I’ve done a little dabbling with Photoshop, just to get some of my thoughts for the cover design of Chionophobia down. I’m aiming for something very white, with the school building in the background and a schoolboy face down in the snow in the foreground.
Another element I wanted to incorporate was the words “HELP 700 NEED FOOD” written on the lawn. A friend pointed out that the most prominent thing on the help message is the word “food,” which looks a bit daft and conveys about as much drama as a loaf of bread. So, I’ve used a little artistic licence and shortened the message to simply “HELP.” I’ve also splashed some red (the colour of danger) into the design, because all that white looked very stark and depressing.
It may not be good to judge a book by its cover, but the cover is exactly what makes people lift it off shelf. I think I’m starting off in the right direction.
Darryl Sloan 