All authors dream of having that perfect book cover, the one that will capture the spirit of our story. They want their book to be seen and talked about. Read on for a breakdown of what goes into a good cover design—and a little book cover inspiration.
At Xulon Press our team of designers use their experience, design skills, and knowledge to create the book cover your story deserves. Our authors stories range from autobiographies to self-help. Trim size selections vary (5×8 , 6×9, 7.5×9.25, 7.44×9.69, 8.5×8.5, 8×10, 8.25×11, etc.) and influence the overall composition of the design. What works well for a hardcover children’s book won’t work for a paperback book on finance.
One of the most important elements of the cover is the book title. Selecting a title can be challenging for first-time authors. Special consideration should be given to the title, since it will work in conjunction with the design to capture the viewer’s attention. A very long title doesn’t allow much room for imagery. On the other hand, a concise and interesting title definitely presents your book in a more attractive manner to the book buyer. Keep in mind that online book stores and even brick-and-mortar stores usually carry many, many books. The average person will quickly scan through a wall of books looking to see what stands out to them. Chances are that books with concise, easy to read titles will have a greater opportunity to be picked up.
Next time you are browsing at your local book store, take a look around and study the books on the shelves. Take notes, take pictures and learn from what you see. Ask yourself: How long are the titles? How large is the text? How do the images relate to the story? What about the book cover compelled you to pick it up?
The imagery on the cover is also vital to the success of your book. It needs to have unexpected elements and tell part of the story. It needs to have a polished, professional look. Self-published authors should keep in mind that their book could be seen in many different types of environments and forms, such as trade shows, videos, posters, websites, and large banners. The quality and color of your images will take your book one step higher in a sea of books!
Here’s 10 of our favorite book cover designs for inspiration:
How will your cover stack up?
