Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Importance of a Good Book Cover

People always say 'Never judge a book by it's cover' but we almost always do. At first.

It is that compelling cover design that peaks our curiosity, and causes us to pick up that book, and turn it over to read the blurb. Or if you're an eBook writer, a good cover will get you more clicks. Potential buyers will be more inclined to click on your book if you have a sexy, stylish, contrasting front cover. On amazon, the thumbnail image that catches the eye is more likely to get clicked.

I myself admit to buying and downloading books based SOLELY on the front cover alone. Most of these books I do not read, but they look pretty upon my bookshelf. Sounds stupid, right? Right. But PRETTY sells. Buyers are more likely to spent their money on a book they know nothing about, if it looks nice.

While creating your cover design, be sure to check and see how it looks at thumbnail size. Remember, the thumbnail is what shoppers will see first, so it’s just as important as the cover in full size. Make sure the title and main image are clear.

I can hear what you're thinking:

"I can't design my own book cover, and I cant afford to hire a graphic designer!"

Don't fret. There are hundreds of free resources, and free software you can use to create a stylish, compelling book cover design.

1. DeviantArt.com has a lot of free stock you can use - just make sure you email the artist and ask if it is okay to use their work.

2. istock.com is usefull too. You have to pay to use these images, and many of them may require editing to make them stylish, so you might need photoshop, or a similiar program.

3. Freelancer.com.au you can hire artists from all over the world on this website, and YOU decide what the pay will be. You can grab an original piece of artwork for under $50!

4. Online tutorials. There are COUNTLESS online tutorials that will show you how to create stunning effects in photo editing programs. Just do a little bit of poking around!

One of the biggest mistakes people make when commissioning a book cover, is asking to have TOO MUCH detail crammed into the cover. It needs to be SIMPLE. One element should be the focus, with limited background. Take a look at some of these amazing book covers. (The book itself might be terrible, like twilight, but the ARTWORK IS AMAZING AND SIMPLE. IT WORKS)



I hope this helps!
Oh, did I mention I design book covers? ;)


xx

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