Hooked By The Book: How a Well-designed Book Cover Helps with Sales

Have you ever heard that a book cover sells the book? Well, for one, I never gave that cliché much thought until recently. On an event trip to California recently, I decided to purchase some reading materials prior to arriving at the airport. While in the store, a book caught my attention. I picked up the book, examined the cover, read the blurb on the inner flap and brief bios of the authors. However, there was something different about this book. Aha! It was the umbre of colors along the edges of the pages. I have never seen anything like this before. Books, including mine, are an endless sea of white pages. My initial thought about the tinted edges of the book was, what brainiac thought of this technique. This person took the colors from the book cover and extended them to the edges of the pages. Pure genius!

So, now the wheels are turning in my head. As a self-published author, historically I have been involved in the cover design of my books. I must admit that it was challenging for me as I am not a designer. But a quick Google search netted me the following information I was looking for to the following question: How do book covers sell books?

AI: Book covers sell books by acting as the primary marketing tool that instantly captures attention, signals genre, and conveys tone, influencing 79% of readers in their split-second buy decisions. A well-designed cover acts as a professional, visual promise of the content, sparking emotional interest and ensuring the book stands out in a crowded, often digital, marketplace.

• First Impressions and Attention: A striking cover grabs a reader’s attention within seconds, causing them to stop scrolling or browsing, which is essential to making a sale in both physical stores and online thumbnails.
• Genre Recognition and Expectations: Covers tell readers what kind of book it is (e.g., romance, thriller, sci-fi). Following genre cliches or standards is crucial, as it tells readers they will get the story they are looking for.
• Professionalism and Trust: A high-quality, professional cover signals that the author and publisher invested in the book, building trust that the writing inside is also professional.
• Visual Storytelling: A good cover acts as a “hook,” hinting at the plot, themes, or characters, which makes a potential reader curious to read the blurb.
• Thumbnail Optimization: In online, mobile-first markets, a clear and visually appealing cover design must remain effective when reduced to a small thumbnail, ensuring it stands out.
• Brand Recognition: For established authors, such as J.K Rowling of the Harry Potter series, a consistent design across multiple books, fosters loyalty and makes readers eager for new releases.

What level of involvement should a writer have in designing a book cover?

Well, that depends on whether the writer is going the route of a traditional publishing house or self-publishing. Through my research, I discovered that authors lack authority over book design; however, authors consulted throughout the process and can voice their concerns to prevent the design from misrepresenting the story or incorrectly categorizing the genre.

The level of involvement is more in-depth with self-publishers as they must hire a project manager, cover designers, and interior formatters. In this instance, their involvement is absolute. The bottom line here is that the writer is the publisher and fully responsible for all design decisions. Please keep in mind that if you decide to go this route, you must respect the design process. Collaborating closely with the professionals hired and keeping the lines of communication open will allow for wonderful experience. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Start this project with a clear creative brief explaining the genre, target audience and tone. If you are able to provide samples of books with similar designs, do so.
• Remember that you are collaborating with professionals, so be strategic and not sentimental. Do not provide the designer with sentimental artwork if it does not match the genre or target market.
• Feedback should be specific and not littered with “I don’t like it.” Provide them with reasons why you do not like it. For example, “Can we make the font on the cover title more legible?”
• Respect the author/designer divide. Writers like to write. Correct? As a writer, I can sit in front of my computer and work on a story for hours. I can see the story as it unfolds on the computer screen. Nothing gives me greater pleasure. My job is to draft the best story possible. The same for designers. The focus is different—not on words as with writers—but on the design. Their entire focus is on ensuring they provide the writer with a design that adequately reflects the inside as well as caters to the genre and target audience. As the author your focus is on text accuracy. Yes, you are the proofreader and responsible for catching all errors. No pressure, right? Wrong! Take it from me. You will proofread as many times as necessary. Then, and only then, will you approve the final print-ready copy.

Building a great relationship with a book designer

In closing, I happened upon a wonderful internet article written by Scarlett Rugers titled How to Build a Great Relationship Between Author and Book Designer. Although this article written by Rugers is from December 20, 2013, the advice given in this article is timeless, priceless, and well worth the read.

For additional information on the design of books. Debbie Berne authored Design of Books: An Explainer for Authors, Editors, Agents, and Other Curious Readers.

Wishing you a wonderful collaboration on your next project!