Short Story Cover Help

[NathanBurrows]

Hi all. I’m struggling for ideas on a cover for a short story anthology I’m thinking of putting together for a reader magnet. The problem is that the stories are all pretty diverse - the only real common theme is that they’re all UK based. For example, there’s a speculative piece about the end of the world, a short about a serial killer, and one with a man struggling with DNA results on his son.

Anyone got any ideas? I’m really struggling!

[Cathleen]

An anthology or collection doesn't have to have a cover that's relevant to all the stories. So I'd pick either your favorite tale or the one with the best graphic and use that.

However, if I'd bought that book thinking it was spec fic and then it turned out that was true of only one tale in the collection, I'd be annoyed. I don't leave critical reviews, but many reviewers don't feel bound by this scruple. Something to consider, perhaps.

[WasAnn]

A collection with a varied theme is hard, simply because they don't really belong in a collection. LOL.

BUT, when it's a reader magnet, then there's no expectation that a theme will bind them. It's supposed to be a diverse look at your writing and possibly an intro to different series you write.

In that case, and only if you're not going to put it anywhere but your reader magnet newsletter thingie, then make three distinct (but easy) covers that show the genre of each story. Put them in an array or spread on a simple, non-genre, cover so that they're the showpiece.

I've done it that way, and it works.

[Simon Haynes]

I faced the same problem with my collection, which has sf/fantasy/horror/comedy shorts.  I ended up picking a piece of cover art which sort of doubles as SF and fantasy.

Yours sounds even more diverse, though. Maybe a collection of objects related to the stories, a bit like the 1970's Agatha Christie covers?

[CoraBuhlert]

I'm afraid I can't help, because all of my collections so far have at least been in the same genre, if not on the same theme.

But mixed genre collections and anthologies often tend to go for covers showing books or people reading.

[The Doctor]

Hi all. I’m struggling for ideas on a cover for a short story anthology I’m thinking of putting together for a reader magnet. The problem is that the stories are all pretty diverse - the only real common theme is that they’re all UK based. For example, there’s a speculative piece about the end of the world, a short about a serial killer, and one with a man struggling with DNA results on his son.

Anyone got any ideas? I’m really struggling!

Nathan, what about a cool illustrated 'weather' map of Blighty, but instead of clouds over london/snow over bristol, etc, have a small image connected to each/some of your stories? For the serial killer one, you could have a silhouette of a knife over the area the story is set in.

Just my initial thoughts. Feel free to ignore. 

[NathanBurrows]

Thanks all. I’ve gone with a fairly generic cover with a coffee cup on it - the idea being that the shorts are ideal to read over a cup of coffee. It’ll do - for now. I’m no cover designer - obviously!!



Love the Blighty map idea though - thanks Doc! I might well come back to this one.

[Astrid Torquay]

That looks good!

Generic or abstract is good for diverse anthology -- I'm not any kind of cover designer, so I would have looked at the pre-mades on offer by a cover designer I like and chosen whatever inspired me.

[idontknowyet]

I really love your cover simple and well done.

[CoraBuhlert]

That's a very nice cover. Simple, but eye-catching