How do you find inspo for your cover?

Creator's Corner Art Resources
#1

Everything is in the title. I always struggle with the cover :tired_face:

Where do you find your inspo?

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#2

This might sound strange but songs/music. This helps me because I tend to find a song that matches the overall vibe/emotions of the story then I design/request/commission a cover based off of the inspiration I get from that song.

I.e = If your story had the main plot line of the MC being badly heartbroken in the past and trying to move on with their life but struggling to do so, then I would match that to a song like 'Driver’s License by Olivia Rodrigo’

That would give me inspiration for any of the following =

- Cars/Motor Vehicles
- Heartbreak
- Sadness
- Suffering
- Losing a love
- Moving on from the past
- Becoming a shell of your old self
- Drowning in self-pity
- Drowning sorrows in a large tub of ice cream & other sweet treats

Etc


This would probably result in me designing/requesting/commissioning a cover with a pose idea similar to the MC sat in the front seat of their car, in front of either a field view or a city view with tears running down their cheek and maybe a big pot of ice cream on their knee. The camera angle would be not fully a side view but not fully a front view either. The MC would be facing right with their back to the left side of the screen.

Hope this helps you at least a little bit (:

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#3

what I usually do is get inspo from other covers and see how they correlate with the story then what i do is grab images from the internet and make it myself (just so I can see visually how it looks) from there I make adjustments.

the hard part for me is the look of the title and that is a different topic for me to try and explain LOL

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#4

Yes, it’s helpful. I need to gather my thoughts now :joy:

It’s probably also harder because I have multiples characters and I feel like it’s difficult to design/commission something with a lot of characters without it looking too much đŸ„Č

#5

I’ll do that. And I totally feel you for the font!! :weary:

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#6

Do you need a hand thinking up a few possible cover ideas? (:

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#7

I could probably help you out as well (Team effort!)

i have seen covers with multiple characters and one thing I would like to mention is that you need to find a balance to were you have all of them and its big enough because you have to remember the small covers resolution gets smaller since it’s on a “shelf” and that it will probably be used again for your Large Cover which readers will see when you open you story

2 Likes
#8

Yes, that would help! What do you need? I can put the description of the story, and I also got a playlist for it if you want? :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

#9

Thank you for the tip :heart_eyes_cat:

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#10

If you could send the description as well as a few songs that best describe the story theme/plotline that would be great (:

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#11

Description: A trip to celebrate graduation seemed like a great idea; until the trip is cut short by the death of one of your friends. Was it an accident? You’re not so sure.

The story is a murder mystery/drama.

Brief summary: basically, a group of friends go on a trip together, then an accident happens and one of them dies. At first, it is ruled as an accident, but the detective discovers that one of them is actually responsible. That causes them to drift apart (+ them going away to college). Eventually, they all come back home for summer and have to deal with what happened, but also try and fix the relationship between them.

Songs:
Goodbyes - Jorja Smith
Everglow - Coldplay
One of those days - Gabrielle Aplin

For the cover I wanted one that shows that they are close friends, but with a vibe that gives away that it’s a murder mystery story without being too dark (not talking about the colors, but the plot). Hopefully you get what I mean :joy_cat:

Thank you for the help :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

1 Like
#12

I try getting insp from looking through my favorite stories and seeing what it was about their covers thar first made me click on them.

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#13

I only know of the song ‘Everglow’ from that list but from that song, I’d do a cover including elements of =

  • Memory (Happy memories/scenes from the past)
  • Happiness
  • Mystery
  • The character who dies could appear as a ghost (quite transparent) positioned above the rest of the characters (this pose can change depending on how many friends there are)

  • How many friends are in the ‘group’ (how many males/females/plus females etc
 (based off of body types not LGBTQ)?

  • Which character is the ‘main’ character?

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#14

Good idea, I didn’t think of the ghost thing :face_with_monocle:

There are 5 friends. 4 females (including the MC) and 1 male

The MC is a female (you can choose the body type)

#15