Since so many of us are creating our own covers, I think it’s helpful to see what we’re competing against.

Here are some of my favorite covers for this month. These are covers I happened to take notice of this month, not necessarily those released this month.

What do you think about these?

I love the whimsical look of this one, the colors, and the way the graphics stand out against others in this genre.

What are these kids up to? How long of a joyride did they take? Where are they now, as they look up at the stars? These are some of the questions I have just by looking at this title, at knowing nothing else about the book besides the impression I get from looking at the cover. The fact that the cover has raised questions makes it a good one. Someone would pick this up and read more.

The colorful nature of this cover first pulls me in, then I get a glimpse of what the story might be like. The swirls and light tell me there is some fantasy involved, like a fable that will happily reveal to me a new character I can read about and enjoy.

Beautiful colors, a bit of whimsy, and an inviting cupcake. What’s not to like?

This one really drew my eye to it. I like the story this artwork tells, and I’d definitely pick up this book in order to see what it’s about.

This cover stands out because it just seems so different than the book’s title. Is this woman really carefree? Is this moment in the pool when she decides that’s it, I’m going to toss all my cares to the wind and live differently? Or is this the picture of a woman drowning by her inability to let things go?

This cover stood out because it’s different, but I also thought that with a little creativity it might be something indies could do fairly easily as well. What do you think?