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Sometimes, a cover just smacks you across the face with its tone-deafness before you’ve even processed the title. Skeletons & Scandals promises a cozy mystery romp, but what we get is an illustrated cat that looks like it wandered in from a low-budget Saturday...
Every cozy mystery fan knows the formula: quirky title, quaint small-town vibes, a cat thrown in for good measure. But what happens when that formula is stirred with a paintbrush from Clipart Hell and taped together with a DIY window frame? You get Crooks and Nannies,...
Strap in, because Biker on the Hill just skidded off the road straight into Microsoft ClipArt territory, and the wreckage is spectacular. This cover claims to be “a standalone motorcycle club romance novella,” but the only thing it stands alone in is looking like a...
Some covers say danger. Some covers say power. And then some covers scream “I discovered neon glow effects in Photoshop and absolutely refused to stop.” Welcome to Bratva Warriors, a design that feels less like gritty mob drama and more like a Soviet karaoke night...
Sometimes, a cover comes along that’s less fantasy epic and more AI cosplay convention flyer gone rogue. Enter Darkstocking, the debut of Codex Tenebris, Book One — a title that sounds mysterious until you realize the execution looks like it was generated by a very...
With a title like Dark Stars, you expect vast galaxies, shadowy constellations, maybe even a little cosmic dread. Instead, this cover serves us… grandma’s brooch floating in a fog machine. Somewhere, a star system weeps. Front and center is an oversized pendant that...
Some covers grab you with passion, others with drama, and then there are covers that sit you down in a pair of blue Adirondack chairs and hand you a mason jar full of seasonal confusion. Love’s Harvest wants to be cozy and charming, but instead it looks like a tourism...
Piccadilly Publishing is back at it again, reminding us that when authors run their own publishing company, you don’t always get creative freedom—you sometimes get graphic design held hostage by clipart and cowboy clichés. Four Graves in Shiloh tries very hard to be...
There are bad covers, and then there are covers that feel like they were built entirely out of free clipart, WordArt, and stock photo leftovers. Curvy Nanny for the Cougar is one of those covers. Front and center, we have our hero — a perfectly nice-looking guy in a...
Some covers promise magic. Some promise romance. And some, like this disasterpiece, promise a Photoshop migraine served with a side of greasy paranormal fries. Witched and Hitched in Seattle is less “bewitching love story” and more “mid-tier sitcom promo poster made...
Some covers whisper magic, some hint at mystery, and some… just look like the entire inventory of a craft store sneezed all over a stock fantasy backdrop. Amber Moon: Secrets, Ink and Firelight falls firmly into the third category. First, let’s address the peacock...
Cozy mysteries usually hit a sweet spot: charming, a little cheeky, with a hint of menace tucked under the teapot cozies. Deadly Village, however, skips charm entirely and dives straight into cartoon clipart purgatory, where all suspense goes to die. Front and center...
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.”