Book Cover Design

What makes a great book cover? Is it colorful artwork? Is it legible type? Is it great copy?

It's all of these things, but it's much more.

If you want your book to be noticed, whether online or offline, it must have VISUAL IMPACT. A customer will spend no more than about 8-10 seconds eyeballing your cover and if it doesn't reach out and grab them, you more than likely won't get another chance.

You should begin thinking about your cover as soon as you start writing your book. As part of your market research, it is a good idea to see what other books are for sale on the same topic, and how they are illustrated for a cover design. You want something unique, tasteful, representative for your target market, and distinctive enough so your book is not confused with others.

Your cover design begins by talking about your concept and vision. You may not know how to describe what you see in your mind's eye, but you know you "will know it when you see it."

Before I begin your cover design, it would be helpful to know what other covers you have seen that you like (as well as covers you don't like), who your target market is (age, sex, and interests), and what other books you know of that your book could be compared to (or confused with). I would also like to know how you plan to market your book, what type of artwork you like (and don't like), and if you will be selling offline as well as online.

Your manuscript will provide helpful clues to ways your cover can be illustrated, and I will review it in addition to listening to your goals, vision, suggestions, and ideas.

Your vision will be combined with solid design principles to produce a powerful, striking cover design that will produce maximum impact and visibility, taking into account your preferences as well as the needs of your specific market.

It is extremely important to view your book cover at the small size of an online book listing before finalizing a cover design, to be sure the text and artistic elements look good and don't become muddied and lost at a small size.

The cover designs shown at right are only the front cover; the back cover is just as important, as it contains additional information that lets a reader know if the book will be worth reading.