when it’s up against about 40 million others in the Kindle ebook store. We can’t overlay too many images because it will look busy and messy on the thumbnails.
I haven’t done this book with Ginny. She did a great job on the Epidaurus paperbacks, but it would have been impractical to print more in South Africa since I left. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some printed copies through Create Space in the future.
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Definitely the one on the left (with the brighter blue).
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Thanks, Amy.
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Hi Sue. I like the first one. I think it’s more eye catching. I love the colours.
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Thanks, Tina. (You could pop across the passage into the other office and compliment the designer…!)
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Lol. Your designer is sick and at home for the last few days. But yes I’ve been watching the progress.
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Personally, the one on the left is more appealing to me and would catch my eye with the colors. Good luck with the launch. So excited and thrilled for you! ღ
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Thank you, Monika. (And Sam, of course!)
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‘A’ with bolder blue and Gold, only because its online and you want it to be easily noticed. Personally, I much prefer ”B’, but the first law of selling is to get noticed and ‘A’ fits that brief better.
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Thank you, Celeste. You’re right – that’s the way of the world when it comes to selling.
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First one…. The title gets me sooner than the second…. One comment though is that it looks slightly like an old western!
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Thanks Bryan. I don’t mind the western idea because they’re on a journey on horseback for part of the book.
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The first says Dolomites to me, the second – Drakensberg. The title’s more eyecatching in#1.
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Thanks, Jac. Interesting comment about the Dolomites – Rhino Peak does look a little like something you would find there!
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Hi Susan,
I like cover #2!
Best wishes, Kimberly
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Thank you for your comment, Kimberly.
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Here are my two cents: yes, B is less busy but my first thought went to a Western type novel. So I would go with A (maybe keeping the dark blue and trimming the vine a bit? – don’t you just love it when everybody has a slightly different opinion??).
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Thanks for your input, Campari Girl. Yes, it’s really interesting to see what other people think and why.
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Hm… I think the fact that the picture CAN be pretty small makes No. 1 the better choice. The words are larger, the colors brighter.
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Thank you, Calen.
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