Book cover - non fiction memoir dark trauma

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$275 CAD

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1915

4 days, 23 hours remaining

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When someone picks up this book, before they read a single word, they should feel: "I know exactly what this person went through." The cover does not need to explain the story. It needs to make the reader feel the weight of a life lived under something that was never their fault — and see, somewhere in that image, that she survived it. That is the whole book in one picture. IMPORTANT UPDATE — please read before submitting new entries. The little girl and the looming presence do not have to be facing the same direction. The creature does not have to be directly behind or above her. Think about this differently: the little girl IS the author — and the author survived. You can show the girl looking away from the presence, stepping out of it, or caught between the darkness and a single source of light. You can flip her angle. You can show the presence receding or fracturing. The darkness is not winning in this story. It lost. The cover should carry both — the weight of what was, and the fact that she is still here. Jasmine — the author's wife — kept the light on the entire time. There is always one point of light in this image, no matter how small. BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: ⚠ THIS CONTEST IS FOR FRONT COVER + SPINE ONLY. ⚠ DO NOT DESIGN A BACK COVER. DO NOT PUT THE LITTLE GIRL ON A BACK COVER. • No AI-generated images. Automatic disqualification. • No stock photos. All artwork must be 100% original. • All fonts must have a commercial print license. Include the font name and license source with your entry. • Do not use the little girl illustration for any purpose other than this contest submission. • If you win: you sign a rights transfer. • Submit only if you agree to all of these terms. 2. THE BOOK Title (copy exactly — do not change anything): Dad’s Dead…Now What? Subtitle (copy exactly): Unpolished. Becoming. Living Proof. A Prelude to the Wreckage. Author name: Tiffany Charbonneau Genre: Non-fiction memoir. Trauma. Addiction. Recovery. Survival. Plant Medicine. WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT — Read This Before You Design Anything This is a raw, unfiltered memoir written by a survivor. Not a polished recovery story. Not a how-to book. This is live footage of someone who was completely broken — and crawled out anyway. The author is a 42-year-old former infantry soldier, registered nurse, mother, and trauma survivor. She lived through decades of abuse, near-death, morphine relapse, detox seizures, and went to a plant medicine retreat in Costa Rica to save her life. She reconnected with her little girl, and merged back with her soul. This book is the prelude to a trilogy called Suffering in Silence. The cover must carry that weight. VISUAL DIRECTION — FRONT COVER Overall Mood Dark. Pressurized. Human. Raw. Not gothic. Not horror. Not clean. This is the darkness before the light breaks. Think: survival, not despair. Weight, not decoration. Colours Background: Dark. Examples: black, dark grey, dark navy, dark green, dark purple. Your choice. Accent colours: You have full creative freedom. Choose colours that feel like hope inside darkness. Any colours are allowed except pastels, neon, and rainbow. Rule: All text must be easy to read. Light text on dark background. Or dark text on light area. Readability is required. The Little Girl An ink drawing of a little girl is attached. She is sitting on the floor, hugging her knees, crying. This is the author as a child. • She must appear somewhere in the design. • Her position, size, and placement are your choice. •Do not change her face or body. You can use same outline in another media to blend her in better into the image. But dont edit her face or body. • The illustration is attached to this contest. Use only the image provided. Do not replace it, recreate it, or substitute another image. This illustration belongs to the author. All rights are hers. The little girl's position on the cover is your creative choice — she does not have to be at the bottom. She does not have to face forward. You can rotate her, angle her, place her anywhere in the composition. The looming presence does not have to come from directly above or behind. It can come from the side, surround her, emerge from within the image, or be woven into the background. We are not looking for one specific composition. We want to see yours. The only requirement: the presence feels bigger than her, and she is clearly in it. The Looming Presence Something must be looming over the little girl. A force. A presence. Something bigger than her. but you can't decipher what this thing is - it should represent all the abuse, the trauma and the over arching weight and pressure of a traumatized life. The weight that has been pressing down on her her entire life. • What it looks like is your choice. Shadow, figure, shape, creature — anything. • It must feel bigger than her. That contrast is the whole story. The contrast between the tiny girl and the massive creature carries the entire emotional story of this book. That contrast must be unmistakable. You can incorporate mirror breaking, or a mirror. She mirrored his emotions and now he is dead. The mirror is broken. And can also incorporate obsidian. Typography — Title The title is the most important part of the cover. It must be the biggest thing the eye sees. • Font style: handwritten, heavy, pressurized. Like someone wrote it while gripping the pen too hard. • Not calligraphy. Not brush script. Rough. Jagged. Human. • Imperfections are good. Uneven lines are acceptable. • Colour: light or white — must be easy to read. • The … (three dots joined together) in the title is important. Do not replace it with separate dots or a dash. Typography — Subtitle and Series • Subtitle “Unpolished. Becoming. Living Proof.” — smaller than the title. Same rough handwritten feel. • Series line “A Prelude to the Wreckage.” — smallest text. Near the bottom. • Author name “Tiffany Charbonneau” — bottom of cover. Clean and readable. Spine • Include on the spine: book title, author name. • Text must be easy to read. Match the visual style of the front cover. • Provide the front cover and spine as one flat file. • There is NO back cover in this contest. Do not design one. Do not submit one. FILES TO DELIVER When you submit your entry: • JPEG or PNG preview of your design. • Include font name(s) and confirm they are commercially licensed. • Light watermark is allowed. Do not hide the design. If you win, you must deliver: • Print-ready PDF at 300 DPI, CMYK, 6 x 9 inches, with 3mm bleed. • Fully layered PSD (Photoshop) or AI (Illustrator) file. This is mandatory. Future modifications must be possible without rebuilding the design from scratch. • All layers separate, intact, and named clearly in English. • All font files or confirmation of license. • Signed rights transfer document. This is a standard publishing rights transfer. The design will appear on a printed and distributed book. By submitting, you confirm you understand and agree to these terms upon winning. WHAT NOT TO DO — Read Carefully • Do not use bright colours, pastels, neon, or rainbow. • Do not make it look like a self-help or wellness book. • Do not use a clean, elegant, or thin font for the title. • Do not change the little girl illustration, can uodate her outline in media of choice to blend her in. • Do not flatten layers. All layers must stay separate and editable. • Do not use AI-generated textures, backgrounds, or images. • Do not design a back cover. This contest is front cover and spine only. QUESTIONS If you have questions about the brief, post them in the contest comments. Questions about fonts, colour, or composition are welcome. Questions about the rights terms are not negotiable. If I RATE YOU A 1 STAR it means you have met the criterias but you are not close to what i am looking for. Try again in a different direction. If you get a 3 STAR, it means that you have potential but certain things are missing. If you get a 4 STAR, you are very much on the right track, and love the direction you are going. If you get a 5 STAR, you are being considered as a winner. but may need to make a few small changes to make it the winner. I plan to be engaged in the contest, please don't be mad if i reject your entry to keep my submitted entries clean. I will reject if you do not meet my criterias. Thank you and i am so excited to see what you create!! Cheers, Tiffany

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Book Cover Design

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Illustrator

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Clarification Board
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Muhammad

@jamy98

19 hours ago

i am available for you sir all time tell me any change

Muhammad

@jamy98

19 hours ago

Thank you so much for the 4-star rating. I'm really glad you liked my design. If you decide to select my entry as the winner, I'd be happy to make any revisions or adjustments you need until you're completely satisfied. Once finalized, I'll provide all the required source files and formats (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, or any other files you require). I look forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Md Rakibul

@rakibuli68

22 hours ago

Thank you so much for the 4-star rating! I truly appreciate your valuable feedback and I’m happy that my design is close to your vision. I’m fully committed to refining every detail until it perfectly matches your expectations. If you award me this project, I’ll continue making any changes or updates you need—even after the project is completed—at no extra cost. I provide free lifetime support because I believe in building long-term relationships, not just completing one project. Please give me one opportunity to prove my dedication and design quality. As a special thank-you, if you choose me as the winner, I’ll also gift you a complete branding set for your company, including a business card, letterhead, ID card, and flyer. I would be honored to work with you on this project and hope this becomes the beginning of a long-term collaboration. Thank you for your time and consideration! #2026 #2027 #2028

Md Rakibul

@rakibuli68

22 hours ago

Hello Tiffany, I created this concept with deep respect for your story, focusing on the emotional journey of survival, resilience, and hope rather than fear. Every element was thoughtfully designed to reflect the weight of trauma while showing that the darkness did not win. The artwork is 100% original, created without AI or stock images, and follows your brief as closely as possible. If selected, I will provide a fully layered PSD/AI, print-ready PDF (300 DPI, CMYK), editable source files, and all licensed font details. I’m committed to refining the design until it perfectly matches your vision and will gladly continue making updates until you are completely satisfied. Thank you for the opportunity to tell such a meaningful story through design. Entry #2026 #2027 #2028

Muhammad

@jamy98

2 days ago

Thank you so much for the 5-star rating. I'm really glad you liked my design. If you decide to select my entry as the winner, I'd be happy to make any revisions or adjustments you need until you're completely satisfied. Once finalized, I'll provide all the required source files and formats (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, or any other files you require). I look forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Muhammad

@jamy98

3 days ago

i am available for you sir all time tell me any change

Muhammad

@jamy98

5 days ago

#2002

Muhammad

@jamy98

5 days ago

The design is **100% original, fully editable, and created as a professional vector**, with all source files ready (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, and more) If you'd like any adjustments—whether it's colors, fonts, layout, or any other detail—just send me a message. I'm committed to making revisions until the design perfectly meets your expectations. I truly appreciate your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you!

Muhammad

@jamy98

7 days ago

Hi! Thank you so much for the 5-star rating. I'm really glad you liked my design. If you decide to select my entry as the winner, I'd be happy to make any revisions or adjustments you need until you're completely satisfied. Once finalized, I'll provide all the required source files and formats (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, PNG, JPG, or any other files you require). I look forward to working with you. Thank you for your time and consideration!