Tag Archives: Writing

The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation Book Cover Concept

It seems like it was ages ago that I said I was working on the ‘final’ edits for The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation, but the truth is I’m still sweating away at it. Every time I read it I see something new. Largely they’re things that could be left, like a few commas too many (I love my commas), but even so I’m still finding the odd spelling or grammar mistake, and it’s driving me nuts. I’ve edited it myself a dozen times, had it edited by a good friend, and I’m starting to consider whether or not I might want to outsource before publishing, just in case. The big problem is being able to afford it.

Anyway, along with the text editing comes a second difficulty, and that’s the cover artwork. I was discussing this with a friend who thought she might be able to whip something up, but in the end she was a little too busy, which I understand completely. I am by no means an artist, but I’ve done my best to come up with something passable. I’d really like some feedback on this, and/or advice on where and how to get a really good cover illustration. My publishing company will offer cover design, but I’m restricted to two stock photos, and I’m not impressed with the selection they have to choose from.

Here’s what I’ve created so far, with my meagre Photoshop skills:

Rough draft for the front cover of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation

Rough draft for the front cover of The Redemption of Erâth: Consolation

It’s essentially two photos of my own, with a hand-drawn sketch of a wolf with red eyes layered on top. I threw a watercolor filter over the top of it all to try and gel it together so it’s not so obviously fudged. For me it’s pretty damn good, but I think it’s a far sight from being publishable.

Ultimately the cover wouldn’t even have to be in this form of layout; the key elements are moorland, dark clouds and a fierund from the book (huge beast wolves with glowing red eyes). This is simply the best my limited imagination and skill can come up with.

What do you think? Would you buy that if you saw it on the shelf, or would you pass it by as something utterly amateurish?

And if you laughed at the cover, just wait until you read my dust jacket blurb!

Poems: Nonentity

Satis Featured Image.005

Nonentity

July 2, 2007~

~

I am a sociopathic entity.

 ~

~

A channel for the thoughts and words

that are not mine,

and leave no trace.

 ~

A conscious with a conscience.

 ~

A vessel for the inconsequential,

detrital components

of a human society

beyond the grasp of redemption.

 ~

 ~

 ~

Disconnection

between sight

and mind,

hand and thought;

weeping utterly fails

to bear me any relevance,

and my laughter is a mocking shadow –

a chameleonic parody

of the insensate culture

that bore and  now surrounds me.

 ~

 ~

The concept of meaning,

the thought of another’s

thought

– life –

these things a ghost of recollection,

a memory too threadbare to discern.

 ~

I see living, breathing shells,

hosts of emptiness,

pass around me and out of sight;

I cower into corners

and smile convincingly out of the dark.

~

 ~

My weaknesses in flesh

and state of mind

collapse in on me,

and my beliefs

and confidence

and surety of sanity

collapse in on me,

and my negligible awareness

of the matters that go on all around

and mean so much

to such smallness in the eagerly oblivious minds here and there;

collapses, too,

and I long feebly to withdraw

into the self-contained (centred) safety of black,

but cannot.

 ~

 ~

I am incapable of passion,

of emotion,

of sympathy and empathy,

of deviltry

or constancy.

 ~

Love, life, lust,

anguish – all rust.

Alien tongue,

and distasteful in my mouth.

 ~

 ~

 ~

 ~

Watch me stare

don’t blink;

I am a sociopathic (non)entity,

and I am ruinous.

~

Satis Logo with ©

The Redemption of Erâth: Map of Consolation – Updated

Based on feedback I received on the map of Consolation, I’ve updated it to improve both the layout and the shading. One of the things that was pointed out was that the shading of the map of Thaeìn was very austere and minimal – more or less black and white. I updated the mountains on the map of Consolation to match this, as well as repositioning them to match up with the position of the mountains on the larger-scale map of Thaeìn. I also cleared some of the unnecessary detail like hills (that I didn’t think looked particularly convincing anyway) and trees, leaving just the main forests behind.

I’d love your further feedback on this again!

Map of Consolation

Map of Consolation