Behind the Cover: Why We Chose the New Vassago Cover

One of the things we enjoy most at Palmista Press is sharing a glimpse behind the scenes of the publishing process.

Readers often assume a book cover is designed once and that's the end of the story.

In reality, it is often one of the most refined parts of the entire publishing journey.

Today we'd like to share the evolution of the cover for Vassago, Book One of A. Craine's Infernal Evolution series.

The Original Cover

Our original cover was designed to communicate the world inside the novel.

It showed multiple layers of the story at once.

Vassago sits at the centre of the composition, but surrounding him are several visual clues about the world readers are about to enter. Digital AI-like faces emerge from the darkness. Ordinary people stand transfixed by their phones. Towering server infrastructure dominates the city skyline.

Without giving too much away, the original artwork hints at many of the major themes explored throughout the novel.

Influence.

Technology.

Artificial intelligence.

Digital manipulation.

It tells readers a great deal about the story before they've even opened the first page.

The Challenge

As striking as the original artwork was, we kept asking ourselves one important question.

What would catch a reader's eye first on Amazon?

Most readers don't first encounter a cover at full size.

They see it as a tiny thumbnail among hundreds of other books.

At that size, every design choice matters.

The question became less about telling the entire story and more about creating an image that would immediately stop a reader from scrolling.

The Final Cover

The published cover takes a very different approach.

Instead of emphasizing the wider world, it places almost all of the visual focus on one person.

Vassago.

He dominates the composition.

The infernal executive sits confidently in his chair, staring directly at the reader with an expression that perfectly captures his intelligence, confidence, and quiet menace.

The surrounding city, infernal imagery, and technological backdrop remain, but they now serve to frame the character rather than compete with him.

The result is a cover with a much stronger focal point.

From thumbnail size, your eye immediately finds Vassago.

That was exactly the goal.

Less Story. More Curiosity.

Interestingly, the new cover actually reveals less about the novel.

The original artwork gave away more of the technological and AI-driven elements that play an important role in the story.

The revised cover intentionally holds those details back.

Instead, it allows readers to discover those surprises naturally as they progress through the book.

Sometimes the best cover doesn't explain everything.

Sometimes it simply asks a question.

Who is this man?

Why does he command such power?

And why does he look so completely in control?

Those are questions we want readers to answer for themselves.

Choosing Impact

At Palmista Press, we believe a cover has one primary job.

To persuade a reader to pick up the book.

Once that happens, the story takes over.

The final Vassago cover places greater emphasis on the novel's central character while creating a stronger visual impact, particularly in Amazon's search results where covers are viewed at very small sizes.

The original design remains one of our favourite concepts because it beautifully illustrates many of the themes woven throughout the novel.

The published cover, however, does something equally important.

It makes you want to know more.

And that's exactly what a great book cover should do.

So now we'd like to hear from you.

Which cover do you prefer?

Do you like the original cover that reveals more about the world of Infernal Evolution, or the final published cover that keeps the mystery focused squarely on Vassago himself?