How to Make a Book Cover Design that Flies Off the Shelf!
Copyright 2006 Karen Saunders
According to "The Wall Street Journal", "The average bookstore
browser who picks up a book spends eight seconds looking at the
front cover and 15 seconds reading the back." You can't tell --
but you can sell -- a book by its cover." Here are a few
powerful book cover design techniques that professional book
designers use:
The essential elements for your front cover
The front cover presents your book title, subtitle, and your
name. Golden opportunities often overlooked are including
endorsements and short testimonials from VIPs.
Think of your cover like a billboard. The best designs
communicate the book's message at a glance, with simple,
uncluttered design. Unique, distinctive, bold, colorful graphics
work well. But keep the graphic style consistent with the
content and personality of the book. Make sure there is a
central focal point to your design.
I recommend using bold, contrasting lettering on the front
cover. When choosing colors, consider how these colors will look
when converted to black and white so your cover will reproduce
well in black and white ads, catalogs, and flyers. Also make
sure the font you use for the title is legible from a distance
and appropriate for the book's subject.
Covers that scream "amateur" and have a "made-at-home look" make
it difficult to sell your book at all. If you lack talent in
this area, seek the services of an experienced book cover
designer. A professional designer has the creativity, skills,
software, access to stock photography, and printing knowledge
that will make your cover stand out above others in the
marketplace.
What should you put on your spine
Your name, book title, and publishing company logo show up on
the spine. Make sure the information on the spine is clean,
uncluttered, and legible. I recommend using bold, contrasting
lettering on the spine as well.
Critical items you should include on your back cover
Place the category name in the upper left-hand corner to help
bookstores shelve your book properly. Write a headline that
clearly addresses who should buy the book. It should be followed
by sales copy explaining what the book is about. Then provide a
short bulleted list of benefits to readers.
I recommend including no more than three testimonials and
endorsements, as well as your bio and photograph. Close to the
bottom, put "sales-closer" copy in bold print. Position the
price in the lower left corner of the back cover. Also include
the 13-digit ISBN number for cataloging and the bar code in the
lower right corner (below ISBN number), which stores use for
scanning information and price.
Don't forget to include credits for your book cover's
illustrator, photographer, and/or designer.
What goes on the inside flaps (If Applicable)
- Sales copy
- Short "teaser" description of the book
- Your bio and photo
You now have a good idea of what makes a strong book cover
design. Remember, book cover design is a form of packaging--and
good packaging attracts buyers to products. That's why
successful organizations spend millions researching and
developing the best product packaging possible.