I put together a few with blue-toned backgrounds. I’ve basically decided to go with one of the following, which includes versions close to those you have seen before plus the blue versions. I know which of those I like least, but I will be interested to see whether you all have the same opinion. Judging from prior cover posts, you will not have the same opinions as me or as each other! Opinions are ALL over the map here. This does at least mean that whichever cover I go with, probably it will appeal to some people and probably almost no one will really detest it with a passion, and honestly, that may be as good as it gets for something like this.
So, here. Please disregard all previous numbers that might have been applied to one or another cover. I’ll label the covers here and these are the official numbers.

Version 1
This cover remains one I like personally. I will remind you again that against a pure white background, the cover shows up a bit better than it does here. However, obviously it shows up the least well of any of these versions. Note that one commenter on Goodreads preferred the cover without “The” in the title. That is something that is easy to change, so the above is a version that doesn’t have “The.” I think I might agree that this is better, but I’m not sure.

Version 2
I get what some of you mean about the color of this cover not really matching the colors of the image. But to me, this actually does look fine. The contrast in colors doesn’t strike my eye as problematic. I like the texture. I don’t mind suggestions to find other colors with a similar texture, but those comments are not in line with Canva’s offerings. If I had seen other colors with a similar texture, I would have tried them. I scrolled past plenty of covers, I assure you.

Version 3
I rather like this color, but I don’t think I prefer it to the two above. Note that the heavier black border on the top and bottom is VERY STUBBORN on this particular cover. I can’t get it to change to the lighter double bar as on the two version above. Taking off “The,” yes, no problem. Changing the borders and frames, no.

Version 4
This very dark blue is the ONLY plain blue cover I could fine after a considerable amount of time scrolling. Maybe I like this. The pale lettering pick up the bluish snow color almost as though deliberately colored to match.

Version 5
This is one of two backgrounds I used that offered an image rather than a plain background. Stars are not inappropriate, obviously. A coniferous forest is not wrong either, given that we are thinking of the winter country. Also, the bluish tones of this background do, to me, match the bluish tones of the central image. I am going back and forth with whether I like this. In some ways, I feel the background image detracts from the overall cover. But I like the colors.

Version 6
I’m not crazy about the way this cover shades to white at the bottom. Obviously I shifted the image down to reduce the white space. I like the Moon, but that does, perhaps unfairly, emphasize the Moon over the Sun. I mean, this World Companion isn’t just about the winter country, obviously. On the other hand, the Moon is important and we are, after all, looking through the eyes of an Ugaro during the primary trilogy. What do you think?
Here’s a second try at Version 6, this time with a smoky border at the bottom to help define the lower edge of the cover:

Version 6b
I like it better with some kind of border, any kind of border, at the bottom. But the gray doesn’t exactly match the blue above, and there’s no likelihood I could match that blue. What do you all think? Also, I can’t seem to get rid of the thin line above the bottom frame of the image. Not that I couldn’t try harder. But it’s not wanting to go away.
ONE MORE, LAST ONE

Version 7
Every time I go looking for a frame, I’m unable to find the kind I used last time. Often, the frame can’t be copied from one version to the next because trying screws up the rest of the cover — I could try to explain what goes wrong, but suffice it to say that this turns out to be more difficult than one might expect, and let’s leave it at that. But I found this smoky black bar, which I rather like. However, I don’t think I like this color of green as well as the green of version 3
Items on which I would like your opinion:
A) “The” in the title, yes or no?
B) Do you prefer all the text above the image, as shown in versions 6 and 7?
C) And of course, which version(s) do you prefer? Feel free to rank all six. For me, it’s tough, it really is. I would tend to go:
1, 6, 2 or 5, 4, 3, 7 — yes, that is a tie for third place for me.
Even though I personally like Version 1, I do think this pale color is probably not as sensible a choice as something that will stand out better on a white background.
This is the LAST cover post for this book unless something very different occurs to me. After this, I will stop vacillating and pick one and stick to it.
Meanwhile, someone here … I don’t recall who and don’t think I’ll take time to look it up … but someone suggested that a neat thing to include in the World Companion would be an Ugaro story told the way men tell it and then told the way women tell it. That’s a great idea, and though I may or may not do it, I’m turning over ideas for that. In TARASHANA, Ryo tells the story of how the Little Knife was created, do you remember that? That might be a good choice.
However, I do have to think of a good story about that. Definitely a neat idea, though.
A. I don’t have a preference for including/removing “The” in the title. It makes sense either way.
B. I prefer the image centered, so having the text above and below works better for me. Generally, I prefer the covers without the extra images. I think it detracts from the main artwork. This is particularly true for version 5. It looks like the main artwork is just hanging in the sky.
C. Ranking: 2, 7, 1, 3, 4, 6, 6b, 5
A) Yes to ‘the’!
B) No. I like the text above and below the image.
C) Favourite covers: versions 1 and 2, least favourite: 5 and 6.
I hope that helps!
A) Dropping “The” makes perfect sense (none of the TUYO series titles have “the”!)
B) I think having all the text above the image, as in 6, makes the image feel squished down to the bottom — while 7 has a bit of blank space at the bottom and a bit more room to breathe.
C) 4, 1, 7, 3, 5, 2, 6 (either variety)
I would like 5 quite well on its own without the tiger-picture, but I think having both images makes it a bit too busy. If you’re going to use the tiger picture, I think a plain background is best. That said, my favorite covers right now are 4 (I love dark blue, and it’s easier on screen-tired eyes these days than lighter colors) and 1 (I do like the parchment look, and it reminds me of the background color of your website). I don’t like the kerning on #2, how “world companion” stretches beyond the edges of the tiger picture and too close to the edges of the cover altogether.
A) Fine either way, but I prefer without “The”
B) Above and below
C) I like version 1 the best. It’s clean-looking but still interesting.
A) Prefer without “The”
B) Prefer text both above and below
C) Prefer 1 or 6.
Still like #2 best. The background complements and it all looks simple and professional. Prefer without “the” .
The Teen (an artist in acrylic, pen&ink, and digital) wandered through while I had all six up in a paint.net window for comparison and said NOT 3. (ugly green)
Likes #2, says it’s like the Tales of Tamriel cover https://tinyurl.com/2p8ttdaw. Simple image, textured background. Elegant.
Likes #5 but suggests moving the image down to cover the forest. I also kind of like 5 but think as it is it’s too busy. Covering the forest solves that.
So many different opinions!
A) I prefer “The” included
B) I would put “The Tuyo World Companion” (or just “Tuyo World Companion”) above the image, so the title is all together, and put “Rachel Neumeier” below the image, so the image can still be somewhat centred on the page.
C) I do like both the stars and the moon, but agree they distract from the central image. So I’d go with one of the plain backgrounds. Maybe Version 2 (parchment) is my favourite, but there are no real bad choices.
On to the stories told from a man’s and then a woman’s perspective – I’m glad you like the suggestion, and i would be very happy to see that in the Companion (the more stories the better, in my opinion ) I don’t actually remember the story about the Little Knife in Tarashana. When I searched for it, I found a line in Chapter 7 where Ryo tells *them* the story, but he doesn’t tell the readers. I know the little knife was created in answer to a singer asking the gods to help end a bitter war, but I don’t remember where I learned that. Maybe in Tuyo? If there’s more to the story I don’t remember it.
I’d appreciate any story you can think of that would showcase the difference between the two tellings. Even if you only tell the woman’s side in the Companion, repeating a story Ryo already told in one of the novels, that would be great. But of course if you decided to include both sides of a new story that would be even better, since the more stories the better…
1) & 2) If splitting the text between above and below the image, then keep “the.” If all text is above the image, drop “the.” I prefer all text above the image and without “the.”
If the text is split and there is no “the,” the reader gets the distinct impression that the title of the volume is “Tuyo,” which may cause confusion.
3) My ranking is 6a, 4, 5. The gradient on 6a looks fine to me, since the other series colors also have a gradient (although admittedly they have the lighter areas at the top).
“the” is preferable because the book is about the world of the book “Tuyo”, not Tuyo’s world. Or him. Also, without the “the” this book is more likely to be confused with the other book.
I prefer the cover image in the middle. I prefer the first covers. The last couple with dark text did not work. I actually really like version 5, but if this book is also the warmer parts of the world too, that might be an issue.
Yes, Melanie, that’s what I mean — Ryo tells the story, but not to the reader, so I would have to come up with the actual story. Multiple versions. And apparently it’s a long story, as Ryo tells it in pieces!
Well, that was my first idea, Nanette, but wow, people feel differently about this. Another decision to make, aargh.
A) Prefer include “The”
B) Prefer all text together
C) Prefer 1, no real opinion among the others
I would enjoy hearing the same story from a Ugaro man’s and woman’s POV. Anything would be fine, but I’d prefer two sides of a “current time” side story to a more mythical-past story like the Little Knife. Maybe something from Etta’s or Darra’s POV of part of the action in Tarashana.
I was just rereading Tano and there’s a mention that as they were riding somewhere, Raga entertained Tano with some stories from Ryo’s childhood, and that makes me think that a poet’s POV is likely to be different still from a warrior’s and a woman’s.
I like 1, 2 and 6.
My opinion:
Leave off the “The”
I like text above and below
My favorites are 2&6. 2 is simpler but I like the slightly marbled effect of the background. Gives it interest without detracting from the picture. I think I would like 1 equally if not more if it had the same marbling effect. But I love the moon in 6. And I think placing the wording between the picture and the moon gives enough separation between the two that it doesn’t overwhelm the eye.