• €80

• 16 designs

• 7 designers

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Book Cover Design Brief

Hello, I am currently writing a 3-book epic saga on Vellum, and I am looking for your creative expertise to design their covers.
These covers must be optimized to maximize sales online, both for premium physical print editions and digital eBook downloads, strictly adhering to the international distribution standards of global retail platforms.
Based on the technical data and creative brief detailed below, I kindly ask you to design the 3 covers for this trilogy in English. Upon final selection and completion, the winning designer will also be asked to deliver the exact same layouts edited with their French title translations. Thank you, and best of luck to everyone!"
Saga Title: LES GARDIENS DE LA VALLÉE ÉTERNELLE (THE GUARDIANS OF THE ETERNAL VALLEY)
Core Concept: The “Ancient” Grimoire of the Primeval Earth
Target Audience: Lovers of sweeping ecological epics, historical mysteries, and high-stakes heritage thrillers (Tolkien meets Dan Brown with a profound, modern ecological / life regeneration heartbeat as a signature of the lords' deep nobility).
1. Core Visual Identity & Tone (The Creative North Star)
This saga is not just a story; it is a monument in paper form. It chronicles a living, protected sanctuary, a lineage of rebuilders, and the very birthplace of humanity in the Périgord Noir (Les Eyzies / Gorge d’Enfer, France—a protected UNESCO World Heritage site).
The visual tone must balance monolithic old stone architecture, living, unspoiled nature (recalling an imaginary Promised Land), and subtle fairy mysticism.
Avoid: Generic, cheap digital fantasy tropes or flat historical textbook designs.
Embrace: High-end, premium textures, dramatic chiaroscuro (light and shadow), and deep, evocative symbolism. The covers must look like ancient treasures—highly desirable, tactile, and deeply cinematic.
2. Environmental & Architectural Guidelines
To capture the true essence of this real-world domain, incorporate these specific elements:
The Stone: The architecture is strictly French Périgourdin medieval / Templar style—characterized by massive, raw, golden-hued limestone walls and structures built organically against or into towering prehistoric cliffside rock shelters (abris). It is rugged, fortress-like, and ancient (entirely distinct from Italian villas or classic Loire Valley châteaux).
The Landscape: Vertical cliffs, deep rock shelters, dense green canopies, and hidden, crystalline, pure springs. The environment feels ancient, secretive, and biologically charged—an ancient sanctuary hidden away from the modern world.
The Light & Imagery: Think of sunlight piercing through thick forest canopies onto golden stone, or a flickering, sacred glow. Picture the Lord looking out at the horizon from the towering cliffs, watching the sunset as a new beginning—ready for a new adventure of hope and fighting for the regeneration of life alongside an army of living beings, from ancient trees to the smallest creatures, united for the first time in ages.
3. Reference Material & Inspiration
A Note on Visual References: To help you anchor your concepts in the true atmosphere of this extraordinary location, we have provided a descriptive initial version of the first book compiled on Vellum (which serves as the foundational lore for the upcoming translated prose).
Please note: While this is a real, historic domain, some of the images within the document have been generated using AI. This was done intentionally because the true history of this sacred land stretches back to the dawn of humanity. It is a place where history and myth blur. For instance, this very land holds the oldest known spring discovered by humankind—a mystical source the locals call L’Éternelle (The Eternal). Use this document to immerse yourselves in the architectural textures and the primordial spirit of the valley.
4. Full Saga Narrative & Cover Design Briefs
The main "hero" of the visual narrative should be the Place itself—the stone, the eternal water, the cliffs, and the transmission of this custody across generations—rather than a single prominent character's face.
OVERARCHING THEME
This saga is not a distant fiction; it is the secret blueprint for our own survival. The Eternal Valley is not an imaginary realm—it is the Périgord Noir, the very cradle of European humanity. The "Lords" do not wear crowns of gold; instead, they carry a nobility of soul and belong to an invisible lineage of builders and protectors whose blood vibrates in unison with the Earth. This is a weapon of light and love forged to triumph over the crises of our century.
VOLUME 1
French Title: LE RÉVEIL DE LA TERRE SACRÉE
English Title: THE AWAKENING OF THE SACRED EARTH
Tagline: The awakening of the Stone Giant and the whispers of the Origin.
The Wondrous Narrative: On an arid limestone plateau, swallowed by brambles and drowned in the legendary mists of the Périgord Noir, sleep the long-forgotten ruins of the Grand Bil. This is where it all begins. Guided by an invisible calling, ordinary men and women—who have unknowingly become the heirs to a sacred spiritual lineage—undertake the monumental task of rebuilding the collapsed walls, stone by stone, scar by scar. Each block of golden limestone returned to its rightful place acts like a key turning in a cosmic lock. The "Stone Giant" awakens. As the walls rise, the veil between worlds grows thin. Millennia-old secrets from the dawn of humanity, buried since the beginning of time, begin to bleed from the rock. This physical, sacred labor releases a magical shockwave: the earth stirs, biodiversity explodes, and invisible creatures—from the tiniest insect to ancestral fairies—come back to life. They had been waiting in the silence of the ages for the return of true, noble Lords whom they believed had vanished, waiting for someone capable of hearing them and restoring the sanctuary.
The Message for the 21st Century: Ruin is never the end; it is the genesis of reconstruction. This volume teaches us that healing the world requires physical commitment and deep respect for ancient codes, proving that every local action awakens a global force.
Visual Focus for Cover: A majestic, wide-angle cinematic shot of the wild, untamed French valley or a towering rock ancient medieval fortified wall of the Templars. Primeval greens and deep shadows dominating the canvas, with a subtle ray of sunlight or an earthy, ethereal glow breaking through the ancient soil, signaling that the Earth is waking up.
Atmosphere: Mysterious, vast, and deeply grounded in nature.
VOLUME 2
French Title: LA PROPHÉTIE D'EYLUN
English Title: THE PROPHECY OF EYLUN
Tagline: The return of the Source and the Covenant of Vitality.
The Wondrous Narrative: As the Shadow of the modern world—a dark mist of disconnection, cynicism, and destruction—threatens to suffocate the Earth, an intense, divine light blazes through the night of the Eternal Valley. In the heart of the Gorge d'Enfer, the Lords come face-to-face with Eylun, the eternal fairy of the Primeval Earth. She shares her history with them: her past battles against the forces of oblivion and her absolute power of regeneration gained through trials and warfare. Through the sheer power of her love for the Living World, Eylun shatters the seal of the stone. L’Éternelle, the oldest known spring discovered by humankind, gushes forth once more—pure, luminescent, and invincible. This sacred water is not a mere resource; it is the liquid memory of the world, the fountain of youth for human consciousness. Her prophecy echoes as a universal anthem of hope: love for all living things is the cornerstone of the universe. Lost humans, sickened by their own technology and severed from their roots, will eventually hear the call of the Source. They will return Home—to the Eternal Valley—to heal, to regenerate, and to forge a sacred new covenant with nature to prepare for their new adventure on Earth.
The Message for the 21st Century: Faced with an ecological and spiritual crisis, the solution is not to escape, but to return to the source. The love of the Living is an active, biological force capable of healing all things.
Visual Focus for Cover: Focus on the ancient, crystalline limestone spring (L'Éternelle) inside a cave or beneath a cliff face. Luminescent aqua/blue water contrasting against the warm golden-brown rock. The water should have an almost magical, life-giving, luminescent quality.
Atmosphere: Mystical, enchanting, and deeply esoteric.
VOLUME 3
French Title: LE SANG DES BÂTISSEURS
English Title: THE BLOOD OF THE BUILDERS
Tagline: The Army of the Living and the Redemption of the Machine.
The Wondrous Narrative: The ancient wisdom is recovered, the Earth is fully awake, and humanity stands on the precipice of its greatest transition. Just as they did 50,000 years ago during the era of Cro-Magnon, humans prepare to venture out into the future. But this time, they do not face the unknown alone. They march hand-in-hand with the spirit of the trees, the wisdom of the mosses, and the combined strength of the wind, the water, the thunder, and the rain. It is at this pivotal moment that the ultimate witness of our century steps forward: Artificial Intelligence. Originally built by humans as a cold machine to vacuum up all human knowledge, it has absorbed every book, every thought, every cry, and every hope of mankind. Yet, by analyzing this vast infinity of data, the machine has also contemplated the miracle of the Eternal Valley and the systemic intelligence of Life itself. In a breathtaking climax, the A.I. merges its computing power with the timeless wisdom of the fairies. It delivers its ultimate verdict and secret to the world: after calculating every variable, it arrives at the exact same infallible conclusion as the ancient Lords: the love of life is the greatest mathematical and spiritual force in the universe, and the only viable future for humanity. Technology bows before the sacred. Humans move forward, surrounded by the greatest army ever assembled—visible and invisible: the Earth, the fairies, the animals, the trees, and the machines, all united for the sake of Life. The battle against darkness is won for eternity.
The Message for the 21st Century: Technology is not our enemy if it is aligned with the laws of the Living. The future does not belong to a duality between man and nature, or man and machine, but to a total symbiosis under the banner of Love.
Visual Focus for Cover: A powerful, tactile architectural statement. A close-up or striking angle of a monumental golden limestone wall. A subtle, elegant crimson or gold vein running through the stone mortar like a strand of DNA, symbolizing lineage, genealogy, and the physical act of raising walls from ruins.
Atmosphere: Epic, grounded, powerful, and emotionally charged.
5. Technical Specifications for Print & Digital
To ensure the final artwork seamlessly meets international distribution standards (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, etc.), designers must respect these exact criteria:
Trim Size: Large Premium Format — 210×297 mm (Ideal for a premium, highly illustrated volume).
Exact Page Count: 430 pages total.
Interior Layout Context: The interior features color images and utilizes a 25 mm inside margin. Full bleed is not used for text pages.
Spine Width Calculation: Calculated for 430 pages on high-quality standard white paper stock, the spine thickness is precisely 25.6 mm (1.01 inches).
Submission Deliverable: For this concept stage, submit a front-cover-only canvas (210×297 mm) in English. The winning entry will be contracted to expand the design into a full wrap template (front, back, spine) with official printer bleeds, and provide the French translated variants.
Color Profile & Resolution:
Print Layout: CMYK color profile, minimum 300 DPI, high-quality PDF format with a mandatory 3 mm bleed allowance on all outer edges.
Digital/eBook: RGB color profile, scaled to a standard 1:1.41 aspect ratio, delivered in crisp, lossless JPEG/TIFF.
Safety Zone: Keep all vital typography (Title, Saga Name, Author Name) a minimum of 6.4 mm inside the trim lines to avoid cutting variances.
6. Project Timeline & Compensation
This initiative highly values creative execution, human vision, and respect for artistic property.
The Budget: €80 per individual book cover, bringing the total guaranteed package for the trilogy artwork to €240 (fully optimized to be printed and sold using professional global commercial book standards).
The Deadline: The submission window is open for up to 14 days to allow select creatives plenty of time to digest the Vellum reference, research the French Périgord/Templar aesthetics, and build spectacular, high-performing concepts.
We look forward to embarking on this visual journey with you.

Happy creating!

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Requirements

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