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What the Cowboy Wants (Apparently Not a Realistic Cover) There’s nothing inherently wrong with a cowboy romance. In fact, it’s one of the most reliable tropes in the romance genre. But What the Cowboy Wants delivers a cover so squeaky clean it looks less like “Montana...
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine NASA stock photos, early-2000s Photoshop filters, and the design sensibilities of a PowerPoint slide deck, look no further than Time-Travel Tales. This cover doesn’t just whisper “self-published”—it screams it...
Bought Deceit – When Stock Photos Break Free (But Not Really) Sometimes a book cover doesn’t scream horrible because of neon fonts, cartoon cats with skulls, or AI angels dancing on timepieces. No, sometimes it’s horrible because it decided to take the shortcut to...
Sometimes a cover doesn’t just miss the mark — it overshoots the solar system, bounces off the moon, and crash-lands in the syllabus of a freshman biology class. Enter Milijun, a book that promises alien interaction but delivers what looks suspiciously like a...
Some covers pull you into a mystical world full of intrigue and shadowy fortune-telling. Witch of the Cards, however, pulls you straight into the clearance aisle of a craft store where Photoshop filters go to die. Let’s start with our witch. She’s been smoothed,...
In the Devil’s Arms – Or in the Discount Wig Section? Every so often, a romance cover comes along that makes you squint, tilt your head, and ask: “Is this passion… or is this just two exhausted models forced into an uncomfortable pose for $25 and a ham sandwich?”...
Every once in a while, a book cover comes along that looks less like a publishing effort and more like a promotional flyer for your cousin’s ill-fated garage band. Waiting for a Star is that cover — the visual equivalent of a karaoke night gone so wrong that the crowd...
Here we go, folks. A book cover that doesn’t just whisper “budget,” it full-on confesses it. Right out loud. Let’s start with the most glaring issue: the missing head. Nothing says mystery like a tuxedo that’s been abandoned by the human who was supposed to be inside...
Stacked for Murder — Or Just Stacked for Discount Office Supplies? Some covers whisper mystery. Some covers drip with menace. And then we have Stacked for Murder, which dribbles what looks suspiciously like strawberry pancake syrup across a knife and calls it a day....
Some book covers whisper mystery. Some beckon you with atmosphere. And then there’s Labyrinth of Shadows, which kicks open the door, shoves a wolf with red LED eyes in your face, and screams “BUY ME, I’M SPOOKY!” Subtlety has clearly been left for dead in the haunted...
When you first look at Vita Aeterna, you might think: “Oh, a gritty dystopian epic!” But then the longer you stare, the more it feels like a college freshman’s final project for “Intro to Digital Art” where the assignment was “make Blade Runner but on a budget.” Let’s...
Behold, dear readers, a cover that proves sometimes fantasy doesn’t soar on dragon wings—it stumbles face-first into the nearest citronella lamp. The title promises Sigils of Malice, but what we get instead is a glowing blue beetle who looks like he escaped from the...
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.”