While the contents of your book are important, the cover is what will first catch your reader’s eye. An eye-catching cover will make your book more likely to be noticed and picked up off the shelves. So, it’s overall a great investment on your part.
However, the question is how you can design a book cover even if you don’t know much about graphic design. One way to do this is to remain simple and classic. Use simple fonts that are easy to read and colors that are vibrant in nature. The right combination of colors and fonts will make your cover an appealing one lasenorita.
There are also some more tips that will help you design an attractive cover for your book.
1. Make the Title Prominent
Your book’s title is one of the first things people will see when they look at it, so you want to make sure it’s easy to read and catches people’s attention. You can do this by using a bold font or a bright color for the title.
Another option is to use a picture that represents the book’s subject matter. For example, if your book is about travel, you could use a picture of a man or woman holding a briefcase and a globe or airplane, maybe. Whatever you decide, just ensure the title is prominent and easy to read.
The best approach to do this is to experiment with different options of font and color until you find something that looks perfect.
2. Take Inspiration from Popular Cover Designs
As an author, you will have some popular cover designs in mind that you adore. The first thing is to take inspiration from those designs. Look at the overall design theme and notice which fonts and colors are used by the designer and in which manner.
Take the example of the books that fall in the genre you are writing and try to follow their design pattern, layout, and themes. The best approach in this regard is to follow the bestsellers in your genre. Pinterest is also a great platform to find ideas for your book’s cover design.
3. Hire a Book Cover Designer
You want your book cover to be eye-catching and memorable, and a professional book cover designer can help you achieve that. Be sure to find a designer who specializes in designing book covers and is not a random graphic designer. You want to make sure you hire someone who knows how to design a cover that will stand out on a bookstore shelf.
To achieve this, you will have to give the designer a clear idea of what you want. The more specific you can be, the better. Provide the designer with a rough sketch or examples of covers you like. The more directions you give the designer, the better they’ll be able to design the cover.
You can either look for designers on online platforms or ask your literary agent or publisher to find you someone who is experienced in this niche.
4. Don’t Overcrowd the Design
Let’s embrace the fact that you only want your book’s cover to be beautiful but not so busy that it’s confusing or difficult to read. So, try to keep the overall design clean and simple, and make sure the focus is on the title and author name.
Look for covers that you like and see what elements they have in common. Then, use those elements as a starting point for your own cover design. The design should not be so simple that it looks like a page of solid text, nor should it be overcrowded enough that your reader can’t pick out the important stuff.
It is advised to leave some white space and make important information visible enough to catch the reader’s eye.
5. Include a Key Theme from Your Book
There’s no better concept of book cover design than using your own writing to come up with creative ideas. Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, it is advised to include a key theme from your book in the cover design.
This could be something as simple as a repeated pattern or image that appears throughout the book or a more abstract concept that ties into the book’s overall message. For example, if your book is about mystery, you could include a shadowy figure or an ominous setting on the cover.
By using this approach, you can create a stronger connection with potential readers and give them a better sense of what your book is all about. This will especially help you if you are stuck on what to include in your book cover design.
6. Select Your Cover Dimensions Carefully
Each marketplace has different book cover dimensions, so you will have to customize it according to the required dimensions. Think about where your book will be sold and what size will work best for that platform.
For example, if you’re selling your book on Amazon, you’ll want to ensure your cover fits their guidelines. On the other hand, the book cover dimensions for hard copy are also different based on the type of genre you’ve selected.
Hardcover books, fiction books, and nonfiction books all have different cover dimensions, so you can select according to the genre your book is about.
7. Test Your Design and Create a Mockup
Once you’ve selected a few dimensions that work for your book, you can start experimenting with different cover designs. There are multiple writers who have worked with testing different book cover designs and have experienced a hike in sales after some simple changes in their book covers.
You can work with different fonts and colors to make sure the right combination conveys the real tone of your book. After you have finalized a couple of designs, you can ask your family, friends, or coworkers about which version they prefer. This will give you an idea of which design to use for your book.
After this, you’ll have to create a mockup of your book that will be used for marketing purposes. Make sure to design a 3D mockup that looks professional when you are advertising your book on online platforms.
With these above-mentioned tips and a little bit of trial and error, you can create a book cover that’s sure to catch potential readers’ eyes and make your book a hit.
