My Waking Late trilogy is almost done. It started with SLEEPING DUTY, the story of a space marine trapped on a lost medieval colony planet. OUT OF THE DELL continues the story, and now the third one, LIKE A CONTINENTAL SOLDIER, is with its final beta reader.
This means I’ve started working with my fabulous cover artist Phil Smith on the cover itself. In a case of an embarrassment of riches, he provided two sketches–with typography placeholders–that I love. I love them so much I can’t decide between them, so I thought I’d ask for a little reader feedback. This will be a very scientific survey, but the question I have is a crass marketing question: which one would you click on first?
Keep in mind that these are sketches, so they will ultimately acquire that sterling clarity that Phil achieves in his work. The two compositions create different moods, but which is more alluring?
This first one, which I will imaginatively name The Blue One, features the main 
character. Gilead Tan is a former space marine, which Phil showcases with the powered armor. Nwwwlf’s two moons, Luna and Deimos, are visible on the back cover to signal that we aren’t on Earth anymore. And the fonts, which will likely evolve before finalization, match the first two books. The smudgy things are an army’s tents, and we can see smoke because someone is firing a musket or two without regard to gun safety down amongst the tents.
The second one named–you guessed it–The Brown One, also features Gilead in his powered armor. We have to 
rely on that armor alone to transmit the proper science fiction signals to the reader’s eyeballs, since the scene is inside Fort Stampo, where we can’t see the double moons. This one shows the different technology levels available on Nwwwlf. We’ve got swords, muskets, and rifles. Alas, the powered armor is long gone, taken, no doubt, in the early days of the settlement by the Marss for the greater good of everyone but the actual owners.
If you let me know in the comments which you think more appealing, I’d be ever so grateful.
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I prefer the second one. I had a greater emotional response to it. Good luck.
Thanks!
Second one…facing to the right, facing the future…
Cool. Thanks. (And, I’ve always wondered what direction the future was.)
I’ll be the odd voice out. The Blue One “pops” more at a thumbnail size and would grab my attention first, while the details of the weapons in the second one would likely get lost at that size.
The Blue One has more sense of “hope” to me, too, which is a tone and mood I always felt while reading the first two books, whatever the odds and however bad the situation became. The second one gives me a “last stand” kind of feeling — which may be more fitting for the third book, I don’t know!
And I won’t say, of course. 🙂
These are good thoughts. Thanks for sharing them!
I completely agree. Blue is immediately eye catching. The 2 moons make a definitive science fiction statement, whereas I see the SciFi aspect being lost, and washed out because of little contrast in a more washed out brown cover. Very little real contrast in the brown cover.
I love that you’re keeping the font.
I like the 2nd (Gray tone) cover. I find it more “gritty” than the blue.
Sorry – I meant to say Brown. (Want to make sure I vote properly!)
Thank you for amending your statement.
🙂
And for your vote!
The blue cover matched the other books in the trilogy better.
Chris is right about the facing direction, depending on the layering, you might be able to flip and move the figure.
I agree on the direction, and we’re planning to have him face right regardless of which cover is chosen.