Paranormal romance Book Covers Info
Paranormal book covers are for stories in this sub-genre of both romance and fantasy. Stories tend to have a strong fantasy element, sometimes set in this world, sometimes set in other worlds, but there is a romance going with a supernatural being.
The key thing that sets this genre apart from paranormal and fantasy stories with romance in them, is that the main story arc is the romance, instead of the fantasy.
As a PNR book cover designer, I offer both custom and premade paranormal romance book covers.
Authors of PNR need a book cover designer that understands the genre and what book cover designs appeal to the readers that are looking for romantic stories with other-worldly beings.
So, what makes a reader reach for a PNR story?
First and foremost the reader is looking for a way to feel like they've been swept away by a gorgeous supernatural being that only has eyes for them. It gives the reader a chance to step away from the drab, stressful, mundane ordinary planet we live on, into a fantastical world, where a supernaturally beautiful, powerful, alpha man will protect and ravish them in a way a human man can't.
As one reader so aptly said, no matter what is going on in your life, for just a few pages you can be the sole focus of a hot, sexy vampire / werewolf / god / ghost / angel / demon etc, who will love you with an impossible passion and can't live without you.
Like the song says, "he's gotta be strong, he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight."
So what does this mean for the cover?
Well there are different styles of cover for PNR depending on the amount of fantasy within the story.
Firstly, there's a beautiful couple, in some kind of romantic pose. The guy is once again usually without a shirt, but he might have some pieces of shoulder armor to show that fantasy element a little more. One or both of the characters will usually have some kind of magic, or be a fantasy being (like a vampire, shifter, angel, demon etc) and there's quite often a sword involved as well on non-vampire PNR covers.
The second type of cover, has the classic manchest cover, showing a gorgeous shirtless man, with jaw-dropping abs and at least one tattoo. Sometimes you'll see the whole of the guy's head, other times you'll only see him from his nose to mid thigh.
Lastly, you'll see just the female character, with obviously paranormal elements to it.
Whichever type of cover you end up going for, showing that super buff man, his adoration of the female main character, and the fact that he's supernatural and extremely good looking, goes a long way towards selling the book. It might show the woman is also supernatural and his equal in abilities as a warrior, or it might show his protection of her as well.
At the end of the day though, the cover has to show the promise that the reader will be swept up in that storm of desire, passion and arousal they're looking for.
