Everyone is told not to judge a book by its cover at least once. It is never a good idea to assume what is inside something by looking at its skin. However, this is how things work for most people in this world. That is one of many reasons that every author is concerned about a brilliant book cover.
When a reader enters a bookstore or searches for books online, your book’s name and cover are the first things a viewer notes. Of course, they may lose interest in your work if the cover fails to spike interest in their heart.
You may think completing your manuscript may have been the most challenging task to complete a book. However, the struggle has not ended yet. Coming up with a quality book cover can be equally challenging.
Here are some important steps to help you choose the best book cover.
1. Hire a Book Cover Designer
Many writers choose to undertake the responsibilities of editing and proofreading their books. They may feel confident enough about it or take such steps due to budgetary limitations. However, you cannot burden yourself with all the responsibilities of making your book succeed.
Of course, it is always a good idea for authors to have an idea about what they want their book cover to look like. However, these ideas can be hard to execute without a book cover designer, especially if you do not have any prior experience in designing.
Professional designers have years of experience in the field. They understand best how to choose the right colors, fonts, images, and creativity to make your book cover stand out among millions of other options for readers to read.
It is best to ensure that you read their reviews beforehand. The reviews can tell you a lot about the experiences of their past clients. In addition, it is always recommended to share your budget with the designer as soon as possible so that both parties can save time.
2. Focus on the Concept
There are millions of books in this world, and each has a different book cover. However, a book cover being different doesn’t mean that it is unique. The first thing that can help you in making your book unique may be its theme.
To make sure that you and your book cover designer are on the same page, it is important they are on the same page as you. Hence, it is important to ensure that they have also read your manuscript and understand the theme and concept of your book well.
Many things can be the topic for discussion between you and your book cover designer. However, the core of the discussion must be focused on understanding how the theme and concept of your book can help you find novelty for your book cover.
3. Say No to Clutter
Clutter can never sound or look like a good idea. It has the ability to overwhelm the audience, and they may not feel interested in finding out more about what is inside. It is a common problem that restricts authors from engaging the target audience.
Therefore, it is important to review the book cover along with your designer several times. It is best to ensure that your book cover does not have overflowing information, typefaces, or images. Excessive elements on your cover can overwhelm your viewer and make it harder to understand the core.
A simple cover with limited elements can communicate with the reader on a better level. They can understand the core concept of your work at one glance. Hence, they can make a better decision about taking your book home with them.
4. Keep it Simple
Simplicity has played an essential role in winning the hearts of millions for a long time. The need for simplicity is now more than ever as people do not have the time or the patience to take a look at everything they buy in detail.
As an author, it must be your best effort to grab the reader’s attention at the first glimpse. Therefore, it is important to sit back with your book designer and discuss a simple yet effective cover with them. You can also share samples of the works you like with them.
It is also important to remember that your book cover must give the reader a glimpse into what the book is all about. It should talk to the reader effectively enough to ensure that they have enough reasons to take your book home with them.
5. Use Your Title Smartly
Many writers think that creating a title for their book is only done right once they have completed their manuscript. However, you can be inspired by the right title at any time. Hence, it is important for every writer to keep notes about every idea.
Once you have a great title for your book, it is most important to focus on how it’s presented. It is best to ensure that your title is easily readable, owing to its font and size. Of course, choosing the right color scheme is also important to ensure that visibility is maintained.
6. Use High-Quality Images
Quality plays an important role in winning the heart of a reader. Every author has to keep the image quality and the book cover quality in their mind before sending it out. This step is especially important for novice self-publishing authors.
By ensuring the high quality of your work, you can gain the trust of more readers in your genre. They will have no reasons to feel any difference between your self-published book and any book from a major publication home.
At this point, authors need to work with professional book cover designers. Otherwise, using images from free resources can never satisfy you or the reader with the visual aesthetic and quality. Hence, it is always a better idea to maintain the quality of your images with the help of a professional book cover designer.