Where to start when designing a book cover
An engaging and evocative
book cover is an essential marketing tool for every author. When designed
correctly, it will stand out on a crowded shelf and communicate with a reader
in the briefest of glances.
The following are a few tips for designing an
engaging book cover that perfectly complements your manuscript:
Less is more
A book cover should be simple
and uncluttered. It should represent the theme of the manuscript or the
conflict within, however, not every plot point needs to be shown. One element should
dominate and take charge to provide a hint of the atmosphere of the book.
Be genre-appropriate
Each genre has a formula per
se, and if your novel falls in that genre, your audience will be expecting to
see certain elements. For example, if your novel is Romance, the audience will
expect to see an image that evokes love, passion or longing. Each of these
feelings can also be achieved through the right typography. Yes, even the typography
needs to be genre-appropriate. In our Romance novel example, your audience will
expect to see a title that is curvaceous rather than straight or block letters.
Engage your reader on an emotional level
The image you use needs to
give readers a sense of excitement and something they can relate to. Again in
the case of Romance novels or stories that are character or relationship-driven,
designs with people on the cover will sell more over an obscure image. Showing
conflict or drama on the cover is a sure way to hook a reader looking for that
type of reading experience.
Use strong typography
Along with being genre-appropriate
and well crafted, the typography for the title and author name should be
readable at thumbnail size. The choice of font can truly make, or break, your
book cover.
Be consistent within a series
If you are writing a series, use
similar thematic elements, typography or structure to provide consistency,
recognizability and branding.
Use the same eCover & Paperback Cover
Since there isn’t as much of
a gap between eCovers and Paperback covers anymore because all print covers
will be shown somewhere online anyway, choose images and typography that will work
well for both. The major advantage of this is recognizability with your
audience and in the market.
Don’t wait until your novel is complete to design your cover
Participating in a pre-publication Cover
Reveal campaign with bloggers and posting your cover on GoodReads early generates
hype about your novel. It also reduces stress from a last minute rush if you
have to wait for your favourite designer. You might find you need to allow additional
time for a special photo shoot or image production. Starting early is always best.
That said, you should wait until the major themes and storylines are fleshed
out in case your characters decide to take the story in another direction. Changes
in the plot could impact the image choice for your cover.
