Got to tooling around with photoshop again. I think this is the mock up I will eventually turn over to a professional as a basic guideline for what I am looking for. Being an amateur, no matter what I do, it comes out looking…amateur. Best leave something this important to someone who does this sort of thing for a living. Knowing that this is a rough draft, what do you think?
Reflexive Fire cover, take 100!
Filed under Action Adventure, Military Fiction, Pictures
Reflexive Fire 
A very info-conspiracy theory / paramilitary / corporate plotting vibe to it. I dig it.
I would, however, suggest a more techno-modern font to give a very 21st century vibe.
A real departure from what I expected. But it is eye-catching. I do wonder about the SF crest though–it implies that the main characters are in Special Forces, or that the novel entails an SF operation. I guess Deckard is ex-SF, but still, the inclusion of this symbol might mislead readers who recognize it. But I only read a handful of chapters, maybe the motto has more significance than I yet realize.
Other than that, I like it, though I agree the title and author font could be better.
I do think some modern computer-esque text and graphics would really benefit here as well. A professional graphics guy would also be able to do a more subtle job on some aspects, like fading the text in and out. If I can find someone to design a logo for Samruk International, that might be a good replacement for the SF crest, which could than take a less prominent role on the cover. As you mentioned, the book isn’t really about Special Forces, although many of the characters in it come from that background. It’s still a little plain, but it’s another direction to think about.