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Every once in a while, a book cover comes along that doesn’t just whisper “bad design” — it kicks down the door, throws itself on the floor, and wails it at the top of its lungs. Signed Confessions by Tom Walker is one of those covers. It’s part visual confession,...
There are bad book covers, and then there’s I Wore Heels to the Apocalypse, a watercolor fever dream where fashion meets the end times and neither one survives. This cover looks like it was painted on the back of a diner placemat during the world’s most confusing art...
There are book covers that make you curious, book covers that make you smile… and then there’s Bobby Massey and Team Bazzare, a cover that makes you question reality itself. It’s as if someone challenged a high school art class to illustrate a fever dream using only...
Some covers quietly miss the mark. Others vault over it, do a backflip, and land somewhere deep in the uncanny valley. The Temptation of John Haynes belongs in that latter category—a fearless hand-drawn journey into whatever happens when ambition, crayons, and...
Some book covers whisper romance. Some scream passion.And then there’s Love Laws, which sort of mumbles “I made this in art class, and my teacher said it had potential.” This isn’t just a bad romance cover — it’s a full emotional journey rendered in watercolor and...
There are bad fantasy covers, and then there’s Voluspa: A Magical World — a fever dream painted in gradient orange and existential regret. It’s the kind of cover that makes you stop scrolling, not because it’s good, but because your brain needs a moment to process...
Every so often, a book cover comes along that perfectly captures the spirit of its title — just not in the way it intended. Unity in Service is a shining example of what happens when patriotism and PowerPoint get a little too cozy. Let’s start with the star of the...
There’s a special place in design limbo reserved for covers like Minding the Brain — the kind that desperately want to look intellectual but end up looking like a motivational poster for neurons. This book promises a deep dive into neuroscience and psychotherapy. What...
Every once in a while, a cover comes along that captures the true spirit of corporate despair so perfectly you almost have to respect it. The Auditors isn’t just a bad cover — it’s a visual audit of everything wrong with self-published design. Let’s start with the...
There are bad covers that offend the eye, and then there are bad covers that offend geometry, anatomy, and logic. The Best Cadet manages to do all three while still looking like a brochure you’d get at an underfunded leadership seminar. Right away, you’re greeted by...
Some covers try to tell a story. American Ground tries to tell a data set. Here it is — a neon-green, heatmap-from-hell rendition of what looks like either downtown Manhattan or the sonar scan of a coral reef. For a book with the subtitle “Unbuilding the World Trade...
Some book covers whisper, some shout — and then there’s The Guardian, which calmly jogs up beside you and says, “Hey, I’m not that bad,” before revealing it’s wearing five different fonts and a mildly confused expression. At first glance, it looks professional: a...
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.”