Tag: #coverdesign

Crafting a Cover Design that Works for More than the Author

Leave a comment

As an editor who’s seen countless books go from manuscript to marketplace, I can tell you that a book’s cover is so much more than just a pretty face. While a nonfiction author’s vision is undeniably paramount – it’s their story, their message, and name on the cover – a successful cover design is a delicate dance involving many key players, each with their own crucial needs.

Consider the diverse audience for your book and their investment in its cover:

  • Online buyers: They see your book at thumbnail size first, and often it’s your shot at capturing their attention. It needs to be clear, impactful, and instantly convey genre and tone.
  • In-store book buyers: The tactile experience, the spine, the back cover copy – it all contributes to their decision.

But beyond the end consumer, think about some key gatekeepers:

  • Retailers, both indie bookstores and giants like Barnes & Noble, are assessing whether your book will sell off their shelves.
  • Global licensing partners are looking for international appeal and marketability.
  • For nonfiction authors, your cover needs to resonate with your specific audience, whether it’s attendees at an adult wellness retreat, corporate groups, or high school and college students on campus.

Here’s a critical point often overlooked: a provocative cover that might perfectly suit a niche audience could be a significant deterrent for others. The goal shouldn’t be to get your captured audience to purchase your book but, as a colleague often shares, the true goal is to get folks who don’t know you to buy your book. To achieve that, you have to consider the cover designs of the popular-selling books in the category.

In the case of the sultry cover, it’s not just about what might “put off” younger readers; it’s about the person hiring you to speak or teach. A campus administrator might pass on buying a book with a suggestive cover from an otherwise brilliant speaker if the cover design sends a message they think doesn’t align with their institution’s values.

Ultimately, a compelling cover is a strategic tool. It’s about blending artistic vision with market realities, ensuring everyone from author to book sellers sees something that makes them say, “Yes, this is the one.”

Communicating Your Vision for Your Book’s Cover Design

Leave a comment

Cover design is one of the most exciting parts of the book production process. Undoubtedly, both author and publisher understand that a well-designed cover draws in readers, and all parties want to be proud of the end result. However, the author and publisher often have differing ideas of what that design looks like.

For the publisher’s part, it wants something that is engaging, complimentary to its brand, visually appealing in person and online, and compliant with any considerations pertaining to licensing of art and fonts. I suspect most authors want the same but often focus their attention on the look and “vibe “of their cover. So, how can these parties each leave the cover design process satisfied?

I recommend the publisher ask and authors communicate their vision. A meeting, email, or cover questionnaire can easily accomplish this. Along those lines, the author should consider:

  • What competing book covers look like—The author should look online, in industry catalogs, or in brick-and-mortar stores. Note the books that are billed as best-sellers or get prime placement (that is, forward-facing in stores).
  • What “feel” they want—The feel can be fun and accessible, authoritative, or something else.
  • What colors the author envisions—The author should note if he or she wants a cover with vibrate shades like red and orange, soft pastels like sage green or cream, or something else.
  • Fonts—Authors should communicate whether they want the title or author name be bigger than the subtitle, whether the main title be larger than all other text, whether they desire cursive or other special looks.
  • Art—Some authors do not want pictures on their book covers while others are indifferent. Others still, may have strong feelings about certain symbols. I once worked with an author who was vehement that her book on motherhood should not use a cover image that focused on a pregnancy bed. To her, images like that removed the woman’s personhood and centered her only as a reproductive agent. Any author who has strong feelings should communicate that.

If authors don’t know what they want or are open to a variety of designs, they have likely made their designer’s day. Who doesn’t like carte blanche to create a stunning visual!

After authors communicate their cover desires, they should trust their partner—that is, their publisher. Any reputable publisher has years—or centuries—of publishing success under its belt. It won’t want to jeopardize that on a slapdash cover that looks inferior beside competitors.