The cover as an editorial and commercial decision: visual style, genre, market, mockups and what makes a book get picked up.
13 articlesA badly designed cover turns readers away before they even read the blurb. Understand how cover design directly affects your book's sales.
Is a book's cover really the most important marketing element in the purchase decision? Understand the cover's role in each sales channel and what it needs…
How does the designer choose the right visual style for a book cover by genre? A guide to palettes, typography and images for thriller, romance, fantasy…
How is a book cover mockup created before final approval? Understand the types, the assessment process and how to give efficient feedback to the designer.
What does a cover designer need to know about the publishing market before creating a project? Understand genre, audience, sales channels, competition and the brief.
What sets a commercial literary cover apart from an independent author's cover? Understand process, budget, resources and how to close that gap.
Discover when it is the right moment to rework the cover of a book with stalled sales — the signs, the process and what to expect…
When does a book cover need to be adapted for international markets? Understand the cultural, visual and technical reasons that require a redesign for each country.
When to use illustration, photography or pure typography on a book cover? Understand the advantages, the costs and when each approach applies by genre.