Unofficial SPFBOX Cover Contest

Are you ready for a low-effort blog post? Time to judge some book covers from SPFBOX.

First, lets layout my qualifications: none. I don't have an art degree. I am not a visual artist. I don't even have particularly good taste. All I am is a reader and an author who likes looking at pretty pictures on book covers.

For those of you who don't know what SPFBOX is, the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off is a competition started by the illustrious author, Mark Lawrence. This year marks the tenth annual competition. 300 books enter, 10 go to finals, one wins. But the real question on everyone's mind is, which cover does James Dulin like the best.

For the purposes of this highly scientific process, we must have a method. I am using Zack Argyle's website in which he layouts out all the covers by blog team they are assigned to. I will go through the 30 books assigned to each blog, then pick one from each. There may or may not be a method to my choices.

Don't judge a book by it's cover...blah, blah, blah. We all know it's bullshit. Otherwise we wouldn't spend so much effort on them. The artists who create these wonderful works are a celebrated part of the indie community.

Without any further adieu.

Fantasy Faction

This first selection has a few standout covers, but one told a complete story with beautiful elements. Every time I look at this cover, I find more details, which makes the art more interesting.

Selection

The Elements of Time by Sam Paisley

Cover Design by Jeff Brown

Fantasy Book Critic

When you look through indie books, especially indie books in the same genre, they can start to look very similar because those elements are foundational to the genre. Some books take a swing against the conventions. It’s risky, but when it lands, you get beautiful art.

Selection

Mercy by Ian Haramaki

Art by Soren Haxen

Lynn's Books + The Critiquing Chemist

A character on a cover with a background is fairly standard in fantasy books. It’s hard to give personality and movement to characters in a static image. When an artist can capture that, the cover will capture readers.

Selection

Under an Azure Sky by Wil Chan

Art by Razafindrazaha Mijoro Teddy

The Weatherwax Report

Many artists and authors pull from anime. It can come off looking cartoonish, which works for some books. However, this book has one foot firmly in anime perfectly balanced with the other in a painterly fantasy feel. It's beautiful.

Selection

Hyperborea by E.M. Zolotor

Art by Rodrigo Rizo

Before We Go Blog

Scale can be hard to communicate in a cover. This book manages to create atmosphere and scale that screams dark and epic.

Selection

Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel

Art by Nino

Queen’s Book Asylum

Sometimes you have to say fuck the analysis and go with the warrior bear.

Selection

Primal Fury by Noel Traver

Art by MiblArt

Philip Chase

I love detailed illustrations. They have they’re place. So do more minimalist designs. This cover communicates so much with the silhouette of a few trees in wonderful composition. The small details tell an even deeper story.

Selection

When Shadows Fall by Lindy Enns

Art by MiblArt

Cover with Cassidy

There is a reason why some designs stand the test of time. They have the feel and the mood of a genre. This book feels like dark Tolkien, and I’m into it.

Selection

Haelend’s Ballad by Ian V. Conrey

Art by Jeni Hudson

Kitty G Books

Covers tell a story, and this one tells me this book is going to be hilarious. We could all use some more of that in our lives.

Selection

Death and the Taxman by David Hankins

Art by Sarah Morrison

Captured in Words

The silhouette cutout graphic with an illustration inside can get a bit played out. But I love it when it works. It works for me here.

Selection

Dragon Thief by Blake and Raven Penn

Art by Rylee Witbeck

There are many beautiful covers that didn't end up on my list. They may have ended up on yours. Again, I remind you, I am not good at this.

"But ten winners? That's no fun. We want the best on," say the tens of readers who made it this far.

I agree. Here are my top three before I announce my favorite and therefore the objectively best cover.

Disclaimer: I have not read any of these books. I am simply looking at pretty pictures.

Mercy by Ian Haramaki

Art by Soren Haxen

Hyperborea by E.M. Zolotor

Art by Rodrigo Rizo

Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel

Art by Nino

And the winning author/artist, who for legal reasons I am obliged to note win absolutely nothing, is...

Hyperborea by E.M. Zolotor

Art by Rodrigo Rizo

Please check out all of these books, and to the 300 authors competing, good luck!