So as I check the horror best-selling lists on a regular basis, I start noticing certain motifs that run through cover after cover.
The Six Pack From Hell -- the body of sculptured male body, usually with the face out of the picture, most often in black and white.
The Witchy Tree: I noticed this especially because my cover to Deviltree is one of these. The profile of a bare branched tree, in many shapes and sizes, but always with a kind of witchy feel.
The Biological Hazard Symbol. This is on tons of books.
The Dark Haired Girl with the Witchy Eyes: This is in various combination on tons of books. The quintessential one is showing half of the face, with strangely intense eyes and always straight black hair. There are no blondes in horror, apparently.
The Babe in Leather (brunette always) standing in front of something momentous, usually holding a weapon.
Guy in Full Military Gear, sometimes wearing a gas mask, standing in front of the apocalypse, either in ruins or a empty road.
The Waif: A small girl, with big eyes, looking balefully at the viewer.
Other trends. Bad Pun Titles.
Predominantly Black and red covers, with a little dayglow green and sickly yellow thrown in here and there.
But Hey, you have to figure these covers work.
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