Books have been around for centuries, and there are thousands, if not millions of them all over the globe. This is due to the rise of writers who seek to improve and develop their craft and create a masterpiece of their own.
The way in which you can use words to tell a story is unlimited. Hence, books have been at the center of the entertainment industry along with other things such as films and games.
Are you an aspiring writer who wants to put his book out there for the world to see? Then the next thing you need to do (given that you’ve written your masterpiece already) is designing the cover of your book. Luckily for you, this article will provide tips on how to do just that!
1. The Book Cover Should Demand Attention
Nowadays, people tend to purchase books online, and with the absolutely massive market, they just tend to scroll down until something finally catches their eye. You want that to be your book. This is even the case for libraries these days. People don’t really browse much because the process can be tiring.
This is why your book needs to catch their eye with its cover designs. This is perhaps the most important among the tips to choose the right cover for your first book. Choose a color and design that goes with the story. Remember, the main aspect of the cover is to draw them in, so try your best to catch them.
If it’s for children, then playful colors are fine, but if the book is more serious and adult, go for darker colors. You can add in a symbol that will become iconic if the book is well received by the public. Just make sure everything is perfectly aligned: the font, the colors, the size, the shapes, and that the cover relates to the subject of the book.
That being said, you can hire designers and other people who work in the industry to create something that is very marketable. This can be time-consuming, but there are several self-publishing help firms for independent writers, so don’t be shy about asking for help.
2. No Spoilers on the Cover
This may not sound important, but we recommend that you don’t give away any important aspects of the story, just a peek. Sometimes when reviewing the book, people may get information that they should not have picked up on until they read the story, which will feel like a disappointment. This can even happen to the trendiest books, so be careful to keep the story enigmatic.
3. Tips on the Design Aspects
Firstly, do not overwhelm your readers with a lot of words on the book cover; keep it simple and easy to read. The font should also be clear while giving them an idea of the book’s genre. A text with a thumbnail or symbol works well and is a simple maneuver. You can also put a spoiler-free summary or something meaningful behind the cover as well.
You have undoubtedly read other authors’ books in different genres. There was probably at least one that inspired you to start when you were a beginner reader and hadn’t yet considered writing. You probably still remember the book cover, right? That’s what we will aim to do—make a memorable book cover for a memorable story.
Symbols are also important factors. That being said, you will be targeting a specific genre, so use the right colors, the right fonts, etc. that suit your vision of the story you’ve written.
You Can Try Going Indie to Stand Out
If you want to separate yourself from the pack, then you may wish to go in the indie direction. You can of course ask for help and hire a designer who will try to create something that fits your vision well. That being said, don’t go overboard. The main point of these tips is to choose the right cover for your first book.
Stay on the indie side; otherwise, you might just end up in a pool of other uninteresting books. But not too indie. You want to remind readers of other books that they enjoyed so they’ll be drawn to yours. Very few people will buy something that doesn’t fit into some genre that they like. There is a fine line between being just different enough and being too different.
In Conclusion
To conclude, as a writer myself, I highly recommend that you think deeply and ask yourself what inspired you to write. That will help you create a vision of how your book should look when it gets published.
We hope these tips to choose the right cover for your first book have helped you and remember, the writing community always has your back, so don’t give up. Get help if you need it. We wish you good luck in your future endeavors.
FAQs
What should the book cover portray?
The book should be memorable and portray a glimpse of what the story has to offer.
Is it better to design the cover on your own or with help?
There are several tutorials and videos that will help you make your own book cover, and there are experts who will do all of it for you but you might lose a little freedom, so make sure you know what they’re offering. The choice is yours.
What should I choose?
The most attractive covers are eye-catching, but the design and the content of the book also matter. Don’t choose a color or design just because you think it will draw people in.
