Some of the biggest debates we have are with author’s here at Icon Global Publishing are about their book covers. In this blog I will address a few the dos, don’ts, debates, and debacles. Book cover design are crucial – now more than ever – due to the information age we are in. Without a compelling thumbnail image to catch the attention of online buyers, sales simply don’t happen. The million-dollar question is, what makes a cover captivating?
First of all, look at your cover from the perspective of a reader, not a writer. Next, think of your book cover as a page, not the entire book. Authors tend to think that they need to illustrate most or part of the book on the cover with prominent scenes or main characters, etc.. etc.. You want your cover to stir curiosity and make your readers feel something but not be visually overwhelming with an over-the-top display.
Here is the final message and words to live on when it comes to book covers. The front cover is there ONLY, and I mean ONLY to entice the potential reader to flip it over and read the back. The back cover write-up is your "real" selling point and will either convince the reader to buy your book or not. No reader is going to get your book just from your brilliant front cover design…unless it’s your mother of course.