Tuesday 18 August 2015

Candle Magic: Help Me Pick My Book Cover


Since the start of the year I've been writing a book. It is called Candle Magic: A Witch’s Guide to Candle Spells and Rituals and is going to be published in the Moon Books Pagan Portals series, aimed at beginners to the Craft. My book is very nearly finished and I am really excited about it - but I need your help.

I'm in the process of deciding what picture should go on the front cover and being a keen photographer I decided to try taking some pictures myself rather than use one from a stock of images.

Obviously the cover has to show at least one candle, but I wasn't sure what else to include so I started by taking a lot of different pictures. Some included things like spell books and a crystal ball, while others just had candles. Although I really liked the ones that had a pile of witchy paraphernalia, I decided to stick just to candles as that is the subject of the book and I took the four photos you can see on this post.

However, I still can't decide whether to go for a single candle or several and I would love to hear people's opinions about which works best.

The pillar candle with its glowing flame is probably the best one technically, but I'm not sure if it is witchy enough. I borrowed that lovely lantern with the pentacle from a witchy friend, but I'm not sure if a group of illuminations looks too cluttered. Here are the descriptions, from top left down to the bottom:

  1. Single pillar candle and flame
  2. Four candles (not fork handles, if you remember the old Two Ronnie's sketch...)
  3. Pillar candle, lantern and tea-light in a little cauldron
  4. Pillar candle, lantern and taper candle in an antique holder

Please leave a comment telling me which of the four pictures you prefer.

22 comments:

CaroS said...

Number 3 for me please. the pentagram lantern and cauldron are great witchy touches. I would have said the fork 'andles, but I think you are right, it's a bit busy.

Badwitch said...

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hm -- #2 or #4 for me (you can't really see the light in the little cauldron). Probably #4 over #2 (#2 maybe a bit busy) -- Mel

Unknown said...

I like four

Bish said...

Number 4 is my personal choice. All are good, though.

Rebecca Bird said...

Number three or four for me! (Glad you like the lantern so much ;) )

stack said...

Number 4
I'd have said number 3, but the tea-light in the cauldron in 2 and 3 isn't obvious enough.

stack said...

Number 4
I'd have said number 3, but the tea-light in the cauldron in 2 and 3 isn't obvious enough.

wunjo312 said...

I'm going with the majority - number 4, for all the reasons the others have said. I'd liked number 2 best of the others.

Badwitch said...

Thanks for all the comments, please keep them coming :) At the moment four seems to be slightly ahead in the race.

Unknown said...

No 2 or No 4 I really think you should include the lantern, it's beautiful

Badwitch said...

Yes, I agree the lantern is beautiful! Thanks very much to Bekie for lending it to me.

Pogodragon said...

Either #1 or #4 for me. #1 for the simplicity of the image, but #4 is more visually interesting and gives more of the sense of there being more than one aspect to the subject.

Harmonia said...

I go for #4. I'm a big fan of candle magic (and all magic), and feel this one speaks to me more.

slothgoth said...

1 or 4 for me! (Depending really on how much text is going onto the front cover. It would be lovely to have one of these on the front cover and a small version of the other on the back....

Unknown said...

I like no 2 best now. The lighting is cosy and showing 4 options of candles makes me excited about the variety of info I will find in the book. I think stylistically the light the colors in no 2 work best and balance and enhance each other.

Mrraow said...

#2 is too busy. I like 3 and 4.

Kim D-B said...

Definitely number 2 for me. The four different candles suggest a variety of contents and of course for a Two Ronnie's lover, the in-joke is too good to miss!

Paula Cassady-Bishop said...

Number 4 for me. It balances better than the others.

Paula said...

I like 4.

Pik-Cor said...

Pillar candle, lantern and taper candle in an antique holder

lizw said...

#4 for me. It's a lovely composition.