Book Covers: Make Sure Yours Gets the Right Attention
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My favorite cover for Abundant Gifts
Trying to design your own book covers is one of the biggest mistakes I see new authors making, especially if they self publish.
One of the advantages of self-publishing is that you are in control of the whole process. When you work with a company like Intermedia, for instance, you own the rights, and you get to pick the cover, the interior design, everything.
However, there’s a downside to this. Just because you have the final say, that should not mean that you are the best one to judge the cover design, or even the title, for that matter. Having the final say should not mean having the only say–especially when it comes to areas you’re not trained in, such as the interior and exterior design.
Unless you’re an experienced designer yourself, leave this to the professionals. I have seen over and over authors who have a concept that’s so complicated, so esoteric, or so cluttered that I know their design will kill the book sales. I can almost always spot a self-published book right away, just by the look of the cover (the interior as well).
Good designers are trained not only to key into your concept, but to make sure it both fits current trends and also stands out in some way as to be interesting. Not an easy task, and definitely one for the professionals.
I came across a great article on working with a designer I suggest you read, along with Michele’s other posts. Even if you work with a company that provides a designer, you want to work with that person and allow him or her to take the time to develop a great concept and design. Work with a great designer, and your book won’t scream, “Self-published amateur author!” like I’ve seen so many do. Instead, it will draw the eye and make the potential reader want to pick it up and explore more.
Part of the pleasure of a book is the visual nature of it–the cover. Someone once told me about my Abundant Gifts book cover (first edition), “My wife keeps it out on the coffee table just because it’s so pretty.” That of course warmed my heart, and is about the best thing a cover can do for an author.
2 Comments
February 4th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Diane,
Thanks for you last blog. I’ve been learning to write in order to achieve my own personal triumph. I was terrible in school, and didn’t even finishing my first book until college. I didn’t think I had any ability, and I was told by a couple professors that I may be dyslexic. I of course never got tested, but I kind of gave up.
Now I can’t stop reading (almost a book a week and several at the same time), and I love to write which brought me to your blog.
I hope to one day write my own short book, and I will be returning to this blog for advise. You made total sense about the cover, and I look forward to future posts.
Thank you,
Marty
February 4th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Marty, Good for you!
You might want to check out the class I did on “writing secrets revealed” at http://www.writingsecretsrevealed.com. I shared the strategies I’ve used over the years to write quickly and easily. I use these every day now, too.
Also, for writing small reports, I recommend Jimmy D. Brown’s Small Reports Fortune course. It will not only help you write them, but know how to market them. Soup to nuts, from one of the best marketers I know.