Is Your Book Cover a Hit or Miss With Readers?
August 26, 2009 by C.F. Jackson
Filed under Keys to Success
So your manuscript is sold and you have sent it to a publisher for touch-up. What is missing? Ah…it’s a cover for your new glorious text. Well…what’s the big deal I can let my publishers take care of that aspect right? Not so fast. You’re the author. Therefore, you have the granted power to make authorial decisions. Do not leave it strictly in the publisher’s hands.
What lures most potential customers to buy a book? Is it the content? Sometimes it may be the content. After all, myself I like to read the synopsis of the book before making my purchase decision. But ultimately it is the book cover right? Much like the old adage “you eat with your eyes” the same is true for books. Something with visual appeal regardless of the content is much more likely to be sold over a drab cover.
However, you may have that colorful eye-catcher in mind but does it fit with the story? I cannot tell you how many times I’ve run across texts that have a cover which is may consist of vivid imagination and then the story’s plot may be that of a funeral or disease. By this point I am thinking “Whoa there. If that wasn’t even planned well, how will the book read?”
This is perhaps the most over-looked marketing technique when it comes to marketing your book. And the fact is, publishers like when you can incorporate your own idea or even your own design because that’s less work for them to do. If you know a graphic designer or what’s more are one; perfect! You are now on your way to making that book jump off the shelf or off the web page a little quicker!
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About The Author
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And to help you with increasing your book sales and online presence, C.F. Jackson invites you turn
your bland book cover into attention grabbing 3D book image by taking advantage of her services
Book Marketing With 3D Book Cover Images, Today!
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Steve Naegele on Wed, 26th Aug 2009 8:03 pm
As you suggest, I think good book cover design is not a matter of just a “good design.” The actual subject matter of the cover is very important. T
The cover of text books probably plays little or no role for the people who pay for them, i.e. at college level student and at public schools, taxpayers. College professors are often influenced by the authors who taught them and/or who agree with their perspective (content). School boards are often influenced by political motivations and lobbyists activities.
The covers of “airport books” probably plays a major influence in the purchasing decision, not on the visual interest or excitement of the cover as much as pre existing standards of the purchaser, such as is the popular author’s name prominent and easily readable. ‘Pop style’ books are like hollywood movies, they have three or four themes and they use them over and over again and they are more likely to positively influence the purchasing decision when the cover designs fit the visual formula.
Popular nonfiction books benefit from a cover that visually makes the subject matter feel appealing. Cook books for example can arouse interest if the visual on the cover shows food that looks good to taste and smell or makes the subject matter exotic. Often just a good photograph can do this.
Fiction covers can interest the viewer on many levels, just as fiction is on many levels, from superficial popular themes to deeper philosophical and literary themes. The covers can reflect this.
In these latter two subject areas, I think there is also significant post purchase marketing work. Does the book get put in sight when guests come. While and after reading the book does the reader get a positive feeling about the meaning of the book and their relationship to it such that they
seek out the publisher for other books, and does the cover play a role in this. Grove Press for example, which had a niche market consistently used a design format for their books which was easily identified by their customers as well as visually appropriate for them.
Self learning books, especially in computer software, benefit from following a strict design format. “Books for Dummies” is a good example of how a visually uninteresting design consistently used can be very successful. Because the content of the books is usually good, customers respond positively to the display of their covers in the store, even though the actual design is not going to win any design awards if designers are the judges.
Sometimes we even see books like this displayed in book stores, not by subject matter,i.e. scattered throughout the store, but all books by the publisher in one place because the consistent visual look of the cover designs and the brand of the publisher draws customers to buy books.
The beginning question put forth by the blog author is probably the best place to start, “What lures your customer to buy your book.” However even though you may have an idea and the publisher finds it convenient to use your idea, it is best to think of it as a marketing decision. Your personal tastes on book covers may not reflect your customers and it might be beneficial to get some empirical and professional input about what influences your market.
Kristine on Thu, 27th Aug 2009 12:06 pm
As a cover designer I can’t stress enough how impotant the synopsis of a work is to a designer. This synopsis encompasses the books meaning, vision and language. It is the cover that sets the stage to what the book wants a potential reader to imagine, know or feel.
Duncan Long on Thu, 27th Aug 2009 2:49 pm
I think you’re on the mark. A good book cover should not just hint at what is in the book, it should tell the viewer the what the book’s genre and emotional mood (humorous, dark, etc.), but also the ideal audience and age group the book is written for.
Unfortunately in this age of stock pictures and even illustration-free covers, books often present poorly and undoubtedly cause a lot of lost sales. A good cover illustration coupled with quality graphic design costs a little more, but they also make a lot more money in the long run, and give a book the edge it needs in today’s marketplace.
–Duncan Long
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Cover artist for HarperCollins’ Digital Artwork for the 21st Century.
See my book cover illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
K. S. School on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 1:02 pm
I am currently trying to design a cover for my book. It’s hard to design a rich cover with limited resources–I know what I want but can’t produce it. First, is GIMP a good program to use? That’s what I am learning on. Second, how much do designers charge to do a cover?
By the way, Duncan, I loved your work.