Yes it’s true! People DO judge a book by its cover. Here is a list of the best practices and tips for great book cover design…
Who, What and Why?
Why was the book written? Who is your audience? What is the message of the book? These basic questions are a great starting point for establishing the theme or mood you want to convey.
Spend some time researching.
Google search images for your genre, etc. to see what has been done, what styles you like & to make sure your cover will fit in to what is already out there.
NOTE: Never use google images for your cover. You must have permission to use any type of photography and/or artwork. All images must be licensed to be used commercially. Always look for the words “Royalty-Free”. Contact owner of google image to get licensing info.
Your cover must grab ones attention.
A good book cover draws the consumer in. Get the viewer to pick up your book, and move on to the back cover, and most importantly make that purchase.
Clean and simple is the way to go.
Avoid too many subtitles or extra copy on the cover. Large type for the title that doesn’t interfere with the imagery always works best. Avoid busy imagery as well that makes things hard to read or clutters up the composition.
Never depict a specific scene in the story.
A covert that uses type and images too their full potential to suggest story/mood without overwhelming or being too precise is usually best.
Your cover must be easy to see at a glance.
Your cover needs to be seen easily at a distance or smaller in size. If your’e cover isn’t legible at thumbnail size, you still have work to do.
