Your book\u2019s cover is one of its primary selling points, alongside your cover copy. It may not feel fair that people will judge your words by the image they\u2019re wrapped in, but it\u2019s the way we work as people. We\u2019re visually oriented. That glimpse of the cover will make all the difference in whether we read the blurb, never mind giving the whole book a go.<\/p>\n
For an indie author, there are\u00a0plenty of options for getting a cover<\/a>. Whichever one you choose, how do you get the cover right?<\/p>\n This is a step that comes up in every aspect of book marketing. There\u2019s a good reason for that. If you don\u2019t have a good understanding of how your genre is marketed then you\u2019re unlikely to market well within it.<\/p>\n Identify other authors who write work similar to yours or who are appealing to the same readers. Look at how their covers are designed. What sort of colour schemes do they use? What fonts feature in the lettering? How are the title and the author\u2019s name displayed? What is the imagery like \u2013 abstract shapes, people, scenery, action?<\/p>\n Work out the common patterns, the things that stand out, and what makes an appealing cover in your genre and sub-genre.<\/p>\n Book marketing isn\u2019t just about the individual book \u2013 it\u2019s about your whole brand. You want your work to create a consistent whole. This is comforting to readers and makes it obvious that each book is yours and relates to the others.<\/p>\nResearch Your Genre<\/h2>\n
Consider Your Brand<\/h2>\n