Self-Help for Self-Publishers
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Book Cover
The book cover is the piece of metadata that is most obvious to
readers. Interestingly, this data is not searchable. But it does contain
other searchable data like the book title and subtitle, author’s name,
and the ISBN on the back cover. When in print form a book cover
has three parts- front, back and spine. Additionally, a hard cover’s
dust jacket will have an inside flap. Nearly all sides of the cover are
filled with information. While in e-book format, only the front cover
is displayed on a screen. Good book covers are designed to make the
reader interested enough to at least pick it up or stop scrolling to read
more. It seems we’ve all learned to judge a book by its cover. Many
book covers have design features that give clues about what genre it’s
in- even if a book is fiction or non-fiction. The design layout, font
choice, color blend, all say something to the reader about what they can
expect to find inside. Take for example a book on finance and another
that’s a romance novel. The book on finance will generally use sans
serif fonts in the title (straight, block style letters), while the romance
novel will likely use serif fonts (letters with little feet), or script fonts
in the title. However, this does not have to be the case. Your book covers
could stand out if it looks a bit different from the norm. Research in
your genre for book cover trends and designs that best cover your book

Book Cover Design Elements

Search libraries, bookstores, Amazon best sellers lists for inspirational and
effective covers. List a favorite in your genre for each category below.
Then use the dot grid paper in this book to sketch out the look of your
book cover based on these three qualities: Your pick based on Font and Graphics must have:
• Imagery with a clear message.
• Not be crowded with information
• Art/photo and font fit the genre
• Connect with right emotions
Your pick based on Color Story must:
• Use color to set the right mood
• Tell a story with the gradient
• Communicate the book’s theme
Your pick based on Thumbnail Legibility must have:
• The title and author name on the front.
• Title especially be readable
online as a tiny thumbnail
• Legible at a 10th of its full size
• Look good in both full size and
online thumbnail
Self-Help for Self-Publishers

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