Post:  5 key points to help you choose the perfect book cover

book cover

It’s exciting to imagine books that you’ve written lining store shelves or showing up online when you search your name or a title. Perhaps you’ve been pumping out stories for a while now, or you are nearing the finish line after a long journey of writing the first-ever manuscript you hope to have published. Either way, at some point, you’ll be choosing a cover for your book. 

Reading a book begins with the cover. Think of your own book-browsing history. Have you ever looked at a book cover and decided to not pick it up because it just didn’t resonate? On the other hand, have you looked at book covers that sparked your immediate interest, prompting you to pick up the book and start paging through right there in the bookstore or library? The cover you choose for your book will be the first impression readers have, and first impressions matter in the writing world. 

Keep these ideas in mind when choosing a book cover

Choosing a cover for your book is a lot like writing in general in that many people have advice about how it should be done; however, you ultimately must decide for yourself what it will be. By keeping the helpful tips included in the following list in mind, you can help alleviate at least some of the stress associated with trying to find the perfect cover for your next book: 

  • A book cover’s purpose is to attract attention, so make it stand out. 
  • Add elements that help make the genre clear in a glance.
  • Choose fonts and styles that are current, not outdated.
  • Avoid cluttered text.
  • For e-books or thumbnail images, make sure you carefully review the guidelines for metadata, subtitles, etc.

It’s also a good idea to test a book cover you’re thinking of using. To do this, create several designs. Send them out to many willing participants you might have in your extended family and inner circle, and ask them to add number votes from least to favorite. In addition to voting, invite participants to say what they like or don’t like about the cover designs. If a particular cover consistently gets the most “favorite” votes, you’ll probably want to go with that one. 

Can you change a book cover after publishing?

Whether you can or cannot modify or completely change your book cover after publishing depends on several issues, including what the terms of your contract state—if you have an agreement with a publisher. Many authors have updated or changed book covers in the past to boost new sales. For instance, the Douglas Adams book, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” has had more than five cover designs through the years. 

What you don’t want to do is choose “any old cover” for your book, thinking you’ll just change it later if it doesn’t work out. It’s better to take your time from the start and choose colors, styles, fonts and text that will boost visibility and make readers want to click through or scoop your book off the shelf and carry it to the checkout.