It’s obvious that book covers sell books above almost any other factor. In thinking about the cover for Tales of the Macabre West, I’ve spent a lot of time walking the shelves of bookstores, seeing what best selling covers catch my eye. The above screenshot is a sampling of a few covers I pulled off Amazon’s current best-seller list. All of these covers have a few factors that really set them apart and make them rise to the top of the shelves for me.
What makes a great book cover?
Here’s a few factors that make a book cover rise above the noise:
Thumbnails – Most people will never experience your cover in its full printed size. They will see increasingly smaller versions of it embedded on the web and throughout Amazon. If they download a sample, they will see a tiny image representing your cover (sometimes in black and white on the older Kindles). So your cover needs to work as a thumbnail. The title should still be readable. The image needs to be eye-catching even when shrunk down.
Get the “feel” across – The cover should convey & communicate the feel of the book and the style of the author. If the book is part of a series, the design should compliment and fit in with the rest of the books in that series.
Author branding – The author’s name should be clearly readable. If it is a known author, the name should be large, maybe even larger than the title.
Image & genre – The image on the cover should tell the reader what they’re in for, make them excited to experience the story, show them the fun they will have reading it.
Simple is better – A strong, simple image will be more powerful, grip the viewer faster than a complex design.
Typography & Font – Readability of the words on the book’s cover is one thing, a pleasant font that matches the style and design of the book is another. Less is more when it comes to typography. Getting too fancy is usually the first sign of trouble.
In the end, there’s an intangible that’s hard to describe about a great cover, it should be professional and eye-catching. If possible, using a professional designer will give you the best chance at something truly memorable. Regardless, it’s hard to get it right but when it’s right, you know it when you see it.