The Importance of a Good Book Cover

The one thing people always say is ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. Of course, this is generally used in relation to people and basing their worth off their personalities as opposed to their looks, but it also applies to actual books. In reality, we all judge a book by its cover - and this statement I make is not metaphorical here - a good book cover is really important. But why?

A book cover creates the first impression on its potential readers. Therefore, book cover design is one of the most imperative aspects of marketing a book. If a book cover is not particularly attractive, a writer will lose sales, and I can be used as evidence for this - I am less likely to buy a particular copy of a book if I don’t care for the cover. A successful book cover needs to make the reader feel the story, rather than just saying something about it.

The days when traditional designs were expected and accepted have long since passed by. Booksellers, as well as book readers, want a book cover that is eye-catching, beautifully executed, something that they have not seen before. Buyers want something that draws their attention, something they are proud to own and are excited to read. Take a look at these original covers vs newer covers of some classics, the differences between the two illustrate perfectly how the standard for book covers has changed over the years.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

1984 by George Orwell

All of these covers have been cleverly revised to be more than just the book's title and the author’s name by artwork being added in that details the story.

The reality is that the cover of a book exists to serve one, and only one, purpose; to sell the book. Everything else comes as an after thought for readers. A person could write the best, most incredible story the world has ever known, but that would not matter if nobody bought it.

Bearing all of this in mind, how can a writer begin the process of making their book stand out amidst the sea of illustrations and photography, as well as compete with the classics? How can a writer successfully turn their book cover into a marketing tool and invite sales? For writers, especially those who are self-publishing and creating their own book covers, there are some design aspects to carefully consider.

The Book’s Title.

Please do not make the mistake of thinking the cover of the book is completely at the designer’s mercy. This is not the case - the writer plays a key role in determining how well the cover performs. When brainstorming the perfect book title, it has to be one that will pull the reader from across the bookshop to the book, it should be something catchy and compelling.

In terms of the cover, it should be the largest text on the page so it is visible and easily identifiable. The title should be in a font that is clear and easy to read; in fact, many websites have a plethora of fonts available that can be easily added to the cover. To make things a little more interesting than just words on a page, utilise creativity with the fonts and experiment with overlapping, enhancing and shadows. The cover will need something striking to get readers to pick it up off the shelves.

The Images on the Cover.

When designing the cover, the main images selected are very important to the overall look of the cover. If, for example, the writer is choosing an image of a tree, then that tree should be the most interesting and thought-provoking image imaginable. The writer must think beyond just enhancing the tree. How can that tree be used to get aspects of the story across? How can you show the tree in a way that will entice readers into wanting to know more?

Every reader will envision the world within the story differently, and it may not be the same as the author’s intended view of it, but it is the cover’s job to marry these ideas together and create cohesion and excitement by bringing in ideas from every part of the book.

The simple idea of the image is to get the reader to open the book. After that, the talent of the writer will keep the reader from putting it down. But, to catch a reader in their literary trap, per se, a writer needs to use bait, which is in this sense ix the cover. It needs to play on the human emotions of intrigue and curiosity. Some important questions to ask oneself when selecting images may be:

1. Does the idea represent the story or message?
   

2. Does the selected image illicit intrigue?
   

3. Does the image stand out against other books within the genre?

If the answer to the above questions is yes, then the writer is running along the right track.

The Cover’s Colours.

When choosing a colour palette to design a book cover, proper research has to be done. The colour of a cover is an essential element that should be chosen consciously. Colours communicate with the audience before the book is even opened - something in the colours on a book cover gives the reader an immediate impression of the tone of the story.

Colour theory and colour psychology go hand in hand to hint at themes within the story. The idea is a simple one: every colour represents and evokes certain emotions. Colour is a powerful communication tool that influences psychological reactions from readers, therefore the colours that are selected for a book’s cover are very powerful communication tools. What’s more, the saturation and brightness of colours are at least as important as their hue in modulating human reactions!

But what reaction does each colour create?

• Red: immediately attracts attention, this colour connotes confidence, energy, enthusiasm, and danger. Red increases the heart rate and boosts energy levels. Similarly, darker shades of red are associated with anger, rage, prestige as well as dominance and passion.

• Orange: this is the colour of joy, pleasure and the pursuit of achievement and self-affirmation. It is the colour of energy and strength, and in terms of human psychology, it relieves tension in conflicts. Orange can also be used to show daringness and adventure - it is no surprise that a lot of dystopian novels utilise orange on their covers as the colour can symbolise the passion of struggle, fire, and the beginning of war.

• Yellow: yellow’s meaning is twofold. On the one hand, yellow can be a bright, fresh, positive colour that increases energy. Sunshine and optimism, building confidence and encouraging communication are among the ideas associated with the colour yellow. Brighter shades of yellow are often used on children’s books as it is an attention-grabbing colour. On the other hand, overusing the colour yellow can cause negative feelings, such as a lack of focus, frustration, deceit and cowardice.

• Green: lighter tones of green signify nature, vitality, health, and the environment. Brighter shades of green are associated with paranormal phenomena, mystery, and magic - as can be seen on the Harry Potter and The Hobbit book covers. Darker shades of green show ambition, greed, and flattery. Green has such a mix of meanings that is especially important to pick the right hue for this colour to elicit the desired feelings from the readers.

• Blue: blue is the colour of peace, relaxation, and meditation. This colour calms, balances, reduces pain and provokes a sense of relief. In fact, a lot of social media companies tend to use blue in their logos as it encourages communication and promotes interaction, as can be seen with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This colour is fluid and evokes a safe feeling that every person should strive to have.

• Purple: lighter shades of purple are often used to signify spirituality and sensuality as it enhances self-esteem and promotes feelings of pleasantness. Lilac has a soft, friendly look that has a sense of innocence. Darker tones such as deep purples connote mystery and are associated with abnormal activities, fantasy, and magic. This colour is a popular choice for science fiction and fantasy novels.

• Pink: pink is considered a classic feminine colour and instantly reminds people of love, kindness, dreams, and desires. It is no surprise that pink is commonly used on covers within the romance genre for these exact reasons. However, different shades of pink can detail feelings of weakness and vulnerability, and abstinence to face challenges, especially if one is looking at the world with rose-tinted glasses.

• White: this colour evokes cleanliness, self-sufficiency, and simplicity and correlates with energy and purity. This colour aids in mental clarity and freshness. It stands out amongst other colours with its crisp and bright look, and it is often a popular colour choice for the title and author’s name. There are some negative connotations associated with overusing white, such as it being blinding if it is used alongside other brighter colours, and presenting ideas of silence, ice and death.

• Black: this colour presents a mix of emotions and meanings, including evoking feelings of authority, power, sophistication, aggression, grief, and mystery. This colour can be used concerning feelings, fears and insecurities, darker powers and depression. Black is powerful and can create contrast, especially with white, to produce a striking image.

Colours can be combined in a multitude of ways to elicit the response that the writer seeks. Having knowledge of colour theory and colour psychology can become a game changer in terms of communicating a book’s genre and storyline. It is an incredibly effective tool to make a book cover stand out against the crowd.

What is really important?

The process of designing a book cover should be personal and very exciting. The cover is a direct reflection of what the book is about and also who the author is. Covers present the chance to make the story be heard by having readers reach for the book before any others.

In the world of self-publishing, the creative control over a book’ 's cover is firmly in the writer’s hands. A self-published writer does not have a team of publishers and editors telling them what can and cannot be printed onto the cover; the only limitation is oneself. Designing a book’s cover is an incredible opportunity for creativity, and that is why a good book cover is so important, as it is a reflection of the writer and their hard work.

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Disclaimer: all images taken from Google Image Search and are not owned by the writer of this article.