Do book covers matter

While the image is still important, the book isnt an object in a readers hand if theyre perusing online books. Book cover mattersbook covers matter part 2 would bastion have started reading the neverending story if it had been a scuffedup little paperback, do you think. Best book covers of 20 and how much do covers matter. The book cover designer the largest selection of premade book covers online. If you dont have the right book cover, its going to be hard to get attention, especially if its your first book. Book cover mattersbook covers matter part 1 bookforager. For me, personally, its not as much of a dealbreaker. Jul 23, 2019 one of the most important book cover design tips is to limit yourself to two typefaces. I received a book for a tour and the cover was so disturning i couldnt make myself pick it up.

Nov 15, 20 it goes without saying that the cover of your book is key. The worst thing an author can do is consider their cover design like a blank canvas and add whatever they want, wherever they want. Jo linsdell 2 comments the popular idiom is dont judge a book by its cover, but despite how true it might be in an idealistic sense, the reality of the book industry is that the vast majority of readers do indeed use the cover of a book as a deciding factor in not only whether or not they should buy. Walking into a bookstore, there are hundreds, or maybe thousands, of books hanging everywhere, i cant check out these books one by one to judge its contents. You want your cover to be different and unique, but you also want to tick all the right boxes because they work. Can i post the same book, using 2 different book covers at the same timenothing in the actually book would be different other than the. Aug 01, 2012 does design matter when it comes to selling and marketing your books. The real marketing value of a professional book cover. There are three ways to create a great ebook cover for your book. Otherwise, do yourself and your readers the great favor of letting the professionals do their job.

I do have to say though that ill peruse book shops but i dont peruse online. I chose these images and book covers quickly to illustrate my point. The best you can usually do with matters of taste is draw a. You might ask, does the back of the book even matter. Luckily, i could take it off and finally did so i could start reading it. The 10 best freelance book cover designers for hire in 2020. Book covers seem to matter less when browsing and purchasing online. May 31, 20 no doubt, a fine cover gives the author an advantage, coker says.

Frank joins us this week with holly rollins from rit as she discusses her thesis on ebooks. That being said it does not bother me if the cover does not have exactly match with the narrative of whole book. People have been judging books by their covers for ages now. Canvas free book cover maker is ridiculously easy to use even for the novice or notsotechsavvy writer. One of the most important book cover design tips is to limit yourself to two typefaces. Do they influence or even change your decision to purchase a book. Book covers matter book covers matter the above is the ageold mantra of publishers, book designers, and authors alike. Online retailers like amazon do not distinguish between traditional and selfpublished books which means independent authors are often competing again big 5 publishers. Without naming names, there are some ny times bestsellers. No matter what genre your latest book is, placeit has a book cover template for it. Our book cover maker allows you to choose from hundreds of layouts, making it easier than ever to create a memorable cover. Lamination can change the visual and tactile experience of shopping for or reading a book.

Yes, we really do judge books by their covers huffpost. However, these articles are founded on a false presumption that book covers should be totally new and unexpected which is downright dangerous and misleading for indie authors who dont understand the purpose of book design. There are good and bad book covers, and a good designer can clearly tell you the difference between them. Book cover mattersbook covers matter part 2 bookforager. Is design important for selfpublishers, particularly in the massive, createspace, and kindle marketplace. A great book cover design, at its most basic level, is something that will help readers take you and your book seriously. May 27, 2015 book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your books final edit. So if youve written a great novel, it pays to invest in professional book cover designer. Jan 28, 2019 complete guide to book cover sizes why do they matter. A welldesigned cover communicates that the publisher, who might also be the books author thanks to the rise of self. Design a book cover in seconds with this tool placeit.

The literati has of course reacted to the contrary hardly surprising given they sweated hours over the words whereas the cover is. A dark cover, with lots of shadow, can suggest a horror, while a bright white cover with clouds could suggest a motivational textbook. Book cover design tips for your next release author. Many publishers require a book to be substantially modified or updated to be eligible for a new edition status. Aug 26, 2017 book cover mattersbook covers matter part 2 would bastion have started reading the neverending story if it had been a scuffedup little paperback, do you think.

Most of these arent books ive read, but on the covers alone i now want to read the misfortune cookie, love minus eighty, and a natural history of dragons. Covers clearly do matter a whopping 80% of folks surveyed agreed covers can and do play a role in influencing survey responders buying habits, although a large majority of survey takers need a little more to go on than a cover when buying books which is perhaps not indicative of the casual reader. Book covers are a crucial marketing factor book covers should grab a browsers attention your cover shows your book is right for a genre your author name and book title should be clearly displayed. A professional book cover maker will make sure that youre. No matter the genre, youre sure to find a book cover template for you to finish up your work. Is my target audience professional or do they represent the mass market. This covers composition is strongthe eye is drawn to the center of the hero imagebut the fonts are out of control and cheapen the whole look and make it seem less professional. But if we readers know nothing about a book, then its.

Kudos to the creative book designers on that front. For a fantastically informative explanation of what variant covers are, by the way, and how they work, check out ali and brians breakdown here. But we all do it, just like we judge movies and games and albums and magazines by their covers. I regularly scan through it and i have added few books to my list because the cover drew me in. It doesnt matter how wellwritten your book is, having a cheap, unprofessional book cover, similar to the one below that i quickly created for this post, will handicap a books sales potential. It goes without saying that the cover of your book is key. Writers on the reality of book covers writers edit. It can also affect the perceived quality and value of the book. By curlygeek04, january 12, 2014 i wanted to share a cool post from stainless steel droppings on some of the best science fiction and fantasy covers of 20. You do not have to use pressbooks to create your book coversyou can source those separatelybut you can use our book cover generator to produce both your ebook or pdf covers. Covers are the first bit of customerfacing marketing that your reader will ever see. Discussion during our selfpublishing basics series, we got a response to 7 things to know about book design that got the cogs in our head spinning. Feb 28, 2017 cover creation is the very last creative step when publishing a book. How book cover design affects your books success mill city press.

If your book stands a chance at succeeding, its design has to match or, if possible, exceed what the. As much as we might like to think otherwise, readers do judge books by their covers. All of placeits templates are super easy and fast to customize. Book promotion expert ben cameron always says writing the blurb is the hardest 100 words youll ever write, and many authors are also stumped when it comes to writing the front and back matter another task that usually falls just when youre feeling least like writing another word, after completing your books final edit. Why book covers matter for marketing nerdy book girl. Despite the adage to never judge a book by its cover, readers do. If it helps, you can think of the cover as a prequel to the story of the book, and the book. Its important to have a cover which is able to grab a readers attention and cause them to stop and consider the book further. In the early years of red hen press, we were still figuring out book covers, and we used to sit down with the authors and they would give us their ideas.

The discussion today is book covers and how they help or hinder the sales of book. Mar 25, 2015 you dont have to put a butt frontandcenter on these covers to get boydollars, big two, and acting like you do is insulting to all of your readers. Apart from your ability to execute a design, the most important aspect of book covers is their ability to connect with the target market. I do book covers great content deserves the right book. I shortlist books with awesome book covers maybe the best twenty out of a hundred in the genre i am looking for. On the other hand, excellent books covers dont mean excellent books. Before seeing your article i wondered if testing multiple book covers could be done. The one thing that book covers should never be is misleading, because covers are. Thats not to say that i only read books that i find attractive, and ill read something recommended to me no matter what its cover looks like if i am intrigued and inspired by what i hear about it. Some informative blog posts have addressed techniques for creating an effective front cover, but an often overlooked aspect of book cover design is the back of the book. Dec 22, 2017 wouldnt it be great if it was just that simple.

Learn what makes art work before trying to make artwork. Jan 12, 2014 best book covers of 20 and how much do covers matter. Do we really need to work so hard for our book covers. It doesnt matter how many spaceships you put in the background. A poor cover creates unnecessary friction that prevents a reader from clicking to sample or purchase a book. One indie author, john betcher, designed his cover. That is, do covers play a decisive role in your decision to purchase a book. Its getting to be harder to find books with great cover art because most writers are just trying to get their books published. Whether you enjoy writing fantasy books for young adults or are a selfhelp guru getting ready to publish your next masterpiece, find a book cover design that suits your book perfectly. A books cover design tells the reader what to expect from the book in more ways than showing what the books about. Oct 26, 2018 but if you do decide to make your own cover, here are 7 steps that youll want to follow.

Why book covers are so important writers and authors. Shady says that readers who browse online lack the book as artefact experience. I know that covers matter a lot to some of my indie author friends who are also avid book consumers. Look at the ribbon of book covers at the top of this subred. The short answer is, the book has been improved since it was first published. The 10 best freelance book cover designers for hire in. The question she had was whether book covers were important for ebooks as well as physical books. A book cover is the first thing we see before starting the first page. A book cover might attract ones eyes and force them to buy the book, sometimes a book cover is an art piece too. Why book covers are so important jo linsdell 2 comments the popular idiom is dont judge a book by its cover, but despite how true it might be in an idealistic sense, the reality of the book industry is that the vast majority of readers do indeed use the cover of a book as a deciding factor in not only whether or not they should buy the. The illustrations and typography are good for increasing the market, for people who judge a book by its cover, but for others, it doesnt actually matter.

Are the book covers in their portfolio look like books youd pick off the shelf. Variant covers matter because they make a statement about the market the publishers value. This is because a book cover is a piece of art with a specific purpose. Once there, the design will communicate the tone and content of your book and get more of the right readers to buy or download it. Dec 22, 2019 think about the following when youre searching for the right designer to do your book cover. First of all, its ludicrous to argue in 2015 that these covers wont be seen because theyre more rare.

I can read a book that has only a title on its cover page as long as the story promises to be interesting. Role of book cover design in your books success designhill. In our survey, we asked you a bunch of questions to get to the bottom of this puzzling conundrum. Give your cover the attention it deserves, and you will reap the benefits in extra sales and visibility. Joanna trollope, this years chief judge of the orange prize, has apparently created something of a stir by suggesting readers are as much influenced by a books cover, as by its contents. It has preset kindle cover samples with the dimensions of 1410. The saying dont judge a book by its cover is often a mantra for many, but in the book industry the first impression does matter the most. Theyre a shortcuttelling the reader in shorthand that theyll like this book, that its in the genre they love to read, and that the person who wrote it is someone they can trust. Book covers should grab a browsers attention your cover shows your book is right for a genre your author name and book title should be clearly displayed. When it comes to book covers, does the first impression really matter most.

No doubt, a fine cover gives the author an advantage, coker says. Complete guide to book cover sizes why do they matter. Ive been burned by covers i went googoo eyed over, but in the end, ive couldnt get past the first half of the book. A hardback book with a dust jacket communicates authority and higher perceived value. Does design matter when it comes to selling and marketing your books. This is a topic that spurs a lot of conversation, especially among indie authors who are handling a book from inception to marketing launch. We would try to work with those ideas as best we could.

It is defined as a style or appearance of printed matter or simply the art of working. Mar 11, 2012 joanna trollope, this years chief judge of the orange prize, has apparently created something of a stir by suggesting readers are as much influenced by a books cover, as by its contents. Do professionallydesigned book covers matter to readers. Book covers for ebooks and printondemand pressbooks. Design book covers with canvas free book cover maker. If you set out to design your cover by yourself, you can either use a picture editor software, like photoshop or its free alternative, gimp, or go online and try a book cover designer app, like canva. Jun 09, 2014 book cover success and failure explained this post had a lot of information on how a book cover should be and common mistakes that the author finds in covers. This is because a book cover is a piece of art with a specific. An effective cover will get relevant readers responding to your ads and heading to your amazon page. If you still want to make your own covers, my recommendation is to start taking art classesespecially art theory. Your cover and your book sales will be the better for it.

An unappealing cover will probably not put me off purchasing a book if other things about it look promising. Dont readers want to read and not stare at the covers. Time will tell if the cover was right in scaring me away. So, i could probably carry on rambling about all the random things i think and feel about book covers indefinitely, but that would get boring and i would get tired. While fridays are reserved for ask the diva, this time will be a little different. Great content deserves the right book cover designer. My 1st book eva a tale of love lies and luxury was released on oct 7th 2015. Although there can be betterwritten books with unattractive covers, but ill, like most people, select the goodlooking hardbacks. My award winning book cover designs have worked to double sales overnight, and turn a. Book covers exist to give visual form to written content. The cover is not only a billboard for the book, but, in a sense, the first page of the story, because it is here that the book can communicate a little of the style and mood of the tale inside. These best practices for creating book covers will ensure your ebook looks great on all devices. If your book is ya, work with a designer who has experience with ya covers. Thats because almost everything about the anatomy of a book cover is controlled by the final, edited version of the book.