Every author comes to a point when they realise that being a good published author is not all about great writing skills. Several other important factors, such as an eye-catching book cover, also hold the same importance in making a book successful.
While many authors feel naturally inspired to write the manuscript, they may come to a halt while designing a book cover. After all, conveying the tone and intrigue of your book through a cover can be very overwhelming.
But do not worry. You can use the following tips to find inspiration for your book cover.
Go Through Your Book Again
As an author, it is fair for you to think that you know your book the best. After all, you have created it from scratch after spending days and even months on bringing out the best of it.
Maybe it is impossible for you to disassociate from your book as its author. However, every author must try to read it from a third person’s perspective to dive deeper into its tone, characters, themes, and mood. This information can really help you bring life to your book cover.
You can also ask beta readers to identify these characteristics in your book so that your book cover effectively communicates with potential readers of the genre.
Hire a Professional
There is no exaggeration in saying that writing and revising your manuscript can be a daunting and exhausting task. Many authors want a break from letting themselves face creative challenges for some time after completing their book.
Looking at the importance of an effective book cover, many authors even consider hiring book cover designers for self-publishers and traditional publishers.
Experienced book cover designers are experts in their field, with the right industry knowledge and hands-on experience to create an ideal book cover for your manuscript.
Get Acquainted with the Trends
Just like in any other industry, the trends in the book cover industry are always changing. You must be aware of these trends to ensure that your book cover meets industry standards and attracts contemporary readers.
When you get acquainted with the current trends, you can let your creative juices flow and ensure that your book cover resonates with the interests of your target audience.
If you already have an experienced book cover designer on board, you can also trust them to keep you updated about changes to these trends.
View the Bestsellers
Every genre has several best sellers. You may already know a lot about these works that set the standards of any genre. These exemplary works do not just help you with writing a brilliant book but also create an eye-catching book cover.
Great books also have great covers, and you can view them to understand what sets them apart from the rest of the books of their genre. This practice is great for you to understand common elements and design features to attract your target audience.
Ask for Feedback
Brainstorming, thinking while brushing your teeth, and scrolling through Pinterest to find ideas for great book covers becomes an everyday task for authors soon to publish their work. After all, every author wants every element of their book to stand out.
As you collect more ideas for your book cover, you may want to seek opinions from people who are invested in your work or have reliable industry information.
Several professionals, such as beta readers, book editors, and literary agents, can help you refine your design through their valuable feedback.
Brainstorm with the Right People
When it comes to finalising the details of a book as important as a book cover, you cannot overlook the importance of good brainstorming sessions. This practice is often done in groups, but you can also do it by yourself.
Do not just think about brilliant ideas and let them float away. Instead, consider different concepts and visuals to reflect on the core message of your book.
You can add beta readers and your friends from the reading circle into your brainstorming sessions to explore multiple possibilities for your book cover. While opinions are valued, remember that the last word is yours and you never have to let someone else take control over your work.
Create a Mood Board
As suggested earlier, you must not let brilliant ideas come to you and vanish into thin air. Instead, you need to note the best of them to see if one of them can become an ideal book cover for your brilliant manuscript.
Every writer needs a mood board, and you need to create yours if you do not have one already. An efficient mood board can help you collect images, colours, and textures that inspire you and align with the tone of your book cover.
You can also use the mood board to incorporate symbolic imagery or metaphors that convey the theme or emotion of your book. Your mood board can be a little fictional world for a great book cover to thrive.
All of these factors and more can help you create an amazing book cover for your manuscript that will be widely loved among your potential audience.
Enhance Your Typography
Font styles also play a crucial role in communicating with your audience. They can convey the genre and tone of the book to the audience and attract them from across the mile.
For example, fonts such as Atorak, Morracle, and Zombie Dust on a book cover will instantly connect with the fans of horror stories.
You can decide the ideal font for your book according to your genre and tone according to your book. Make sure that you create a contrast between the background, text, and images to create a visual impact on the readers.
While creativity is not restricted, you must always prioritise the readability and impact of anything written on your book cover. Do not hold back from experimenting with variations of your cover design to see what resonates best with your audience.
