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Some covers try to lure you in with mystery. Some go for spectacle. And then there’s Within and Without Time, which looks like a theology student fed “Book of Revelation fanfiction with a steampunk twist” into an AI generator and called it a day. The first problem...
Guilds & Gallows – When Your Dragon Refuses to Match the Lighting If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a stock photo dragon, a pair of cosplay enthusiasts, and the ruins of a European city all meet in the darkest corners of Photoshop, behold: Guilds &...
If chaos had a design intern, The Book of Chaos would be their first—and possibly last—project. This cover is trying so hard to be mysterious and arcane, but instead lands somewhere between "ancient artifact" and "corporate logo for a startup that sells steampunk...
Sometimes, a book cover growls. Sometimes it roars. And then sometimes, it just flexes a torso so aggressively close to the camera that you start wondering if you accidentally opened a dermatologist’s before-and-after ad. Welcome to Beast, a cover that mistakes...
If you've ever wondered what it would look like if a therapy session, a motivational poster, and a church pamphlet had a meltdown and decided to express themselves through cover art—wonder no more. Why Are You Angry at God? answers that question with the subtlety of a...
Ah yes, Bad Beginnings—a title so self-aware, it’s practically the cover’s only honest feature. This paranormal spectacle looks like it was forged in the glowing green fires of genre cliché hell, summoned by AI, and then blessed by the holy trinity of overblown...
Somewhere in the depths of a fantasy-themed stock photo dungeon, a shirtless male model whispered, “What if Merlin… but hot?” And thus, Ignition was born—a blazing tribute to glowing orbs, shredded henleys, and the unholy power of poorly composited lava. Let’s start...
Somewhere in the deepest recesses of a Photoshop tutorial gone wrong, Dead Before Dawn was born. It emerged fully loaded with lens flares, flaming gradients, and a guy holding a gun like he’s ready to star in Die Hard: The Free eBook Version. If you’ve ever wondered...
At first glance, Victor’s Blessing looks like it might be a romance. Or a ghost story. Or a regional tourism brochure for haunted wetlands. In reality, it’s a full-blown design séance—a tragic attempt to summon emotions through soft gradients, barely-there couples,...
There’s a special place in the digital underworld where rejected MMORPG character renders go to sulk—and apparently, it’s the cover of Fractured Hope. Two moody models pose in what can only be described as a magical parking lot outside the Arc de Generic, armed with...
Nothing says “life-changing marriage advice” like a lonely skeleton key lying dramatically on a wooden floor. Unspoken Truths: The Secrets of Marriage Nobody Tells You may promise deep revelations, but this cover screams, “I found this image by searching ‘symbolism’...
At last—a book cover that’s as thrilling as watching paint dry in a gentle breeze. Vanilla Island is the kind of visual experience that makes you forget what emotions are. It’s not just bland. It’s not just beige. It’s existentially flavorless. Front and center, we...
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.”