No matter how many times they are told not tothere is just no avoiding the fact that people are going to "judge abook by its cover." Here are a few tips on how to design a book coverthat catches eyes and represents your work well.
No matter how many times they are told not to,there is just no avoiding the fact that people are going to "judge abook by its cover." Here are a few tips on how to design a book coverthat catches eyes and represents your work well.Research
Or sort of, anyway. The first thing you will want to do when startingto design your book cover is to gather together a few covers that youlike, look at them with a critical eye and ask yourself what it is thatyou like about them. Is it the font? The artwork or photography? Thecolor scheme? All of the above? If you are working with a graphicdesigner you will be helping him or her greatly by supplying thosecovers as examples of the kind of look you are going for.
Depending on your budget, there may even be the possibility of workingwith the same designer - it is worth checking out, anyway. You won't beable to - nor do you want to - imitate the covers you enjoy toodirectly, but you should be able to get something original that youenjoy.
Designing The Details
Whether you are working with a designer or designing the book yourself,there are some things that you may want to keep in mind. While in somecases you may want to lean in the direction of having your cover art bea representation of what the actual book is about, you don'tnecessarily have to do that. In fact, it may be considered a little bittrite and "on the nose." A good graphic artist will be able to take theoverall mood of your book and create a cover that conveys that mood. Orhe or she may be able to simply create a cover that simply drawsattention based on how great it looks. Sometimes, that's all it takes.
Color schemes and fonts can go a long way is creating the right mood,and even a brand in some cases. If you want to do an interesting designstudy, do an internet search for the different covers the iconic book"Catcher In The Rye" has had through the years. During one period, itwas simply yellow printing on a maroon background, but that kind ofsimplicity created a look that has stood the test of time.
Other Things To Consider
The covers of books can be a multi-sensory experience as well, so givesome thought to printing your cover with embossed or raised lettering.People like to touch and run their fingers over things that are printedin those ways, and the more attention your book gets the better.
Also be sure to give adequate time and attention to the spine of yourbook and make it as appealing as possible, because sometimes, that'sall peoples will have a chance to see.
One last thing to consider is trying to make sure that your book covertranslates well to a relatively low-resolution JPEG, and that yourgeneral theme translates well in that format, as that's all yourpotential internet buyers will see.
Article Tags: Book Cover