This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design reimagines the cover of The Memory Tree by indie author John A. Heldt. To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Design Note 1: Using watercolor art helps bring a more rustic, personal feel to the cover.

Design Note 2: I created an aged, inked look on the title, which helps establish that this story takes place in the past.

Design Note 3: Using a texture overlay also helps give the cover an aged feel—something I felt was missing from the original.

Design Note 4: Placing the yellow ribbon, which represents a key element in the story, here helps balance the white space between the title and the author’s name.

Original Cover