Monday, January 28, 2013

Designing a Book Cover - Tips and Resources

Let's face it: everybody says not to judge a book by its cover, but you and I both know that there is nothing better than picking up a book and loving the design on the front. Conversely, don't we tend to cringe a little bit when we come across a novel cover that doesn't look, well, professional? I'm not going to point out any specific author or go into the nitty gritty details, but even I will admit: I sometimes judge a books by its cover

If you're an Indie Author, the design and style of your novel cover is entirely up to you. That's one of the epic boons of being self-published. You have a ton of control over your creative vision. So...don't blow it! A lot of self-pubbed authors don't know how to go about designing or creating their own covers. Good news, peeps! You can hire a professional cover artist. You probably know this, but maybe you don't know where to find one. Check some of these providers: 


There are a few things to keep in mind when you're designing your novel cover: 
  1. Does it tell a story - specifically, the story of the book?
  2. Is it clean? You don't want a cover that's so busy it could double as a mosaic pattern. 
  3. Is it age-appropriate? No naked people on the cover of a YA novel, folks! 
  4. Will your cover stand out on a shelf and beg people to read it? Would you pick it up and buy it based on appearance alone? If your answer is no, then you're not done with your cover yet. 
  5.  More is less. Simplicity is always good. Think of The Hunger Games. One black background. One Mockingjay. One Title. Bingo! You got yourself a recognizable novel that says everything about the book with just a single, small image. 
Make your novel pop by giving it the cover it deserves! Take your time considering the designs and images. Maybe you don't need an illustration. Maybe you need a cover model. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Don't rush into creating your cover. Like a movie poster or trailer, we do make a snap judgement about the content inside, so make sure the aesthetic is just as polished as the interior. 

6 comments:

  1. I agree that although we shouldn't, everyone judges a book by it's cover. Having a great cover really is important- I think it shows that if the author cares enough about the cover, then they care enough about the story, too...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! It definitely send a message about how much an author cares about their work....even if they don't think it does! :)

      Delete
  2. I agree entirely with your comment. What attracts you to a book: first the cover, then the name of the author, and finally the back cover.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every time - for me, especially! Not always, but in this day and age, with all the amazing covers out there....more often than not. :D

      Delete
  3. Great post. I try not to judge a book by a cover, but if the author is not professional about making a good cover, I can't help it but ask myself whether they're also professional enough about the content...I've recently started interviewing cover artists on my bog and it's interesting to hear the different experiences they have working with authors :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, that sounds interesting! I'll have to swing by and check those interviews out - thanks for stopping by, Ivana! :)

      Delete

Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!