Have you ever thought about what makes a good book cover? Even though authors and designers want their book covers to stand out on the racks, there are some things that almost every cover has in common.
No matter which part of the cover catches your eye, the whole thing gets you interested and makes you want to read the book. Book covers do more than one thing.
If you know and understand the parts of a book cover, you’ll be able to make the best marketing choices when you design or have someone else design one for you. Despite the old saying, people will judge your book by its cover, not by what’s inside. It could make the difference between walking (or scrolling) past it or buying it.
Why do book covers matter?
The book cover tells people what they can expect from it. It stops people as they walk through the store and makes them stop in front of your book. It sends people from all over the online to your Goodreads profile, website, or Amazon page for your book. So, a cover image is a very important way to sell books.
Top Features Every Book Cover Needs To Sell
- A fascinating book title
You may have searched “ideas for book covers” on Google to get some design ideas, but the title, subtitle, and author bio are all important parts of a book cover! Look at any book cover. Doesn’t the title catch your eye first?
When a reader stops to think about your book, they will first look at the title. Therefore, the best online book printing services need to be considered well.
The title should be simple and easy to read and remember. Remember that you’re making a cover for people who might read it, so your title should be as clear and direct as possible.
- Artistic use of typeface
Typography is the part of designing a cover design that makes the title and subtitle stand out. The innovative designs for the book cover always show what the book is about through the fonts.
When choosing the font and style for your book, keeping the genre in mind is beneficial. Nonfiction and self-help books do better with a modern font, while fantasy books can use more fancy ones.
- A Compelling Subtitle
Do you notice that the title of each book above is always next to a tiny line of text? That’s what the title says. It tells people more about your book using a concise line with the title.
If your book’s title draws people to it, the subtitle should seal the deal. It should make people desire to read your book and learn more about it.
- Coherent layout and design
The layout of a book cover design is the best way to combine typography and images, which are the most important parts of a book cover design. It tells the reader what you want them to know when they buy your book. For this, you must know who you’re writing for. You need to know whom you’re selling to determine whom to sell to them.
A good cover layout will give the reader a clear idea of what your book is about. When you know what this idea is, you can choose colors, pictures, and fonts that go with it. When writing a mystery, a cover with a big, ominous title and dark pictures is a standard template.
- Author bio placement
When a reader looks at a book, they automatically want to know who wrote it. That is why the author’s bio is printed on the back cover. It tells people who might read your work in the future who you are as a writer. It usually has about three sentences and tells people where they can find you online, like the address of your blog or website.
What you say here also varies depending on the kind of book you’re writing. If you want to write fiction, it helps to have a certain “author persona.” If your book is nonfiction, you should show that you know much about the subject. Talk about your qualifications and other work you’ve done in this field.
- A spine that stands out
Having many people talk about your book cover and stacks in a bookstore is a luxury. Sadly, this is different for people who publish their books. Your book will likely have to share a shelf with other books in the same genre, with only the spine showing. If this small space is to catch people’s attention, it needs to be striking.
- Focus on the thumbnail
Your book may look decent when it’s full size, but how does it look when it’s small? People who buy books online are more likely to judge your book by its tiny thumbnail. That’s why your book cover has to be readable when shrunk to a tenth of its size.
- Keep it simple
When the design is simple, both the thumbnail and the real size of the cover can be read.
Good design means adding things once you can’t add anything else. It is taking away until you can’t take it away anymore.
You don’t have to have a picture or image on the book cover. Several cover designers can use typography to say a whole paragraph in just one word.
- Cover Back
Once people are interested in your book because of the front cover, they will turn it over to read more about it. On the back cover, you can add to the intrigue you created on the front cover and convince the reader that they can’t miss your book.
You can put the following on the back cover:
- A short description of your book also called a “blurb.”
- Book reviews
- An author’s barcode and ISBN
Make the back cover about the description of your book or reviews of it (since those are the elements most likely to push people over the edge and inspire a purchase). Then, in the bottom quarter of the page, put your author bio, ISBN, and barcode.
Conclusion:
A book cover should tell the reader who wrote the book, its genre, and what the story is about. The cover also serves as the first impression of the book itself. Book covers play a major role in determining whether someone purchases a book. It is essential to create a strong cover that attracts readers.
Comments are closed.