Settling on a Book Cover: From Mediocre to Professional Art

Authors know just how important a book cover truly is. Even if we claim not to judge a book by its cover, a unique cover is what draws our eye, which is the first step toward opening our wallets. But how can the author make the right decision, especially when self-publishing, and represent their novel in the best possible manner?

Why splurging on a book cover is recommended

A book cover is not just a random picture. Ideally, it serves as a representative of your book and helps sell your work, and instead of just looking beautiful, it can also be a certain type of ugly. So, it should encompass all of the following goals to end up on lists of the best book covers: 

• Matching the professional work of other book covers. After all, bookstores usually have all the books next to each other, so you need to attract the eye of the potential buyer. 
• Hinting at the book genre. From that first look at your book cover, the potential reader should have a vague idea of the book’s genre. For example, detective novels have a sense of realism and mystery, while romantasy (romance + fantasy) blends grandeur and the supernatural. 
• Representing the book's story or narrative in some obscure and vague manner. For example, maybe after reading the book, the book’s cover art will make much more sense. So, the cover can be a part of the narrative’s mystery.

How to find the designer for you

Authors shouldn’t attempt to save money when picking a designer or company to do their book covers. However, how do you avoid overpaying for services to a mediocre designer? After all, many design companies or individual creators can boast of their skills and of how well they adapt to authors’ needs and listen to their opinions. 

Ask for previous work

The most important aspect of hiring a professional book cover designer is asking for their portfolio. Examples of their work showcase their skills and artistry. However, it is not enough that the book covers look beautiful: they need to be suitable for your book genre and attract potential readers. 

So, the designer must successfully create book covers for other books in your genre. The simplest example can be a self-help book cover designer who can truly be great in this genre, attempting to craft a cover for a high-fantasy novel. With different expectations, the artist might struggle to know exactly the vibe to go for.

Check the success of previously designed books

Hopefully, the book cover designer has worked with other published authors, so you should check how their books are doing. Judging its success can mean different things, such as scouting social media for reviews. However, comments on Goodreads or other popular reader sites are your best bet. 

Of course, a book’s success is not just about the cover, but it does influence it to a degree.

Look for former client reviews

Of course, try to find other authors’ reviews that document their experience with the book cover designer. Maybe they will contain only compliments, but it is also possible that authors will highlight certain issues that could be deal-breakers for you.

How to pay for professional designer services

Of course, a professional book cover might not be cheap, but it is worth it. Start saving for it (and for book editing services) as soon as you start writing your novel. Additionally, you can turn to multiple services to generate income for you. One example is to make money by selling unused internet data. Services like Honeygain make it possible, and you can share your unused internet bandwidth without risking any internet issues. 

Furthermore, writers can make money by accepting various writing jobs, which you can browse on Fiverr or Upwork. 

Conclusion

All in all, it is wise to spare no expense for creating the perfect book cover. Draw inspiration from other books in the targeted genre, and see what works (and doesn’t work). A professional designer is your ticket to higher sales, especially when readers invest in multiple copies of their books just because of special edition book covers. So, find a person with proven experience creating book covers in your genre and the artistry to create one for you!

‍