The Canadian Author’s Guide to Book Cover Design: Create a Cover That Sells Your Story

Have you ever thought about what makes certain books stand out while others remain unnoticed? In most cases, this depends on the cover. No matter whether you’re releasing your debut novel, memoir, kids’ book, or business guide, your book cover will be the first thing your readers see. You haven’t even started your synopses or first chapters when people start judging your book based on its look.

A lot of talented Canadian authors invest months or years in working on their books but underestimate the importance of the cover design. As a result, an unprofessional book cover can spoil all your efforts and hurt your sales, credibility, and marketing efforts.

Here is a comprehensive guide on how to design a professional book cover for Canadian authors.

Why Does Your Book Cover Matter So Much?

A book cover serves as the silent salesperson for your book. The decision about whether to buy is made by customers in a few seconds, either while surfing through the internet or browsing in the bookstore.

A good design of the book cover will:

• Attract instant attention of readers
• Create trust amongst readers
• Represent the genre of your book
• Boost click-through rates on the internet
• Enhance sales performance
• Establish an author’s brand name

Regardless of how great your writing skill might be, a bad presentation could ruin all of that.

The Biggest Problems Authors Face with Book Cover Design

Most self-published and debut writers face similar obstacles.

Wrong Design Style Selection

A romance book should not look like a thriller and a business book should not look like a work of fantasy fiction.

Each genre has certain conventions to which readers will unconsciously relate.

Do some research on bestsellers in your genre prior to designing your book.

Low-Quality Photos and Graphics

Any photos or graphics that are blurry, stretched, or outdated immediately give the book an amateur look.

High-quality stock photos, illustrations or even art give a professional look that inspires trust.

Use only high-resolution photos that will work for both print and digital publications.

Bad Typographical Choices

Typographically, too often authors miss the point entirely.

Fonts speak volumes about the author’s personality, similar to photos.

Do not use:

• Decorative fonts which are hard to read
• Too many fonts
• Small type
• Low contrast between colors

Choose fonts that are clean and legible, fitting your genre and visible in thumbnails.

What Makes a Professional Book Cover?

Effective covers include many key features.

Visual Focal Point

Each cover must have one clear focal point.

This could be an illustration, symbol, landscape, or character that represents your story.

Keep your cover free of unnecessary graphics.

Readability of Title

Your title must be legible from any device.

Consider how most people find books through thumbnails on book sites.

If your title does not show up, then you need to improve your cover.

Balance Colour Choices

Colours evoke emotions.

For instance:

• Blue invokes trust and calmness
• Red evokes excitement
• Black invokes mystery
• Green invokes growth
• Gold evokes luxury
• White invokes simplicity

Choose colours that fit the expectations of your target audience yet stand out against other books.

Understanding Genre Expectations

Genres have visual conventions that are well-defined.

Fiction

Fiction usually emphasizes emotions and atmospheres.

Elements that are common are:

• Silhouettes of characters
• Landscape scenes
• Illumination
• Objects with symbolic meaning

Non-Fiction

The business, finance, leadership, and self-help genres emphasize professional visuals rather than artistic visuals.

They have simple designs with emphasis on typography.

Books for Children

Use bright colors, friendly drawings, amusing fonts and interesting characters in order to engage young readers and parents.

Memoirs

Real-life pictures and visually appealing images work better for autobiographies and memoirs.

Design should express the story of your life.

Print Design vs Digital Design

Many authors believe that there is only one design that will work for everything.

The truth is that there are certain needs for both print and digital media.

Print Covers

There is a need for the following elements in printing a book cover:

• Cover Spine Design
• Cover Back Design
• Bleed margins
• Safe colors
• High resolution images

eBooks Covers

There is a need for front cover design only in eBook covers since eBooks are read on phones, tablets and laptops.

Common Mistakes That Reduce Book Sales

Steer clear of these common design mistakes.

Too Much Information

Some writers try to put everything into the cover.

This results in clutter.

Instead, use curiosity to drive people to check out the book description.

Copying Bestselling Covers

It’s fine to take some inspiration from other books.

However, it’s not fine to copy another author’s cover.

Your book needs its own distinctive look.

Ignoring Professional Criticism

Most authors become emotionally involved with their own designs.

Constructive criticism from professional designers, editors, or publishers can point out problems that may have gone unnoticed.

Several attempts at covers will likely yield more success.

How Professional Designers Create High-Converting Covers

Book designers who are experienced do not just make artwork that is aesthetically pleasing.

They utilize:

• Market research
• Psychology of the reader
• Typography
• Color theory
• Genre analysis
• Visual hierarchy
• Branding

All design decisions have one goal: to engage the reader more and sell the book better.

Professional designers know how books are displayed on online websites.

Why Canadian Authors Benefit from Professional Cover Design

There is increasing competition in the field of publishing.

Thousands of books get released every week on online platforms.

Professional book covers will make it easier for Canadian writers to compete with traditionally published books because of their high quality.

Professional design is not all about looks; it is a lot more than that.

As you move ahead in your publication journey, you may seek help from the professionals at Book Publishing Canada.

Final Thoughts

Book covers are among the most important marketing tools that you will ever develop in the course of your book marketing activities. They form the basis for the impression that you would like your audience to have before reading the book.

It is advisable that instead of considering book covers as an add-on to your work, you consider them as an investment towards your book’s success in the market. With professionalism in terms of imagery and typography, your book cover will be sure to reflect well in the market.

When you have both your compelling book and compelling cover working hand-in-hand, it is sure to attract readers.