Cover Testing · 9 min · September 24, 2026

What Is CoverCrush? Book Cover Testing with Real Readers

CoverCrush (CoverCrushing) is a book-cover testing site. Authors upload cover images, readers vote, and a separate AI panel scores the same files. Here is what the test measures, what it costs, and what it does not promise.

By The CoverCrush team · Editorial

CoverCrush is the short name people use for CoverCrushing, the book-cover testing site at covercrushing.com. It is a place to compare cover images before you publish. You upload the files. Readers vote on them. An AI panel scores the same images on a written rubric. The two inputs stay labeled apart from each other. CoverCrushing is operated by Taciturn Studios LLC. It is not part of Amazon, KDP, IngramSpark, or any bookstore.

A cover test answers a narrower question than “is this a good book?” It answers “of the images I uploaded, which one did these readers pick, and how did the panel score them?” That comparison is useful when you are about to lock a jacket, swap a series look, or choose between two directions your designer already drew. It is not a sales forecast, and the result is not sent to a retailer.

What book cover testing with real readers means

Book cover testing with real readers means people look at the images and record a choice. On CoverCrushing, voting happens at covercrushing.com/vote and does not require an account. A voter picks the genres they read, then chooses a mode.

A/B Compare shows two covers from the same test and asks which one they prefer. Random Stream shows one cover at a time from different books so each cover is rated on its own. The deck prefers active tests in the genres the voter selected, and it can show another active test if none match. Choosing a cover saves a reader vote. Voters can also leave a purchase-intent rating. Voting is rate-limited per IP so one browser cannot flood a test.

A test stays open until its recorded vote count reaches that test’s target, then it is marked complete and the author is emailed. The leading cover is the one with the most recorded votes in that test. Reader votes are stored separately from AI panel scores, and the results view reports those counts apart from each other.

The free test for a new author targets 200 votes. That number is the sample for that offer. It is not a promise that every paid test uses the same count, and it is not a claim about how many people will buy the book. Sample size is the vote target on the test you launched. Other factors — price, blurb, category, and the book itself — still decide how a book sells.

How an author runs a test

You sign in, upload the images, name the book, and choose a genre. An A/B test compares two images for the same book. An A/B/C test compares three or four. Single Cover Feedback rates one cover. The uploader accepts JPG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, and PDF files under 25 MB each. Front-cover images work best. The file should be the cover itself, with the title and author name readable, rather than a 3D mockup or a blank placeholder.

The upload step asks for the title and author name to be visible on each image, because a blank title area changes how people vote. You can upload a cover before the manuscript is finished. The image should still look like a real cover: a missing title or a placeholder author name will change the votes. Authors use tests both to brief a designer and to choose between near-final files before publication.

Many tests are aimed at finishing within 24 hours, and a larger target can take longer. Arrival time depends on how quickly votes come in, so 24 hours is a target, not a guarantee. If a test fails to finish within 72 hours because of a problem on our side, you can get a full refund or a free re-run. A test that finishes and delivers results is not refunded because the data differed from what you hoped.

What the AI panel adds

Two labeled inputs evaluate a test. First, an AI panel of five perspectives scores every cover on a 12-criterion rubric: Genre Reader, Art Director, Retailer, New Reader, and Casual Browser. A Series Strategist replaces the Casual Browser when the book is marked as part of a series. Second, people who vote on the public vote page add reader votes.

Each of the five perspectives scores the same 12 criteria from 1 to 10, then applies different weights. The Genre Reader weighs genre signal and emotional resonance more heavily. The Art Director weighs typography hierarchy, focal point, and contrast. The Retailer weighs thumbnail legibility and shelf fit. The New Reader weighs first impression and originality. The Casual Browser weighs the two-second scroll read. For a series, the Series Strategist weighs brand consistency instead. Each perspective also returns a weighted composite, a love-or-pass vote, and a short comment. The panel composite combines those five scores. The criterion breakdown is in the results report.

The panel is a structured reading of the image, not a substitute for your own judgment, and not a substitute for the reader votes. The CoverCrush Report includes the AI panel’s early read and, as reader votes arrive, the vote split. AI panel text is labeled as AI. Reader votes are counted on their own.

What the Crush Score means

The Crush Score is a 0–100 figure based on the leading cover’s share of the votes in that test. A wide margin produces a higher score than a near tie. It is a comparison of the covers you tested, not a measure of time spent looking at a cover, and not a forecast of sales or rank. Use it to see which option won the test, then decide for yourself.

Results tell you which of the covers you uploaded drew more votes from the people who saw them, plus how the AI panel scored those same images. That is a directional comparison, not a scientific study and not a guarantee of sales.

What a test does not do

CoverCrushing does not send your results, cover images, or vote data to Amazon, KDP, IngramSpark, or any other retailer or distributor. A CoverCrushing test does not change your Amazon rank, your KDP dashboard, or your sales numbers. The test only records how people responded to the images you uploaded here. What you do with that comparison — keep a cover, change it, or ignore it — is your decision.

You own the images you upload. Uploading a cover does not transfer copyright to CoverCrushing or to Taciturn Studios LLC. The images are shown so voters can compare them and so the AI panel can score them. They are not sold. The account needs your email, the files you upload, and the votes on your test. CoverCrushing does not sell personal data. Aggregated, anonymized vote patterns may be used to operate the site and to write genre reports.

You do not have to publish the winning cover. The winner is the cover that received the most recorded votes in that test, alongside a separate AI panel score. Some authors ship the winner, some use the split to brief a designer, and some keep the cover they preferred. The report is decision support.

What a cover test costs

Single Cover Feedback is $7 for one cover. An A/B test of two covers is $12. An A/B/C test of three or four covers is $19. CrushPass is $19 per month and includes one A/B test credit per paid invoice. The plan also lists 20% off additional tests, priority results, and genre trend reports. You can cancel anytime. A credit is granted when an invoice is paid. An abandoned checkout that was never paid does not include a test, and unused credits are not guaranteed to roll into the next month. CrushPass is not an unlimited-test plan.

Pro Monthly is a separate $29-per-month plan with two A/B test credits a month plus unlimited single-cover feedback. Both memberships are billed monthly through Stripe and can be canceled anytime. One-time tests remain available if you do not want a membership.

New authors get one free A/B test during the 48 hours after signup. That test is two covers with a target of 200 votes, and it skips checkout while the trial is active and unused. Prices are in US dollars. A paid plan launches one test unless the product is a membership or a credit pack. Listed prices are also on the pricing page and the FAQ.

Start a cover test when you have two images ready to compare. If you are still deciding whether to hire a designer or run a contest first, read book cover A/B testing versus a designer or a contest. When the votes are in, how to choose a book cover with reader votes walks through the report.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is CoverCrush? A: CoverCrush is the short name for CoverCrushing, a book-cover testing site at covercrushing.com. Authors upload cover images, readers vote, and an AI panel scores the same files. The site is operated by Taciturn Studios LLC and is not part of Amazon, KDP, or any book retailer.

Q: How does book cover testing with real readers work? A: Voters open the public vote page, pick genres they read, and choose a cover. A/B Compare shows two covers from the same test. The cover with more recorded votes leads. Votes are stored separately from the AI panel score. A test closes when the recorded vote count reaches that test’s target.

Q: How much does CoverCrush cost? A: Single Cover Feedback is $7. An A/B test of two covers is $12. An A/B/C test of three or four covers is $19. CrushPass is $19 per month with one A/B test credit per paid invoice. Pro Monthly is $29 per month with two A/B test credits and unlimited single-cover feedback. New authors get one free two-cover A/B test, targeted at 200 votes, during the 48 hours after signup.

Q: Will a CoverCrush test change my Amazon rank? A: No. CoverCrushing does not send results to Amazon, KDP, IngramSpark, or any retailer. The test records how people responded to the images you uploaded. It does not change rank, the KDP dashboard, or sales numbers.