Two covers for the same book? Why is that?

The darker cover (the stormy looking one) was created by one of my favorite cover designers, Erin Dameron-Hill. I loved it. It was fantastic and possibly one of my favorite covers (Saltwater Kisses is still my all-time favorite)

However, it wasn't selling.

People always say, “Don't judge a book by its cover,” yet, that is exactly what most of us do. As I am a self-publisher (my husband does the actual publishing part for me- I just do the creative stuff: words, cover art, and some promo) I see how a cover changes things first hand.

So, we changed it. The cover went from dark and stormy (which while accurate due to the storm in the book) it didn't fit the overall tone of the piece. Hurricane Kisses is really an overall happy book.

Upon changing the cover to something a little brighter and more consistent with the other books in the series, sales went up. People had a better idea of what to expect from the book.

It may no longer be the most accurate cover, but it is the better cover for this book. I still adore the original, and I am keeping it for the paperback versions because I love it so much, but what sells books is king.

Which cover do you prefer?