Choosing the right cover

There’s a reason for the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” because people do. The adage exists because it reflects human nature, the tendency to choose, or not choose, a book based on its appearance. It entreats us to put aside initial impressions, to pick up a book and look inside, to explore the work in its entirety. But do we?

Of course not. Honestly, that’s a huge time commitment, time we just don’t have in this book-saturated world. Unless we are familiar with the author or have heard about the book somehow, most of us choose a book based on its cover. Book covers truly make or break a book’s sales.

That said, the increase in self-publishing has led to a proliferation of bad cover designs. Self-published authors aren’t doing it on purpose, of course. In fact, they’re reflecting a trend as time-honored as book publishing.

“Authors are notoriously bad at choosing their own covers,” I’ve heard editors and publishers say again and again. That’s why a standard clause in a book contract states that final approval for cover art rests with the publisher.

If you have the financial resources, investing in good cover design is money well spent. Whether you hire a cover designer or create your own, here are a few points to consider:

• Don’t stand out as too different. Author and publisher Aaron Patterson recently gave this advice at the Whidbey Island Writer’s Conference, in a session on Amazon sales visibility. The way to “be smart about a book cover is to find commonalities within your genre.” Writing thrillers? Check out thrillers and see how their covers look. Big type, big author title. This works with any genre. Do a search for book covers in your genre: young adult, mystery, historical, science fiction, nonfiction, self-help, you name it. Imitate that style. Why?

• Covers are designed for readers, which is probably the reason authors are “notoriously bad” at cover design — we think like authors, so are too closely connected to our one book. Readers, on the other hand, are choosing from a multitude of titles in any given genre. If a reader is looking for a romance novel, she won’t glance at a book cover that doesn’t reflect her idea of a romance novel. Your cover design needs to appeal to its target audience.

• Cover images need to be clearly visible at the size of a thumbnail. Huh? You heard me. Internet book shoppers rely on thumbnail-sized book cover images, so be sure your cover communicates well even when it’s tiny.

• Covers should evoke reader emotion. The feeling a reader gets when he or she sees the cover is equally — some say more — important than the information provided. If a book is about running a successful business, does the cover offer a sense of security? (For instance, a handshake is probably more reassuring than dollar bills erupting into the sky.)

“How do you like your book cover?” asked Jennifer McCord, associate publisher at Coffeetown Press after she’d sent over my first proof of “The Last of the Blacksmiths.”

“I’m still thinking,” I hedged.

“I know what you mean. A good way to test it is to print it out, wrap it around a book and put it on your shelf for a few days. Take some time getting used to it.”

I took it one step further and set another mock-up copy on my coffee table. Days passed. Did I want to open the cover? Did I want to look inside? How did it make me feel?

The two book covers shown here are the first, and final, drafts of my book cover (by cover designer Sabrina Sun). The transformation is pretty straightforward. Generally historical genre book covers include the words “A Novel,” so that was added. Removing the words under the photo also helped avoided confusion (Ontario Street in Cleveland might be mistaken for Ontario, Canada) and blocking the type to emphasize ‘Blacksmiths’ also helped.

In the final analysis, you’ll also want to decide upon a book cover with staying power. Something you’ll be pleased to show off, to autograph at book signings, to crack open and read to audiences.

We’re introduced to a book first by its cover, but the writing inside is what truly brings it to life.