Latest Cover Design - Rogue Retrieval

I haven't had a lot of time for arting, which is frustrating and makes me a little sad - but I have had a lot of writing and publishing happen, so I can live with that. This month I created a cover for my latest novella, Rogue Retrieval.

I sourced my picture components from Dreamstime.com, and found a good science-fiction style corridor by Savagerus, and another shot of the girl I've been using to represent Cutter, from Yekophotostudio. Those links are above.

I also used GIMP to compile the cover.

Step 1: This never varies. I create the base with the font and layout I'm using to brand C.M. Simpson's fiction.

Step 2: I find a background, in this case Savagerus's corridor, and position it on the cover.

Step 3: I isolate my female lead from her background, using the Outline and Cut functions in GIMP, and import it as a layer into the cover file... and then I use GIMP's Flip feature to face her the other way.

Step 4: I resize the background, and then trim the image so that nothing is hanging off the edges (even though it can't really be seen; it's just tidy, and I like tidy).

Step 5: I use the Erase tool in GIMP to remove the pieces of background that give the female character a light-coloured outline, in an attempt to make the two pictures seem to be one.

Step 6: I save the final cover.

Latest Cover Design - Miguel Unmade

The first cover of the year is done and dusted and even approved... funny that.

It features original art from PhilCold at Dreamstime.

And words by me.

As you can see from the cover steps below, it was a simple cover to create, and the art work is what makes it.

Step 1: Update the short story template to the desired title and sub-title:

Step 2: Choose your art, resize, and position it so that you achieve the best effect for your cover. (Note: not all of Phil's original art can be seen here; you'll have to go to Dreamstime to check it out.)