Cover Design
These mock-ups show the diverse styles available.
A book cover consists of three parts – the front, the back and the spine, and yet, it is so much more than that. The design of your cover is probably the most important part of selling your book. The image(s) you use and the title need careful consideration. The creative processes that you used to write your book need to be extended to the cover. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
The adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ doesn’t really apply when people are purchasing a book. An attractive cover certainly sells a book. If you are selling online, the front of the cover is most important part. However, if you are selling in bookshops, the spine becomes the most important part of the cover in getting people to look at your book.
As part of our cover package we will design and supply two versions of your book cover for you to choose from. This includes the front cover and a full cover (front, spine and back). You will receive both pdf and jpeg formats.
Our design team will be happy to discuss your individual requirements with you such as the best colours to use, the choice of typeface etc. We can use your own images, or we can source images for you at no extra cost.
The cost of producing and designing a cover is only £125 (€150).
For more information or to order your bespoke cover, complete the form below and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.
Cover Design Basics
Here are some useful tips for you to consider when thinking about the design of your book cover. A lot of it is common sense, but sometimes even the most obvious things can be overlooked.
The Title
The most basic yet crucial part of your book. It is useful to sometimes think of several different versions for a title and then discuss them with and relatives and friends. Getting the opinions of others can be helpful.
As an example, say you were writing a book about your grandfathers war experiences, and suppose he was in the 7th Armoured Division, his name was Fred Smith and he was awarded a medal for bravery.
A possible title could be: 'Fred Smith his time in the 7th Armoured Division'.
A simple search on the Internet would reveal that the 7th Armoured Division was more commonly known as the 'Desert Rats' and they fought against Field Marshal Rommel. The commanding officer of the British troops was Field Marshal Montgomery, whose nickname was 'Monty'. Aimed with these facts, a more interesting title can be formed. Here are some variations:
'Fred Smith Desert Rat Hero - His Role in The North Africa Campaign'.
Or: 'Fred Smith War Hero & How He survived El Alamein'.
Or: 'North Africa, Monty and Me - The Exploits of Fred Smith'
Or: 'Fred Smith The Scourge of Rommel
Or: 'How My Granddad Became The Scourge of Rommel'
Your aim with the title is to 'sell the sizzle, not the sausage'. Powerful emotive words like 'hero', battle' 'scourge' all help to convey an interest to the person looking at your title which should make them want to look at your book further. Taking this example, perhaps the person looking at your title also had a relative who was in the desert rats, and is intrigued, so they will want to know more.
You need to be careful obviously that the title is truthful and not misleading or offensive.
In much the way that a newspaper headline grabs your attention and makes you want to read the article, the title of your book needs to do the same. Everybody has an opinion, and advice is helpful, but ultimately the choice of the title is yours, after all, it is your book.
Position of the text
You have three basic choices of where to position of the title on your cover. The positions of the title and your name can of course, be reversed.
Top
Middle
Bottom
You may also want to add a sub heading. Remember that the text is effectively on top of the background image, and therefore you need a good contrast between the colour of your background image and the text, otherwise it (text) can become at best difficult to read and at worst, invisible. You can always add a band of solid colour to overcome this.
The font or style of your text, and its size is an important part of the design. It's a combination of personal choice and the subject matter of your book.
Children's books for example look good with more of a handwriting style of font such as this: Good font for a Children's books.
A novel on the other had looks better with a cleaner font such as this: Good font for a novel.
A technical book or a manual may benefit from a squarer type font such as this: Good font for technical books.
It is a personal choice, but whichever font(s) you choose, try and limit it to two, or at most three different types to avoid it looking over fussy and distracting.
The Background
This is usually an image, but can sometimes be a plain colour. With images, make sure that they are not copyrighted, and if there are photographs of people make sure you have their permission. Also, make sure that any images or drawings you use are of the best quality and are of high resolution.
The type of images and the colours used for the background are important, and depend a lot on the type of book you are writing. Children's books for example are best with bright colours whereas a mystery or thriller is better with dark 'moody' colours and a misty background can be atmospheric. Black and white or sepia images are useful in conveying 'age'.
Good luck with your book cover and we hope to hear from you soon!