Cover Help

[Allyssa]

I’m writing a science fiction book and I don’t know what to do for the cover. Any ideas?

[Phillip]

You can focus on a main character, pivotal piece of equipment, or an important scene.

I suggest looking at other books for common themes. Then pick the one that best complements your book.

I personally like seeing robots or power armor. I also like space battles, if those are appropriate for your title.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Uh... something sciency and fictiony? Honestly, that's a pretty broad genre and it's hard to give ideas when we have no idea what your book is about other than "science fiction".

[Loustella]

I think an always-solid choice is a night sky starry background lol

[M.L.]

Check out some premade covers for ideas.

[Randall]

Do you have a blurb that can give us an indication of what the book is about. What is the inciting incident - the difficult situation in which all other incidents come from - the major problem your protagonist will face? Quite possibly someone here might be able to help you when we see that.
Hope that helps.

[Tony]

Is your work about a brand new world with super-intelligent inhabitants? daily transportation between planets? development of new lungs for a different kind of "humans" to live in the ocean? I think your cover should reflect some idea of what your story is about.

[Allyssa]

Loustella wrote: "I think an always-solid choice is a night sky starry background lol"

I might pick that. Or maybe a white swan, wings stretched out, on a black starry background.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Akindle,

The cover help folder is for asking for help with a cover, not for showing your story. If you want a critique of your work, we have a separate folder for that. In short, though, it needs a lot of work. A lot.

[Julia]

You have to tell us what the story is actually about, with zero info we can’t recommend anything!

[Randall]

I agree!

[M.L.]

For the cover, a comet and a kid, a young girl.

[I.M.]

Hire EBookLaunch. They make great covers.

[Allyssa]

I have decided not to try to publish anytime soon. Those cover ideas might be used when/if I do publish. I was never great at writing anyway.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Akindle wrote: "I have decided not to try to publish anytime soon. Those cover ideas might be used when/if I do publish. I was never great at writing anyway."

In time you could be great. It just takes some education and lots of practice. And patience and passion.

[B.A.]

Akindle wrote: "I have decided not to try to publish anytime soon. Those cover ideas might be used when/if I do publish. I was never great at writing anyway."
Writing takes time. My first try read like I was writing a nursing note. All facts, no emotion and boring....really, really boring. Take the time to learn. don't give up. You do have a story there and it will be a good one.

What I did was to start taking classes on line. I started with basics...how to write a good story. Writing for Dummies and the Plot Dot are good starters. I've read them both and used them to formulate a good story. Another one is the Snowflake method by Randy Ingermanson. It reads like a novel, but he takes you through how to get the story started.

As for making it really sound good...that is a lot of practice. That is where you need to learn creative writing. Flow, cadence, emotion, rhetorical devices, MRUs (Motivation/response units), dialogue, etc. It is a lot to learn and when you quit leaning, you need to stop writing. Another thing is to read a lot and try to make your writing sound like those whose work pulls you in and won't let you quite reading until the end. That is your goal.

Everyone has a different style and 'voice' that is uniquely theirs. Until you find yours, work on the mechanics. Keep writing. Start with short stories. (Dwayne is an expert at those) then go to novellas then a full length novel.

I'm actually doing a 5 year plan to a best seller through Author Media. One of their ongoing things is using Writing Excuses which is a podcast and doing their writing prompts. Do that. It does make you work at learning how to write well.

If you were to ask any famous writer out there, they all took five or longer years to get noticed. It takes that long to learn to write well. JK Rowling..5 years. Steven King, 10 years, Dan Brown 15 years. James Patterson 6 years. Norah Roberts 4 years. No one writer became a lasting success without putting in years of work to get there.

Bottom line for this is: You have the making of a good story. Now get out there and learn how to write it so people will be clamoring to buy it. Don't give up. Learn the craft and have fun with it. Start with Writing excuses. They have 15 min podcasts that come out on Wed. Get the PLot dot or Writing for Dummies and start there. Work on it and you'll do well. Being a beginner, you had more of a plot than I did with my first try. We've all been where you are now.

Let me know if there is anything specific you need. I'm willing to help, understanding the frustration and the I-can't-do-this feeling.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

B.A. wrote: "My first try read like I was writing a nursing note. "

My first novel was written at age eleven. I co-authored with another kid my age. It was hand written, in pencil, on lined paper with crappy illustrations. The story was far too rushed, there were too many characters, and there was nothing resembling a real plot. We made up this character, a bit of a sissy kid who had lived a horrible, sheltered life, and we spent a hundred plus pages torturing this boy with one bizarre evil teacher or bully after another. Yet, he always came out of every situation completely ignorant that everyone hated him.

Dumbest book ever written.

[M.L.]

Akindle,

The positives are: I could read your story, I knew what it was about, what you were saying. I can't say that about all published works (I've read some that are gibberish and have glowing five star reviews. Go figure), so publishing isn't everything.

[Allyssa]

M.L. wrote: "Akindle,

The positives are: I could read your story, I knew what it was about, what you were saying. I can't say that about all published works (I've read some that are gibberish and have glowing ..."

Thanks. I thought that all published works with 5 star reviews were much better than mine. How did those books get 5 stars?

[Lyvita]

It’s not about what others are doing or have. Each story and author have a different voice that speak to a different set of readers, as do you. Please, don’t compare yourself to others, because that will stop you from allowing those who need to hear your voice hear it. Concentrate on doing your part. Your voice and writing is unique and your readers are waiting to hear, but they want if you give up. “Quitting isn’t an Option.”
Take a breath then get back to writing and your cover design.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Akindle wrote: "Thanks. I thought that all published works with 5 star reviews were much better than mine. How did those books get 5 stars?"

Ratings and reviews are nothing but personal opinions. Don't let the ratings on another book sidetrack you. Focus on your own writing and when you are ready, publish something. You'll probably get some five star ratings, too. And some three stars. And one stars... we all get them.

[Allyssa]

Thanks. I guess I won’t quit trying to work on my draft 1/part one of the story.

[B.A.]

Akindle,

Good choice. You do have the beginnings of a good story. As I said before, it takes time to learn writing. No one gets it with one draft or even two or three. You'll get there.

[Allyssa]

That makes me feel better.