An attractive, successful book cover could make a huge difference in the fate of a book, and it is important for designers to understand that. Thousands of books hit the market daily, and for your book to become a memorable one in your portfolio, you need to take the following tips by Saad Raja into consideration:
1) Understanding the readers and author of the book
One of the most important things in designing a good book cover is to understand who the author is targeting and what he wants. If the designer understands what the author wants in the story and what he is trying to achieve, then there would be a better chance the book can become a good seller. The genre is a very important aspect because the book cover is made according to it.
2) Teasers instead of spoilers
A well-designed cover page is enough for readers to understand what the book is about. However, it is important not to tell everything about the book or spoil anything related to the story on the cover page. It has to tease the audience and not reveal much about the story. Appropriate choice of imagery is the key to a successful book cover.
3) Typography
The design matters a lot but what completes a good book cover is the typography and attractive formatting. Your typography has to support the story and the title of the book. For example, the name of the author has to be alongside the imagery and title of the book. Books are mostly trusted and bought in the first minute after customers look at it because they know who the author is.
4) The spine
The spine is an integral part of a book cover which designers often don’t put much thought into. This is because the spine of the book is the thing you see when it is placed on the bookshelf in your room and it contains all the important details of a book such as the author name, book name, publisher etc. If the cover incorporates the cover nicely, it really boosts the book’s popularity as well. Bringing everything together in the spinemeans that the book cover has to be great.
5) The completed cover
If you’re a designer and if you want a successful book cover, you should not forget that it is very important to get training in areas that you don’t specialize in. Your book cover has to be eye-catching and should inspire. You have to find the right balance between illustration and typography in your cover page, and it should not be too complex.