We all know the importance of the book cover, but men and women generally differ in what they find appealing. This is something I struggle with, as representing myself with a muscular Chad or billionaire on the cover would likely boost my readership, yet would feel disingenuous, as I write about myself with brutal honesty.

However, my elfiespice  collaboration with Nk_works book, Joshua Tree contains a good amount of fictional elements, so I went with a more attractive couple for the cover.

What are your thoughts on making covers that are slanted towards the female gaze?

As an example, here are two covers for the same book- a compilation of romantic chapters:

The first is typical of the covers I create. The woman's expression really did it for me, as it reminds me a girlfriend featured in the book.

The second one was made for me by AnnamitaMuscaria . It has a much more "feminine" theme, and captures the book's mood far better than my cover.

Also, I like the covers to represent a specific scene in the book. Is that something you appreciate when reading a book?

If any readers have made covers that connect particularly well with women, let me know, and I can post a screenshot here.

A/N: The picture at the top of this chapter is a cover that received top marks in a few contests. The book itself was taken down along with the rest of my works when my account was deleted. I will be republishing the book soon.