Designing a book cover that sells is the first thing a potential reader would see when coming across your book. Of course, loyal reader will search for their favourite author, but a nice cover can attract a more expansive audience. Now, we’ll delve into the secret of making a bestselling book cover.
Key Takeaways:
Learning how to design a book cover that sells is essential process for authors. By understanding key design elements and market trends, you can create a stunning cover that drives sales. Here are the top 10 secrets you need to know.
Your title and author name should be easily spotted. The title is usually a bigger size than the author’s name, but if you’re going for a similar size, using typography hierarchy is necessary. The point is, on top of an intricate background, these two elements should still be easily legible.
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Your cover should communicate the genre and tone of your book. Designing a book cover that sells also considers the readers’ expectations and common understanding. So, place your book artwork in line with the general visual cues, but add a specialized design accordingly.
For example, you can use the grand climax scene for an action or misery-lit genre. On the contrary, a single muted character or setting can be used in a mystery or adventure genre.
Select high-quality images for the cover and the back; avoid using too many images as it can clutter the design. Use professional standard photos or illustrations that better represent your story, as amateurish and low-resolution images can leave a subpar impression.
For the book cover, the font style should be readable and resonate with the book’s theme. Also, consider font pairing. Serif fonts usually work well with simple sans-serif or elegant script. Limit your selection to two fonts to maintain professionalism and avoid cluttering.
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Simplicity is definitely more in the book cover designing process. Although you have many symbols, characters, or plot twists, find one constant about the story. A lesson, a message, a thing, or a value that can represent the whole event. This strong element will serve as the focal point on your book cover.
The font color is an element that you can adjust so that it contrasts with the background image to make your title text stand out. Using special effects like shadows, outlines, or embossing is also a good idea. But use them wisely, as overdoing them can look garish.
Additionally, take notes about color psychology. Choose a color scheme based on the mood of your book. This color palette can better evoke emotions and the feeling you’re trying to convey.
Each side of a book cover has a purpose, and the spine is also an essential element. Creating an eye-catching spine design is important, in the case of a bookstore arranging your books with only the spine showing. A continuous design from the front, spine, to back cover is particularly a popular design, while the left-out images also spark intrigue.
Your cover should hint at the monumental scene or the overall theme of the plot without giving away any major plot details and spoilers. That way, your font cover can work together with the back cover and give out a sneak peek of the storyline. Plus, using a plot is a safe choice, as misleading cover images could lead to dissatisfaction.
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While considering designing a book cover that sells, you can maximize the white space with deep symbolism from the storyline. Along with the focal point, hinting at some unnatural decorations can make people wonder why they’re there and create a eureka moment after they’ve already read the story.
Unless you’re a skilled graphic designer, you can always hire a pro to make your book cover. At least, as the author, you already know what traits are used by bestseller books. Incorporating these secret tips and their professional perspective can significantly impact sales and reception.
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Every design choice, from typography to color schemes, should serve a purpose, which is to attract the right readers and communicate the essence of your book. Designing a book cover that sells requires balancing creativity, market awareness (trends), and professional execution.
If you want to try making your first book cover, you can try using high-quality graphic elements in your design. Along with that, our best fonts for cover book are ready to elevate it to the professional standard. Let’s design your book ultimately to attract more readers and gain more advantages!
