A New Cover Design for Comme si de rien n’était
by Barbara Abel
A custom psychological-thriller cover designed around Barbara Abel’s creative vision, confirmed by her publisher and now published.
In 2024, Barbara Abel discovered Author Growth Pro through a post showcasing its book-cover design service. She reached out to discuss creating a new cover for Comme si de rien n’était, a French-language psychological thriller.
Barbara was already a published author with her own publisher and an existing publishing agreement. She commissioned Author Growth Pro for the cover-design service only. Barbara submitted the delivered design to her publisher, who confirmed it and handled the publishing process. The book has since been published.
The project focused on translating her detailed creative brief into a dark, cinematic cover design that reflected the psychological tension and hidden secrets at the heart of her novel.
- Project fee
- €200
- Delivery
- 5 days
- Review rounds
- 1
- Client feedback
- 5 stars
COVER DESIGN DELIVERED · CONFIRMED BY THE PUBLISHER · PUBLISHED
A Creative Opportunity That Began with a Book-Cover Post
The project began in 2024 when Author Growth Pro shared a post showcasing its book-cover design service. Barbara Abel came across the post and contacted the business to ask whether a new cover could be created for her book.
The initial conversation developed into a design project based on Barbara’s detailed creative brief. She explained the atmosphere she wanted, the visual elements that mattered to her, and the importance of creating a sense of psychological tension without revealing too much of the story.
Because Barbara already had a publisher and an existing publishing agreement, the scope was focused on the creative service she requested: designing the book cover. Author Growth Pro was not engaged to publish the book or replace the publisher’s role.
The project was completed within five days, with one review round. Barbara was delighted with the design and provided a five-star review praising the creativity, communication, and attention given to her vision.
Barbara then submitted the cover to her existing publisher. The publisher confirmed the design and completed the necessary steps before publication, and the book has since been published.
Stage 01 — The Opportunity
Barbara discovered Author Growth Pro through a post about its book-cover design service and reached out to discuss her project.
Stage 02 — The Creative Brief
The author shared a detailed direction for a dark, realistic, psychologically unsettling thriller cover.
Stage 03 — The Design Delivery
Author Growth Pro developed the cover design, completed one review round, and delivered the work within five days.
Stage 04 — Publisher Confirmation
Barbara submitted the delivered cover to her existing publisher, who confirmed it and completed the steps needed before publication. The book has since been published.
Designing for Psychological Tension
Barbara wanted a cover that would communicate the hidden secrets, family tensions, past mistakes, and psychological unease at the heart of her novel. The brief called for realism and cinematic atmosphere, not supernatural imagery or exaggerated horror.
A. The house at night
The upper part of the proposed front cover was to feature an ordinary-looking house beneath a dark blue-black sky.
- A night-time house and roof.
- Dark blue and black tones.
- Intensely illuminated yellow windows.
- A discreet human silhouette visible through one window.
- A familiar domestic setting that suggests something unsettling may be hidden behind appearances.
The visual should communicate tension through the contrast between darkness and warm window light.
B. The child’s face
The lower part of the cover was to show a tightly framed photographic close-up of a child’s face, with particular attention to the eyes and expression.
- Realistic photographic treatment.
- Strong emphasis on the eyes.
- An expressive but not exaggerated face.
- A slightly unsettling psychological effect.
- No artificial horror or fantasy effects.
C. Title treatment
The exact title is: COMME SI DE RIEN N’ÉTAIT. The brief specified:
- A wide horizontal white band separating the two photographic sections.
- Very bold, narrow, condensed black uppercase typography.
- A strong visual break between the house and the child’s face.
- Clear readability at small online-store thumbnail sizes.
D. Author name
Exact author name: BARBARA ABEL. The name should appear in bold, white uppercase lettering near the beginning of the lower photographic section, with enough prominence to identify the author without overpowering the title.
E. Color palette
The requested palette:
- Night blue and black for mystery.
- Intense warm yellow for illuminated windows.
- White for the title band.
- Black for the title typography.
- Natural skin tones for the child’s face.
The composition should remain restrained and cinematic, with no unnecessary decorative elements.
A Cohesive Book-Jacket Concept
The brief also addressed the back cover and spine, so the design could carry one visual identity across the whole jacket.
Back-cover direction
- Dark black or anthracite background.
- Author portrait near the top.
- A clearly structured French-language synopsis introducing Adèle, her apparently controlled life, and Hugues Lionel, her son’s new solfège teacher, who claims to recognize her as Marie — without revealing the novel’s twists.
- A validated review quotation, if available and authorized.
- Barcode and editorial information placed according to publisher requirements.
- Readable typography and comfortable spacing.
Spine direction
- Consistent visual identity with the front and back covers.
- The book title and author name where space permits.
- Clear typography.
- Final width to be determined from the printer’s or publisher’s actual production template.
Author Growth Pro — Delivered Cover Design
The exact cover-design work Author Growth Pro delivered to Barbara Abel. Barbara submitted it to her existing publisher, who confirmed it and handled publication.
From a Detailed Brief to a Published Cover
Step 01 — Understanding the Vision
Author Growth Pro reviewed the author’s creative direction, including the requested imagery, typography, color palette, and psychological atmosphere.
Step 02 — Developing the Visual Concept
The cover direction brought together the night-time house, illuminated windows, discreet silhouette, child’s close-up, and strong title band to reflect the intended tension.
Step 03 — Review and Delivery
The project was delivered within five days. One review round took place, and Barbara expressed strong satisfaction with the resulting design. She then submitted it to her publisher, who confirmed it and handled publication.
The Author’s Feedback
“Une expérience formidable avec Author Growth Pro ! Je suis sincèrement ravie du concept de couverture proposé pour mon livre Comme si de rien n’était ! ❤️ Dès nos premiers échanges, je souhaitais une couverture capable de retranscrire toute la tension psychologique, les secrets enfouis et l’atmosphère troublante de mon thriller. Author Growth Pro a pris le temps de comprendre ma vision et de la traduire en une direction artistique qui correspond véritablement à l’univers de mon roman. Ce qui m’a particulièrement agréablement surprise, c’est l’attention portée à mes idées et à mes attentes. Nous avons échangé sur l’ambiance que je souhaitais créer, les éléments visuels susceptibles de refléter l’histoire et l’importance de susciter la curiosité des lecteurs sans trop en dévoiler. Au fil des jours, voir ces idées prendre forme dans un concept cohérent et visuellement saisissant a été une expérience vraiment enthousiasmante. J’aime particulièrement le contraste entre la maison plongée dans l’obscurité, les fenêtres éclairées, le portrait de l’enfant et la typographie affirmée du titre. Chaque élément contribue à créer cette atmosphère mystérieuse et inquiétante que je souhaitais transmettre aux lecteurs dès le premier regard. J’ai également beaucoup apprécié la patience, la créativité et la qualité des échanges tout au long du processus. Author Growth Pro ne s’est pas contenté de proposer une couverture de thriller classique : une véritable attention a été portée à l’identité de mon livre et aux émotions que je souhaitais faire ressentir à travers son apparence. Même si mon livre est déjà publié, découvrir ce nouveau concept de couverture a été une très belle expérience. Je suis sincèrement reconnaissante du temps, du soin et de l’implication consacrés à donner vie à mes idées. Un grand merci à Author Growth Pro pour son écoute, sa compréhension et sa capacité à transformer mes attentes en un concept visuel aussi évocateur. Je suis ravie de cette expérience et enthousiaste à l’idée de voir mon histoire représentée de cette manière ! ❤️ Cinq étoiles pour la créativité, la qualité des échanges et l’attention véritable portée à la vision de l’autrice.”
A Focused Creative Service for an Established Author
This project demonstrates how Author Growth Pro can support an established author with a focused creative service, even when the author already has a publisher and an existing publishing agreement.
Barbara Abel approached Author Growth Pro specifically for the cover-design service. The work was completed in five days, with one review round, for a fee of €200. The client provided five-star feedback and expressed strong satisfaction with the creative direction.
Barbara’s existing publisher confirmed the cover and handled the publishing process, and the book has since been published. Author Growth Pro’s scope was the cover-design service only; it did not act as the publisher or take on any publishing responsibilities.
- Custom cover design
- French-language psychological thriller
- Five-day delivery
- One review round
- €200 project fee
- Five-star client feedback
- Confirmed and published by the author’s publisher
Book and Project Specifications
Publication date, page count, ISBNs, dimensions and weight refer to the published edition supplied for this project.
- Author
- Barbara Abel
- Book title
- Comme si de rien n’était
- Genre
- Psychological thriller / dark family thriller
- Language
- French
- Existing edition publication date
- 11 April 2024
- Existing edition length
- 368 pages
- ISBN-10 (existing edition)
- 2385770431
- ISBN-13 (existing edition)
- 978-2385770433
- Dimensions supplied (existing edition)
- 14.3 × 2.6 × 22.7 cm
- Item weight supplied (existing edition)
- 408 g
- Design project fee
- €200
- Delivery time
- 5 days
- Review rounds
- 1
- Client rating
- 5 stars
Need a Custom Cover for Your Book?
Whether you’re preparing a new book or looking for a fresh visual direction for an existing title, Author Growth Pro can discuss your cover-design brief and the creative service you need.
You can work with your existing publisher while commissioning the design service separately.