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There’s something almost poetic about the title Better Angels—because the only thing divine on this cover is the level of chaos. This is not a book cover. This is what happens when your sci-fi dream collides with a 2005 desktop background and loses. Let’s begin with...
If nightmares could hire a freelance designer, Sweet Gruesome Dreams would be the result. This cover isn’t scary because of its subject matter — it’s terrifying because of its design decisions. Let’s start with the construction. This isn’t one cohesive image; it’s a...
This cover is called The Substitute Wife, but the only thing being substituted here is graphic design… with vibes. Let’s start with the floating torsos, because they deserve a moment. Up top, we have a muscular man posed like he’s about to pitch you a protein powder...
If Gentlemen’s Game is about class, power, and high-stakes drama, then this cover is the equivalent of showing up to a black-tie gala in Crocs and a wrinkled poncho. Nothing says "refined intrigue" quite like a random grayscale photo of dirty hands and a maroon...
This cover is called Extremes, and frankly, that’s appropriate—because we’ve just witnessed an extreme lapse in design judgment. Strap in, because this sci-fi crime scene is crashing harder than Windows 95 on a dial-up connection. Let’s start at the top, literally,...
This cover may be titled Luminous, but visually, it’s about as radiant as a broken LED bulb in a dentist’s waiting room. If ever a book cover begged to be mistaken for an outdated screensaver or a freshman year computer graphics project, this is it. Front and center,...
If you’ve ever wandered through a dollar store and stumbled across a stack of notebooks labeled “Dream Journal” with a blurry forest on the front, congratulations — you’ve already experienced the visual essence of Wildwood. Let’s start with the image. Or rather, the...
If the goal of this cover was to make people blink twice and question every life choice that led them to this moment—mission accomplished. Let's start with the title. It comes at you like a fever dream. Lesbian Stalker Pet Trains Her Roommate’s Best Friend isn’t just...
Desert? Check. Giant disembodied woman’s face? Check. Wooden galleon ship awkwardly squatting on a set of inexplicably tiny wagon wheels like a Renaissance Faire gone rogue? Absolutely. Welcome to Slave to the Wheel, a visual mystery wrapped in a design disaster,...
Ah yes, The Power of Softness — nothing says inner healing and body-mind restoration quite like two floating humans possibly drowning in a ripple-textured void of Photoshop despair. Let’s start with the obvious: the cover promises softness, healing, pulsing, and some...
Some covers whisper failure. This one clicks its mandibles, screeches in bug-language, and tunnels straight into the deepest depths of DIY design hell. The Termite Queen, Volume Two: The Wound That Has No Healing doesn’t just stumble over the line of good taste—it...
Somewhere between a cosmic karaoke bar and a fanfiction fever dream, this cover dared to ask the question no one needed answered: “What if a fantasy romance novel was also a rejected poster for a Eurovision sci-fi musical?” Welcome to I Dated the Lost Song, where...
A Note to Authors Featured Here
The purpose of Horrible Covers is not only to critique but also to highlight how much cover design matters to a book’s success. Many authors set out with the best intentions but end up with covers that don’t reflect the quality of their writing — sometimes because they tried to do it themselves, sometimes because they relied on someone who wasn’t a professional cover designer.
We understand how frustrating that can be.
Our aim is simple: to help writers put their best work forward with cover art that does justice to the story inside. If you’ve been featured here and are ready to level up your presentation, reach out through our contact form and mention “Horrible Covers Author.”