Case study

One book, every step: how Down Is Where You Land went from file to Amazon

A near-future Mars survival novel by Arteleus Solarian. Down Is Where You Land is Quillbench's own launch, published under a pen name. Quillbench worked on the cover brief, the cover, the blurb and the KDP setup. Here's each step, the real drafts, and what each step costs if you want it for your book.

Final cover of Down Is Where You Land, Book One, by Arteleus Solarian: an astronaut riding a hoverboard across a dusty Mars plain
The final cover. See it on Amazon (Kindle). Paperback and Kindle, October 20. Paperback, 350 pages.

Step 1. The cover brief: decide what the cover has to say before anyone designs it

The brief answered one question first: what must a reader know in one second on a crowded shelf? For this book: realistic Mars survival, near future. Everything else followed from that, including a title big enough to read at thumbnail size.

Get this for your book: free Cover Brief tool

Step 2. Three concepts, one winner, four versions

We made three directions, picked one, then took it through four versions. Each version was checked at 150 pixels wide, and the later versions were placed next to current bestsellers.

Version 1: early concept under the working title The Mars Forge, a flat figure on a hoverboard Version 2: the title Down Is Where You Land in large type, with a flat rider silhouette Version 3: a bigger rider and stronger motion lines under the same title Version 4: a realistic astronaut on a hoverboard under the same title
Versions 1 to 4, cropped to the top of each cover. This cover was created with AI image tools from an original concept by the author, then reviewed and edited by Quillbench.
The final cover at 150 pixels wide
The thumbnail test: at 150 pixels wide, the title still reads.

Get this for your book: Cover Design, $99 (ebook cover, 2400x2400 audiobook cover, 3D mockup) · Print Wrap +$59

Some covers are made with AI tools and some by hand. Either way, Quillbench reviews and edits every cover before it's delivered.

Step 3. The blurb: every claim checked against the story

Two lengths, 151 and 98 words. Every plot point was checked against the outline, so the blurb never promises something the book doesn't deliver.

Get this for your book: blurb polish, included in the Studio Bundle

Step 4. Keywords and pricing: sourced, not guessed

Seven keyword boxes, each with a reason and a source. Title words were kept out of the boxes. Price and categories were checked against current comps.

Get this for your book: Studio Bundle, $499 (cover, print wrap, proofread, blurb polish, 6 promo graphics)

Step 5. Live

Paperback and Kindle, October 20. Paperback, 350 pages, Book One of a six-book series.

Already have a cover?

At least 3 fixes you can use, or a full refund.

Start with the $29 Cover Check: a written critique of the cover you already have, so you know what's working, what's holding it back, and what to fix first.

The promise: at least 3 fixes you can use, or a full refund. A usable fix is a specific, actionable change to the title, type, image, layout or color. If you get fewer than 3, email us (address on our Refunds page) within 14 days of delivery for a full refund. If your Cover Check is late, your $29 is refunded and you still get your Check.

$29

Get my Cover Check, $29

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