This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design reimagines the cover of Sidelined: The Draft by Bianca Williams. To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Design Note 1: The author wanted to appeal more to women’s fiction than romance readers, so I decided to create an illustration focusing on a hip, chic woman who represents that character in the book.

Design Note 2: Creating a clear idea on a cover is key. The original cover is a little confusing with the football theme and the broken heart, so I went in a different direction while still keeping a few of the football elements.

Design Note 3: When appropriate, you can use a quote to fill up white space. The space to the left of the woman’s legs was perfect for a quote about the book.

Design Note 4: Sticking with bold, feminine colors helps draw in the desired audience.

Original Cover