If you are reading this, we believe that you are here because you believe in your book and want more readers to enjoy your story. Few things can help you boost your book sales besides tight storytelling and word-building.
We have all grown up hearing this expression that you should never judge a book by its cover. This idiom applies to everything except the books. Every one of us or potential readers always judge books based on the cover art. There is no way around it. The first impression matters.
The importance of good book shield design
The design of book covers is now more important than ever. These are not just visual representations that present first impressions of the text, content, or genre of literature. However, these are the first steps in drawing readers, and it is possible that these readers will become consumers. Moreover, after the emergence of e-books, this has become more complex. The visual aesthetic and outward appearance of physical books have become more important than before. So now publishers are emphasizing the design of book covers more.
If you are wondering whether your books align in terms of cover designs, here are some pointers that can help you in making a decision.
Cover meeting the genre’s expectations
This might appear simple on the surface. Genres are marketed with particular characteristics. A person who is a keen reader and spends most of the time with books can easily guess the genre of most of the books at a glance. If your book cover is away from these conventions, it is sure that many readers might dismiss the book. Moreover, they might not select the book for reading if the cover is beyond what they were expecting. The professional book cover design services will highlight this point that the cover represents the genre well and avoids clichés while also sharpening the visual hook.
The book covers suggesting the right emotions
All images chosen for the book covers will carry their connotations and are first impressions that the readers will consume. The more significant factor in instilling a particular emotion in potential readers comes down to the choice of colors.
Each different colors and color combinations evoke different emotions associated with them. To be honest, we all have created this knowledge of associations with colors after years of media exposure. We cannot neglect the fact that the psychology behind color choice is extremely important in designing book covers. For instance, if we use green and its shades on the cover, it shows that our story is lively. This is a trick that professionals know well. They know how to pull together the right colors for the cover art.
Moreover, designers study and apply a complete hidden set of rules behind the shades, tints, glows, and contrasts to boost book sales. Remember! Color is an essential element that needs careful selection. Search for some color combinations that align with your genre and story.
The book covers conveying brand identity
Always remember! Your book cover design is the basis of your author brand. This is more important, especially for series authors. Every author wants cover designs to have a common element so readers can quickly identify them. These readers even recognize them by the author’s style.
If you are publishing your series books, these few tips will help you:
- Always try to stick to the same font. It’s okay if you change your color palette or vary the images. This is the best idea to highlight the series title, book title, or author’s name, depending on what is the primary choice element for branding.
- Sometimes you might want to pay attention to the colors as a distinguishing feature of a book series. Choosing the same background color can help emphasize the connection between the books in the series. This opens a way for you to vary images.
- Moreover, you can choose a different color palette for each cover. However, you should maintain the same consistency with the same drawing style and imagery.
Use of the Z-pattern layout
You can make your book cover more appealing by using a layout named Z- pattern layout. This is a pattern that human eyes follow naturally. We naturally read in a Z pattern. Begin our reading from left to right and top to bottom. Recall how your eyes move while reading any page. You start from the left corner at the top and move right to the bottom. Like the letter Z, the eyes process information by initiating at the top-left corner of a page, progressing horizontally, going down diagonally, and then from left to right again. Therefore, each cover is designed on a frame. The text is placed on top and bottom, and images are slightly angled in the center of the frame. You can use bold, contrast, and colors for your cover to stand out differently on all books selves.
Cover art and images
Your book’s cover is the first interaction that a potential reader has with your content. Unless a trusted friend has recommended the book or given a detailed account of the book review. Here, cover art and images can have readers’ different first impressions. To get your book cover designed, you can consult a good cover designer online to either get your cover made or get a guideline before the designing process. They will help you in the best possible way with good cover images and cover art. These elements will give your readers an insight into the story behind it. The reader can easily figure out the kind of book it will be solely by looking at the cover of a well-designed book. Add images or cover art in a limited amount.
The printed matter is an essential part of enhancing the beauty of the book’s cover design. These include the author’s name and the title of the book. Choose a unique typeface with a different persona. Fonts are important because they enhance the overall character of the design.
Simplify
Don’t make the cover complex! All potential readers will never invest their reading time in decoding the hidden message on the covers. They would prefer to utilize their time to read the content instead of using the time to understand the underlying message. A complexly designed cover will lead readers to put the book down and move on to the other ones. As there are better options available, therefore try to be minimalist and only keep things that you need to convey the message of the book.
Mistakes you should avoid
New cover designers commit some mistakes. You should avoid these mistakes while designing your book covers. Be alert of using completely irrelevant images or covert art. A low-quality image or using off-putting fonts can decrease the sales of books. Make sure that your cover is relevant to the book’s content and attracts readers.
FAQs
How can book covers impact readers’ interest in buying books?
Book covers are not just aesthetically appealing. Other elements are important in these covers. They visually represent your story, a key factor that attracts the readers, compelling them to buy books, and a powerful weapon that is used in book marketing.
How can an author make my book covers stand out from the rest in a crowded market?
Each book has a cover. These covers are either hard or rounded, depending on the users. The book covers are designed using engaging images, vibrant colors, and exciting descriptions. These features allow the authors to grab readers’ attention. All these factors make your cover different in the market.
Do book covers designed by professional designers only boost sales?
No studies have proven that the covers designed by professionals only hit the sales bar. You can hire a cover designer and collaborate with him to make your book shield according to your desire. But if you are also making the book’s cover yourself, consider all these factors. Nothing can stop your book from boosting sales.
Let’s wind up
At the end of the blog, we have learned that all these first impressions are so important that we cannot neglect them. Read and keep all these points in mind when designing a book cover. In this way, your book’s cover will determine how well it will sell in the market. Ensure that it is as close as it can be to the book’s content and accurately depicts the subject matter of the book. Also, ensure that your book’s cover design is readable and simple. It’s not too fancy that the main idea is left aside. With all these improvements, you can pique the interest of the reader.