Recently I had an author request a design concept for their book that I knew would be a tough sell online. After talking to them a bit about the design issues they had created with their request, we finally came to a compromise about what the cover should look like and what it should be able to do for them.

Here’s what a book cover should do:
1. Be readable on online retailers sites. If you can’t read your main title at 15% reduced magnification, you won’t be able to read it online.

2. The image should convey the theme of your book. Your readers won’t see symbolism in your shoes as a link to your depression unless they’ve read your book. Stick to archetypes at first. It makes it easier. If your book is about money, include an archetype about finances. Not a mountain.

3. Most readers in the world read left to right. It’s pretty important to not put the most important “information” closest to the spine — in general.

4. Your cover should sell your book. Look at some of the best-sellers in your book’s genre and their cover designs. What do you like? What don’t you like? Talk about it with your designer. It’s a great way to begin the creative process.

Sure, a template-based design is just find for lots of projects, but there are also times when you’d want a 2,500 custom design.

And, no I’m not a designer.

Is that doable? I know how to do it for a new book, but what about an older one? Can I retro do it? How?

No problem. You can buy barcode stickers to paste on the back cover of your existing book (I use PIPS). Once you go back to reprint, you can make the changes in the printing.
Ron

txs,

David

Judy Cullins

That’s why someone should spend $1500 on a cover. It’s like upgrading your kitchen. You’ll get your money back on resale.

Matt,
Keep in mind that covers do not sell self-published books… self-publishers sell self-published books. Give me an agressive, confident author with a pleasing cover over the best designed cover in the world and an author who thinks they are going to sit back and watch the cover sell the book.
Ron

The biggest problem I run into is clients who fail to understand the value of a well-designed book. 99% of the public simply does not understand that good design takes time — multiple iterations, talking with the client one-on-one (in person, via telephone, or via email), researching/planning the project (read: book), and understanding the image the client wants to project w/ their book.

The client (read: author) ends up with a subpar product because they aren’t prepared to make an investment. They see the low price of a template or DIY publishing and are drawn to that. They simply do not have an appreciation for, and subsequently ignore, the value of good design. Good design takes time; not only that, but good design is subtle and covert: 99% of the public simply doesn’t realize good design when they see it, although they are drawn to something that is well designed.

In addition, the cover is but one small part of a book’s design. Sure, we will judge a book by its cover when browsing the shelves at our local retailer. The layout, choice of typefaces, structuring of front matter, etc. — all of these things and more play a part once the customer picks up the book and begins to leaf through it. A beautiful cover will not do you any good if the interior is not well-thought out; likewise, if the cover is not “pretty” then the customer is likely not going to be interested in what’s inside. I can grant that some designers are overpaid or overrated, but I feel like you’re giving good design a bad name, Ron.

Desktop publishing has saturated the market — no one wants to pay for a professionally designed cover anymore when they can take advantage of a $150 template — it’s a buyer’s market for designers, unfortunately. And, unfortunately for enterprising authors, they will too often choose price over value, ending up with a poorly designed book. They won’t understand this on an academic or technical level — but, then again, design (good or bad) is intuitive. There is absolutely a difference between a $150 cover and a $1,500 cover — the difference is subtle, but, if done right, noticeable.

Ben,
I’ll answer this like I answered an earlier post. First off, 99.9% of the self-published books will not see the shelves of a bookstore and if they do, it will be a few copies places on a shelf spine out. A self published book is sold by the self-publisher, not by the cover. The cover can’t be offensive but there is absolutely no reason for a self-publisher to spend a fortune on a great cover design. I’ll put my money on a confident, agressive self-publisher with an OK cover over a self-publisher who thinks that are going to sit back and watch their wonderfully designed cover sell their book.
Ron