Bookcover feedback - Magical Cozy Mystery

Southpaw

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I like that it's obviously in the series.

My only suggestions are to make that blue gradient smooth. It can go dark to light then to dark again but right now the line in the middle is clunky.

I know you need a contrast color for the cupcake to pop but mint green isn't quite right. Maybe a darker green (like palm or sea green). I also suggest removing the chocolate chips and adding a hibiscus (maybe red)--not a huge one, but more along the lines of the: https://i.pinimg.com/236x/ea/f5/5a/...a367dc--hawaii-cupcakes-tropical-cupcakes.jpg.
 
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kevinwaynewilliams

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While I'm not a great fan of the concept, I will say that you shouldn't get too stuck on having the cat's head in exactly the same position on every book in the series. You could have it poke in from a different side or corner in each volume and it would still maintain the series appearance.
 

avekevin

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I'm not familiar with cozy mysteries, but the cover reads very young to me. My grade school daughter would flock to the book because of the cat alone.
 

Sabrina Hartford

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@narmowen, @Jan74, @Southpaw, @kevinwaynewilliams, @avekevin

Thank you so much for your feedback. It has been a big help.

I wish I could have found a cupcake like the one Southpaw suggested as that is excellent. Sadly it isn't on stock sites. I found one that had a smaller flower, so I recolored it pink to make it more tropical.





I think it looks much better now. It still looks a bit off, but I think I would probably have to rethink the concept to fix that.


I'm not familiar with cozy mysteries, but the cover reads very young to me. My grade school daughter would flock to the book because of the cat alone.

A lot of Cosy Mysteries look very cute. They often have beautifully hand drawn paintings of the pet and heroine. E.g.:
81lO47DdGkL._SL500_UX300_PJku-sticker-v7,TopRight,0,-50_OU01__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR107,160_.jpg
91QEzPtMjvL._SL500__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR100,160_.jpg
91vCA44-6yL._SL500_UX300_PJku-sticker-v7,TopRight,0,-50_OU01__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR100,160_.jpg


However, I don’t have the budget to commission an artist!
 
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avekevin

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A lot of Cosy Mysteries look very cute. They often have beautifully hand drawn paintings of the pet and heroine. E.g.:
81lO47DdGkL._SL500_UX300_PJku-sticker-v7,TopRight,0,-50_OU01__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR107,160_.jpg
91QEzPtMjvL._SL500__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR100,160_.jpg
91vCA44-6yL._SL500_UX300_PJku-sticker-v7,TopRight,0,-50_OU01__BG0,0,0,0_FMpng_SR100,160_.jpg


However, I don’t have the budget to commission an artist!

Looking at your examples, you seem very much on-genre.

One more observation: When I first looked at the cover, I didn't see a beach initially. I thought I was looking at a 3 colored cover until I saw mention of a tropical scene.

You might consider using an image with a little more dimension.

Something similar to this:

shoreline-wave-10889301.jpg


I'm sure you are trying to stay uncluttered, but I find the background too flat.

Kevin
 

Curlz

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I think it looks much better now. It still looks a bit off...
I'm not a reader of cozies but if I saw this on a bookshelf, I'd pick it up. It's cute and catchy, you just want to have it in your hands! :Jump:At least in the current size, I don't see anything "off".