Tips on book cover design

The covers for ve schwabs shades of magic tip their hat to the fantasy stylings while also building a recognizable, gorgeous brand that is all their own. All of the book cover designs featured here are taken from the book cover creator at placeit, a simple and lowstress tool for those new to design, to try out various book cover ideas. Do not forget to get feedback from experts and your peers. And its an easy way to be sure youre getting something that fits all their specifications. Designing book covers few people think about the way book covers come into life, and most think you just call an artist and say make a book cover. When you are designing a book cover, you are visually representing the chapters, paragraphs.

The cover of your book is important because its the first thing a reader sees. A unique book cover can compel a customer to pick it up and scan its pages. Now we focus on the layout and type design for covers dtg magazine design department dtg magazine, the original design zine. Dec 20, 2016 start by keeping these tips in mind if youre thinking about working with fiction authors on their cover design. The 5 most common mistakes in book cover design and how to. An ebook cover should look and feel like a book cover. He changed his book cover design for the first book in his threepart seriesand his sales of all three books tripled. Book covers exist to give visual form to written content.

Even though weve all been told since childhood to never judge a book by its cover, the fact is that book cover design does attract readers. Is there an object or recurring character that conveys the idea of the book. May 26, 2014 print and ebook covers, a matter of resolution one of the regular tasks of a book cover designer is preparing cover images for a clients use in promotions, website design, a whole host of things. Learn everything about creating a bestselling book cover design including book cover design tools, tips, tricks and even design services.

Learn more on how to design book covers for any genre a lovely cover by l1graphics that stays true to the recognized historical elements while still feeling fresh, modern and cinematic. Generally ebook covers are viewed initially at small size as thumbnails on a stores website. Posted on october 18, 2016 october 18, 2016 by joshua jadon 11 comments books stacked. As such, we have created a guide that consists of 11 tips to get your magazine cover design just right. Jun 28, 2019 if youre creating a cover for a print book, the setup and export process for your cover artwork will be quite different to exporting a design for a digital ebook. Your cover design will be your most powerful marketing. How to design a fiction book cover that sells tips. Five tips for a professional cover design authorhouse. So countless free images of a sunset, a silhouetted figure, or iconic locations from around the world are no more than a click away.

These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. Using an imagewrap allows you to tell the story of your book with one stunning, seamless image. Book cover design tips that will make you more sales. The crux of typography on book covers is the potential to maximize the impact of your book title, and your book cover as a whole. Canvas book cover maker makes designing book covers amazingly simple even for nondesigners. Book cover design secrets you can use to sell more books.

Here are top 11 book cover design tips for independent authors 01. There are often image resolution requirements, file format and even multiple size requirements to consider. Making a creative magazine cover design might come off as a significant challenge. But for those who want to craft their own book cover design briefs from scratch, weve asked some of our designers what they need from the authors they work with. A professional book cover design for selling on the web is created for visibility as the book will be sold on the platforms like amazon as a thumbnail.

An eyecatching design can make the difference between a book that sells and one that stalls, so dont let your future bestseller get passed over due to a soso cover design. Top 11 book cover design tips for independent authors. The first thing to ensure after you hire the designer is to arrive at a. Here are their tips for writing the perfect brief and initiating a fruitful artistic relationship. After writing it, the final piece of this puzzle is to find the. A successfully designed book cover will convey the tone of your book, will whisper hints without giving it all away, and will excite readers into actually opening up the book and reading. Here, reedsy dips into the business end of book cover design, looking at the three basic categories of cover design, what types of books theyre good for, and how much they cost.

Our knowledgeable team has years of experience in print design. There are various tools you can use to design your own cover, and it will perfectly grasp the essence of the book. Keep in mind these mistakes when working on your next cover, and youll be more likely to produce an attractive cover that drives sales. Considerations for intellectual property rights when working with a cover designer. When done well, it is an effective tool to utilize in order to give your book the best chance on the shelves, and hopefully you now have the tools to do just that. The book cover explaining the scope of the book is actually a very cool thing, and it allows the reader to manage his or her time. Aug 21, 2018 some printers prefer a pdf format while some use. The most exciting part of this cover design app is that its connected to getty images, pixabay, and flickr. A short testimonial or endorsement can also be tastefully used on the front cover. Top 5 book cover design tips independent authors must know. Of all the book cover ideas that can go into excellent cover design, the color of the title is by far the most important. Our knowledgeable team has years of experience in print design in a wide variety of genres.

Getting the right tone for the books subject is essential. A couple of years ago, martin lakes book sales were dismal. Book cover design tips for your next release author. Book cover designer joshua jadon works with new york times and internationally bestselling authors of all genres around the world. Lets compare two covers from different genres and look at the differences between the two. Jun 05, 20 to find out how to score a book cover design that stops traffic or, more accurately, drives it we decided to ask authors who ran book cover design contests on 99designs. Knowing absolutely nothing about art or cover design, i bought this book to discover how to choose a design for my own books. Jul 23, 2019 this cover started out strongthe font gives off a vibe that fits the frigid imagery, but the handdrawn hairy man really isnt doing it any favors. This is because a book cover is a piece of art with a specific purpose. You can find my list of recommended book cover designers here which, of course, includes stuart. If you are a book cover designer or even an author, a way to source many cover design ideas is to crowdsource the work. A designer who specializes in book jackets understands how readers respond to layout and typography.

Browse our book and ebook cover templates and choose the one you like, or choose a blank canvas. It can be difficult especially for the untrained beginners in graphic design. A book cover communicates what your book is about and if done right, motivates people to look closer at your book. Here are some book cover design tips, tricks and design rules that are universal, meaning they are tried and tested techniques and guidelines that work on a large variation of book covers. It also means staying in touch, giving feedback on proposed designs, sharing new ideas as they come along and above all always saying what you mean. Most independent authors usually have no idea of how to create book covers. Browse our book and ebook cover templates and choose the one you like, or choose a. It is here that a memorable book cover design can play its role. This will allow you to visualise the arrangement of type and images, and judge how well.

Design book cover for free with online templates adobe spark. Postermywall features another library of book cover templates that you can easily customize to your liking. Oct 18, 2016 book cover designer joshua jadon works with new york times and internationally bestselling authors of all genres around the world. Edit the design to your liking by modifying text, colors, images, effects and much more. A paperback books pages are glued together with a paper cover and then cut to size. Secret tips of book cover design photoshop tutorial youtube.

Tips for a successful book cover writing with jenna moreci. Eyecatching book cover design will help you seize the attention of your potential readers and get your books off the shelf easily. The genre is so important to book cover design, particularly novels, as it gives consumers a signal of what to expect when they crack open that book or have a skim of the blurb on the back. Options for free and inexpensive book cover design. Top 11 book cover design tips for independent authors designhill. Sep 18, 2017 an ebook cover should look and feel like a book cover. However, before you can decide on the right book cover design you should have a complete and polished manuscript in front of you. Creating your own book or ebook cover design has never been easier. I also looked around my hometown of austin, texas, a very. Jan 24, 2018 so, these are the key book cover design tips you should consider. Equipped with these book cover design tips, you are now ready to create a stunning book cover and see your vision come to life. Mar, 2019 the crux of typography on book covers is the potential to maximize the impact of your book title, and your book cover as a whole.

In addition to working at 99designs, chris founded journalstone publishing in 2011, where he has published four of his own books and continues to work with awardwinning authors such as adam nevill, jonathan maberry and christopher golden. A hardback books pages are sewn or glued into a case made of cardboard which is then covered with cloth or paper. Creating a hierarchy or order of text elements on your cover will help a potential reader to see the important information about your book quickly, and help to promote a wellbalanced and attractive layout unless the author is particularly wellknown see j. To create a cover that readers will love, graphic designers need to think outside the box our list of the 100 most creative cover ideas takes a look at the book covers that really stand out from the crowd. Nov, 2017 however, before you can decide on the right book cover design you should have a complete and polished manuscript in front of you. Book cover design tips with stuart bache the creative penn. To see the kind of cover you can create with the tool, check out these examples. An independent author should ensure that the cover design. Crowdsourcing platforms like designhill will let you have dozens of new design concepts from many graphic designers.

Coming up with book cover ideas that are perfectly suited to a book can be a tough task. One of the most important aspects of a good cover design is the tone the cover sets for the book. It can be easy to create ebook layouts in indesign, but creating book covers might require more design skills. Unlike the images inside your book, your ebook cover must be rgb not cmyk, and should be saved as a jpeg or a tiff file at 72 dpi. You want a reader to know with just a single glance where that book is going to take them. Nothing screams amateur like a square or misshapen book cover image. Chris payne is corporate controller at 99designs, a design marketplace that specializes in book cover and book illustration design. Probably one of the best book cover design tips i can give you is. As a selfpublished author, he was selling just 15 books per month. Apr 19, 2017 tips for a successful book cover writing with jenna moreci. The design should tell the story and its one element should be emphasised across the front and back cover. With kdp, you can design a paperback or an ebook cover or both. Book cover design grabs the attention of potential buyers and readers of a book. Book cover design is critical to a book s success, and there is a lot more to consider than you might expect.

Derek murphy of creativindie covers is a brilliant designer and has designed a number of my own book covers. This book cover design tips article will let you know how to prepare and design your book cover with book cover design tool step by step. So here they are, my guidelines for how to succeed at this important publishing task. The minimal style is timeless, from an old book cover you may run into, to modern book back cover ideas, its everywhere. There are good and bad book covers, and a good designer can clearly tell you the difference between them. The cover is the first thing your reader sees, and gives the first impression of what your book is about and how interesting it will be to read. Nov 17, 2017 a book cover has three mandatory parts. Whitespace doesnt have to be white, it is just visual silence and if used wisely it can add visual appeal to your book cover. This is a critique and a tutorial to teach and illustrate good cover design rules dtg magazine design department dtg magazine, the original design zine since 1990. The placeit online book cover maker is free and easy to use, though youll pay a small fee to download your highquality logo creations.

Despite the proverb, people really do judge a book by its cover. Every book needs a fabulous cover, but designing covers for ebooks is a little different from designing for hard copies. This might sound obvious, but communication is the best way to speed up the process and make sure you end up with the perfect book cover this doesnt just mean writing a clear brief for your designer. In the world where the attention span of people is decreasing fast, the success of a book cover is in catching the potential customers eye. Typography in cover design rules, tips and tricks presented by fred showker as part of judging the wiley design challenge. A professionally designed cover will instantly and attractively convey the essence of what your book is about. Youve done the hard work and created an amazing book. This will allow you to visualise the arrangement of type and images, and judge how well elements are centered on the page. A cover image should quickly convey the essence of a bookand it should be striking. Save and download your book cover design in the file format you need. On the other hand, a print book sits on a shelf of a bookstore where consumers can physically pick the book, feel it in hands and flip through it. This content was contributed by reedsy and includes one or more affiliate links for their products andor services. From minimalist book covers to complex and extravagant, this list has it covered. Well, martin didnt just accept those sales and move on.

A cover image should quickly convey the essence of a book and it should be striking. Design a book cover in seconds with this tool placeit. There is no doubt that we do judge a book by its cover. But although i personally believe in paying professionals, im also aware that some people want to have a go themselves, or need to because of. Nov 05, 2018 options for free and inexpensive book cover design. I was chatting with friends at the london book fair when one of them reminded me of a presentation on book cover design. The ideal ratio for an ebook cover, according to amazon, is a heightwidth ratio of 1. At a minimum, your front cover should contain the name of the book, its subtitle, and your name. Png image of the front cover alone, a print cover will require a bit more thought and attention. Once your cover design is just right, hit the download button and use your new image to promote and advertise your newest book. Try shutterstock editor for an intuitive, simple way to create book covers add images and text, then customize further with filters, shapes, and more tools. Book covers should give readers a sneakpeek of whats to come. Here youll see some outstanding photoshop work but are they good book cover designs.

Before beginning the design get specifications for the platforms where the book will be published. In 20, after attending central michigan university for two months, he dropped out and pursued book cover design fulltime as a career. Sep 19, 2018 for more on book cover design, read 10 smart tips to help authors create an amazing book cover design. Tell each student that they will be responsible for creating three alternative covers for their book. Youll want it to have a design that grabs their attention and portrays an accurate idea of what your book is about.

If youre creating a cover for a print book, the setup and export process for your cover artwork will be quite different to exporting a design for a digital ebook. Your front cover should be legible and easily read from a. Designing a book cover is like encapsulating the entire story or content of the book into a single page. Caring about fantastic book cover design is one of those nonnegotiables for all authors. The three types of book cover design every author should.

To get started click the create my free book cover now button below. Is there a photo in your book that illustrates your books theme and is eyecatching. Design book covers with canvas free book cover maker. Introduction to cover creator cover creator is a free tool intended to help you design a basic cover that meets kdp specifications. If you have limited time, you can ask them to create one cover. Its always best to design the front of your cover only first, before you create a full cover, with spine and back. In case you dont end up reading cover design secrets or watching the videos tutorials, here are my top ten tips on book cover design that will help you.

What are the key elements of a professional book cover design. Whether you design the cover and select a binding type yourself or work with a professional, you might want to become familiar with industry standards and guidelines, and take advantage of free tips offered by the. Make sure it sells out by creating an awesome cover design. The two important elements of colour in book design. Create a cover image thats attentiongrabbingand doesnt blur or warp. Book cover design rules, tips and tricks presented by fred showker as part of judging the wiley design challenge. Book cover design is a complex balance of images, text, and information and you need someone who understands how each of these elements interacts with the others to best sell your book. If cover creator doesnt meet your formatting needs, try our doityourself guidelines ebook and paperback and templates paperback. This cover s 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. An online reader or consumer will scroll down hundreds of titles on a computer screen. In this video, well share with you five important tips to keep in mind when submitting your ideas for the design of your cover. Book cover design is critical to a books success, and there is a lot more to consider than you might expect.

Oct 04, 2018 it is here that a memorable book cover design can play its role. Book cover design tips a book is judged by its cover. Canvas free book cover maker is ridiculously easy to use even for the novice or notsotechsavvy writer. Is there a photo in your book that illustrates your book s theme and is eyecatching. Customize your book cover design by typing in your book s name, changing the background, choosing a color scheme, and selecting your fonts. Since we started the monthly e book cover design awards ive judged hundreds of e book covers.