The role that a well-designed book cover plays in a title’s success should never be underestimated. The old joke about how to judge aside, there is significant book promotion value in covers and they need to be taken seriously. For authors who self-publish their work, it’s worth it to invest in a professional cover design. Even for copies that sell online, shoppers view the cover image. All books compete with each other regardless of how they are published and traditional publishers set the bar high for eye-catching covers. They need to help spark target readers’ interest in picking up the book and giving it a close look.

The art and science of book cover design are well established and it’s why self-published authors need to take cover design seriously – it’s not something you want to entrust to a friend with some graphic design skills. Experienced cover designers have considerable knowledge about what works and what doesn’t They also understand the psychology of colors, the appropriateness of type fonts by genre, and many other details. If you want a book to perform well at retail, it needs a strong cover, well-conceived title, and clear subtitles if it is nonfiction. The combined elements help with publicity and sales.

Seasoned cover designers usually present several concepts before one is selected and worked into a final design. Some may be abstract while other are more concrete. The decision to use an abstract cover design needs to be made carefully, and in some cases its an excellent idea. The consideration is always whether it will resonate with readers and spark their interest in a favorable way. The job of the cover and title are to get people to stop and find out more about the book. Some highly successful covers are well remembered and give books a strong identity. It’s why experience counts in making the design.

Effective cover design also includes your book’s spine and the back cover. The spine needs to be easily readable and possibly even eye catching. If your book is shelved in stores alongside others, you need people to be able to find it and be interested in picking it up. The back cover presents significant sales opportunities. It needs to include a summary of the book, a brief author’s bio ideally accompanied by a head shot, and blurbs. Customarily they are quotes and endorsements of the book from others in whom the target readers will have an interest. Be sure to include them all to help your book sell more copies.