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Today, we look at a masterclass in WTF design: The Fifth Wife by Morgan Blayde. It’s not just a book cover—it’s a cry for help wrapped in Photoshop smoke effects. Let’s begin with the title: The Fifth Wife. Bold. Direct. So direct, in fact, it bypasses nuance and...
“Is this historical fiction or a seasonal horror?”We weren’t sure either. When you first glance at My Mother’s Friend, you might think you're stepping into a poignant World War II drama–or possibly a retelling of The Polar Express told from the perspective of a jaded...
Ever wondered what happens when your book cover accidentally renders as a filename in a broken Dropbox sync? Enter: _SHIFT, the debut in what we assume is a sci-fi series and not a productivity app tutorial. Right out of the gate, the underscore in the title begs the...
Imagine walking into a dimly lit bookstore, mist curling at your ankles, when this cover slaps your eyeballs with the force of a flashlight beam at 3 a.m. Ladies and gentlemen, Tangled Darkness has arrived – and it brought every available shade of traffic-cone orange...
Ah, The Last Snapshot. A title that suggests intrigue, memory, and a touch of nostalgia. But don't be fooled – the only thing you'll remember is the graphic design-induced migraine it leaves behind. First Impressions: A Design by Committee (and All of Them Were Drunk)...
When Your Revolution Looks Like a Screensaver We’re not sure what Rod Lingsch’s vision of a “New Golden Era” looks like, but judging by this cover, it involves patriotic stock photography, a sunset from 2003, and an overwhelming sense of... nothing. Let’s start with...
Some covers whisper mystery. Others scream suspense. But The Author and the Prosecutor? It bellows “Courtroom Drama!” with the subtlety of a bullhorn in a library — if the library were hosting an amateur Photoshop competition. First, we need to talk about the...
Just when we thought we’d seen it all, Dungeon Crawler Carl Book VI catapulted itself into the upper atmosphere of WTF cover design. This is not a book cover — it's a graphic design migraine with delusions of grandeur. Let's dive in. What’s Going On? There’s a man....
Another Cozy Mystery Cover That's a Little Too Cozy Sometimes a cozy mystery cover wraps you in a warm blanket of charm and intrigue. And sometimes… it wraps you in clip art and questionable font choices. Today’s entry is brought to you by the fine folks who...
Blood, Thunder, and a Whole Lotta What the Hell There’s vintage… and then there’s "a skeleton fondling a crystal ball while a busty blonde looks confused and a villain in the back prepares to shank someone" vintage. Welcome to the chaotic pulp energy of Blood ’N’...
This cover looks like it was designed by someone who couldn’t decide whether the book takes place on Earth, in deep space, or inside a motivational poster from 2009. The purple nebula haze overlays everything like a fog of confusion—appropriate, given that the genre...
What do you get when you cross a gremlin, a pizzeria, and a 1950s housewife in fishnets? Apparently, you get Gremlin for a Groom, a book that dares to answer the question no one was asking: What if your grandfather’s stolen WWII fairy hammer led to a cursed...
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.”