They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in fact we all do.
Take for example the books above, all of which come up when you search Amazon for “cover design.”
One topic. Five very different covers. And five rather different judgements we automatically assign to each.
Self-publishing friends, those judgements transform into sales.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, folks. Here are three easy tips to make your book’s first impression a lasting one… in a good way.
*To see the grand reveal of The Denim Jungle cover, check out tip #3 below!*
3 COVER DESIGN TIPS
1. Research your competition.
Go to a bookstore and browse the section where your book will be stocked. Do a Google image search for your topic. See what comes up when you search for related books on Amazon. Make notes about what stands out from the crowd, both positively and negatively.
2. Get help.
Sure, you could do it yourself for cheaper, but the perceived quality and worth of your book will be cheaper, too. Budget a little money to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. And don’t take their word for it. Review their work to make sure their style is a good fit for your book.
3. Make sure the design pops, when it’s large AND small.
You want something that’s eye catching and readable, both on a store shelf and in a tiny thumbnail on someone’s phone.
For example:
Hopefully this post will make you browse bookshelves with a new eye. And I’d love to hear your stories of books that have pulled you in (or sent you running) based on their cover design.
Happy creating,
Angela
My Castle Heart Publications 