...at which point Bryn realized everyone on dA looked up with an expression of "Yes?"

So, some of you may have noticed that I've been posting a lot of stuff for a novel called Visioner. If you haven't noticed, well, I'm posting a lot of stuff for a novel called Visioner (paging the department of redundancy department). This is a young adult sci-fantasy (I will make this a valid genre, so help me God!) novel with a female protagonist. It offers futuristic technology, magic, witty banter, and (I hope) a compelling storyline. Aside from a few excerpts, I have the first chapter posted here on dA, with more to follow as I finish them. However, I've been uploading the pages as PDFs, which require a preview image. Those of you who have read the chapter have seen that I have a pretty crappy cover up there now, and this is where you guys come in.

I really want a nice-looking preview image, something eye-catching that could be used to draw in readers. My ultimate goal is to get a good fanbase behind this story so that when I start submitting to publishers, I can point to my fans and insist there is a market for what I'm writing. However, since a good number of people select their reading material based on the cover art, my current cover is terribly lacking in style.

Thus, I turn to you, deviantArt, for help.

So here's the deal, I am going to provide you with a short summary of my novel, much like you would read on the back of a book or on a jacket cover. Based on what I've written, I want you to create a cover for the novel. Once I have a good selection of covers to choose from, I will open up a voting page for you (the readers) to select which one you would be most likely to pick up if you were browsing the shelf in the bookstore. Whichever one gets the most votes by the time voting closes will be the winner. Simple enough, right?

If you are interested, please see the info below. If there's someone else you think might be interested in participating, please feel free to send them the info.

Thanks, dA!

-Bryn

"COVER ME, I'M GOING IN!" Contest Information

Objective: To create a cover for a sci-fantasy novel that would encourage readers to pick up the book.

Contest Start: May 21st, 2012

Contest End: June 11th, 2012. Cutoff will be 11:59pm Pacific time.

Relevant Information/Disclaimers:
1) I cannot promise that the winning image will be the cover when the story is published. Most publishing houses select their own covers after they accept a novel, so the likelihood of you being able to point to the novel in a store and claiming your design is slim. However, I will place your name in the dedication of the published novel as being absolutely instrumental to my success, and I will offer you as much support and praise as you deserve.

2) I will also be submitting these chapters on Wattpad, so the cover image will be visible there, too. I will, however, still be crediting the artist and will not claim the cover as my own work. So, hey, free exposure!

Prize for winning entry:
1) A 12-month dA subscription (or the purchase of an equivalently-priced item to be shipped to you).
2) A special thank you on the dedication page of the novel.
3) Credit to you for the cover image for as long as I am able to use it.
4) Kick-ass bragging rights that you helped me get a big enough fanbase for publication.

Contest Rules:
1) Cover art must be appropriate to the summary of the novel.
2) Artwork must be original to the artist, or free-use stock images that are used with the original creator's permission.
3) Must contain the novel title: Visioner and my name: M. Bryn Schut in easy-to-read places. (You may list yourself as the cover artist in the work itself, but please make sure that no one would be confused as to who did what).
4) Covers with color would be preferred, but well-done black and white covers will still be considered.
5) Size should be approximately 256x400 pixels, jpg format.
6) Should you require clarification on any point, please feel free to ask for it.

Summary of the novel:
Mira Huntra is an angry fifteen-year-old with a missing mom, a workaholic dad, a concerned best friend, and literal visions of the future. When she is rescued one morning by an old man named Syneth, Mira never dreamed that he would be the one with the potential answers to all her problems.

But Syneth is more than he seems. He claims residence in a world called Avrym, a magical world that has been embroiled in a conflict against the invading Draykure for almost twenty years. A conflict that Gwen Huntra may or may not have triggered by her very presence. Caught mid-explanation by Draykure forces, Syneth opens a portal to Avrym and sends Mira and her best friend Ry through in an attempt to keep them safe.

Lost in a world wholly unfamiliar to them, Mira and Ry must rely on the help of the Avrymite Prince Jano to keep them safe from the Draykure army and its leader, Kamorphe. Beset on all sides by enemies, manipulated by forces far outside their control, and uncertain of who to trust, Mira and Ry must adapt to their new surroundings and seek the truth. All the while, Mira discovers that her mother held more secrets than she ever knew—and she herself might have potential she never dreamed of.

Final Notes:
Good luck! And please read the novel!