In this article we'll consider:
The purpose of a book cover
Understanding your genre
Typography, images, colour
Simplicity is key
Testing your design
Consistent branding
Hiring a professional
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As painful as it is to break this to you, your book will indeed be judged, unashamedly, by its cover. The very first point of contact with potential readers, your book cover is standing bold and alone at the coalface, its role being to communicate key messages about your book within a short amount of time and space. No pressure!
A well-designed superstar cover is not simply about visual appeal. It's not even about conveying the intricacies of your story or representing your favourite characters or scene. It begins with something far more fundamental; something crucial for turning browsers into buyers.
Judging a book by its genre
At its core, your book cover needs to do two things:
Convey genre
Gain trust
The vital point here is that it's less about selling your story, and more about selling your genre. No amount of striking artwork on the front of a science fiction book will entice romance readers to purchase it; and likewise, a glorious sunset over your rural setting may fail to attract the readers who would have loved the thrilling, action-packed tale of crime and debauchery within its pages.
In order to attract the "right" readers - the ones you've written the book for, that will love your story, leave a positive review, rave to friends on social media about it - your cover needs to help them quickly identify if your book suits their preferences and interests.
Secondly, you also want to reassure readers that: a) the book is professional (as in, not cobbled together and hoping for the best); and b) it's similar to other books they've enjoyed before. These means of establishing trust extend to your book description, reviews, and quality of your sample pages, too, but it starts here, right at the first touchpoint, with your book cover.
And it's done by ensuring your cover aligns with current market trends in your genre.
Please refrain from shooting the messenger, I only have your best interests at heart. It pains me to advise you to stay on-trend, but I do so with good reason...
While you may as a creative have ideas for all the ways your cover could stand out from the crowd, when it comes to catching a reader's eye as they scroll through hundreds of other books vying for their attention, your cover design is more likely to stop them in their tracks if it's familiar as opposed to if it's different.
So how, then, to strike the right balance between offering what's familiar and at the same time new? Let's look at some top tips for designing book covers that are not only visually appealing, but also sell books.
8 top tips for designing covers that sell
Spoiler alert! The final tip in this list is to hire a cover designer, someone who not only has book cover design experience, but is knowledgeable about the trends currently selling books in your genre. However, if you have design experience yourself, or are keen to try your hand and save the expense, then these top tips will serve you well.
Understand your genre: Research successful books in your genre to understand the common themes and design elements that are currently the trend. As we've said above, whilst it's tempting to produce a cover that's different from all the rest, originality could potentially be a barrier to reaching the readers who would most love your book. That's not to say your cover has to be identical to all the others down to the last detail. As long as your cover would look at home on the shelf with its counterparts - i.e. it sets a similar tone - there's still room to add your book's unique flavour.
Eye-catching typography: Choose fonts and font colours that are easy to read yet visually appealing, and once again common for your genre. The title and author name should be prominent and well-positioned for quick recognition, even in thumbnail size. If you're a new author, make sure the title of the book is in a larger font than your name. Established authors with large followings can afford to have their name bigger and bolder; think of Stephen King - does he even need book titles anymore? Ideally, use no more than two or three different font styles and colours.
High-quality images: Invest in high-resolution images or illustrations that reflect the essence of your book and, yep, fit with current trends in your genre. For example, a trend for detective novels is the back view of a coat-wearing protagonist in the countryside, on the coast, or in the city; or for mystery books, remote-looking houses under shadowy skies. Avoid generic stock photos that may have been used on other books (trust me, it's slightly alarming, and oddly feels like a betrayal, to see one of your cover characters on another author's book). Or perhaps opt for custom artwork that's unique to your story while still suiting your genre.
Colour psychology: Different colours evoke different emotions, and you can take advantage of this on your cover. Select a colour palette that aligns with the mood and tone of your book as well as current trends; think of the stark red and black of horror, and the colourful illustrations and warm tones of some contemporary light-hearted romance or cosy mysteries.
Simplicity is key: A cluttered design can be confusing, off-putting and unprofessional. Avoid overloading your front cover, and instead opt for a clean and simple layout. Have one central element that acts as a focus point and gives the eye a place to rest. Using detective thrillers again as an example, the protagonist figure is usually the central element in a landscape backdrop; often in a brightly coloured mackintosh.
Test your design: Before finalizing your cover, gather feedback from your target audience or fellow authors if you're able. A/B testing different cover designs can help you identify the most effective one. Some established authors involve their social media followers or newsletter subscribers in the decision of final cover design, the benefits of which are three-fold: receiving useful feedback, cultivating author-reader relationships, and building intrigue before release day.
Consistent branding: If your book is part of a series, maintain consistency in design elements like font choice, colour scheme, and layout, to establish a strong brand identity that readers can easily recognize. Need I add, this has the added benefit of making designs of covers for subsequent books a whole lot easier. A win-win all round!
Hire a professional: Well, I did warn you it was coming. While DIY options are available (Photoshop, Canva, Gimp, Book Brush), consider instead the benefits of hiring a professional book cover designer. A poorly designed cover can impact your sales and reader reach significantly. Whereas, a professional cover gives you the best possible opportunity to connect with your audience, an outcome that far outvalues the initial outlay required.
Finally...
In the competitive world of publishing, your book cover can be your strongest marketing tool. From a business sense, assuming your goal is sales, your cover is the packaging; it signals to readers what they can expect from this particular product.
Although it might feel awkward, particularly for new authors, to detach yourself from your work enough to see it in this way - as a product - just think of it as an essential step towards sharing your stories with those who will appreciate them.
By understanding the nuances of cover design and recognizing market trends, you increase your chances of resonating with your audience, and growing a following that will remain with you, supporting you, time and again through future book releases. What could be better?
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Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
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