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The time has come! Today, after almost three weeks of voting, we are here to announce the four winners (one in each genre category) of the 2023 Indie Cover Contest!

We received THOUSANDS of votes from readers, fellow authors, and cover enthusiasts alike. Thank you again to everyone who submitted to the 2023 Kobo Writing Life Indie Cover Contest and congratulations once more to all of the authors of who made the shortlist. As noted before, we received hundreds of submissions of beautifully designed covers across multiple genres, making our job choosing the 24 covers that made the shortlist extremely difficult. We, as always, are thankful for your enthusiasm regarding Kobo Writing Life and this exciting contest and hope to see you submit your covers again next year.

Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2023 Kobo Writing Life Indie Cover Contest!

Romance

The Earl Was Wrong (Greydon Series, Book 1) by Britt Belle

Cover designed by Books and Moods

From the publisher:

An earl has no choice but to marry…

When his father died, sixteen-year-old Sebastian inherited a crumbling earldom. He dedicated himself to becoming a respectable lord, and now, a decade later, he will do anything to prevent his scandalous sister from undermining his status—even marry a sensible spinster. Emmeline ought to be the ideal wife, but she is less biddable and more beddable than he expects. To his dismay, feelings beyond friendship begin to emerge. Although intimacy breeds affection, can it inspire love?

…a lady with an impeccable reputation.

Born a vicar’s daughter, Emmeline has dedicated herself to her younger siblings and, as a result, has been too busy to consider her own future. At twenty-four, marriage seems unlikely—until she meets a practical lord who offers her the very thing she’s always dreamed of: a family of her own. Sebastian ought to be the perfect husband, but he can be overbearing and emotionally distant. To her relief, she begins to catch glimpses of a kind, caring man behind his cold exterior. Can she convince him that they deserve more than a marriage of convenience?

Mystery & Thriller

Seams Like Murder (Grace Designs Mysteries, Book 1) by Tilly Wallace

Cover designed by Melody Simmons

From the publisher:

There are two things that can’t talk—moving pictures and dead showgirls…

1920, Wellington, New Zealand. Grace Devine is poised to build her thriving dress design business as the twenties begin to soar. But when a fashionable client is murdered, suspicion falls on Grace as the last person to see Agatha alive.

As wary clients cancel and business begins to fail, Grace decides there’s only one way to prove her innocence and save her career…this seamstress will turn sleuth to find who really murdered the showgirl.

The more she learns, the more she uncovers of the darker side of the dead woman’s personality. Agatha liked to collect secrets and use them against people. But what target snapped that fatal night? Can Grace stitch together the clues before her life is torn apart…

Science Fiction & Fantasy

A Song of Sorrow (Isles of Bright and Shadow, Book 1) by C.E. Page

Cover designed by Julie Nicholls and Uwe Jarling

From the publisher:

Keep your head down, stay silent, and never use your magic.

These are the rules that Deana has lived by ever since she and her brother lost their parents in a tragic accident. Now Kai is gone as well. He was the only thing keeping her anchored to a world that will never truly accept her. A world that sees her connection to Grandmother Ocean as a curse and her magic as an anomaly that will eventually spin out of her control and destroy everything.

When Bran arrived in the Faridean Isles to study the magical affliction plaguing its young prince, he didn’t expect to be thrown into a race to stop a tyrant from unleashing chaos. But when Prince Samir is kidnapped and Deana—the only person who knows the truth about the mysterious shrouded ones—goes missing, he finds himself swept up by the machinations of a centuries-old curse. A curse that when triggered will drag the Isles and all in them into the fathomless deep.

Fiction & Non-fiction

On The Origin Of Paranormal Species by Amy Laurens

Cover designed by Clare Williams and Inkprint Press

From the publisher:

Why do werewolves transform with the moon? When did mermaids get their tails? What sinister history underpins the goblin?

Uncover the answers to these questions—and more!—in this collection of seven essays from award-winning author Amy Laurens. First published in the critically acclaimed Aurealis magazine, these essays explore the mythological basis of seven of the most popular paranormal creatures of all time to uncover the symbolism that ensured their immortal popularity.

Congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted titles! We hope you take time to celebrate and recognize this amazing achievement!


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