The popular idiom is “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but despite how true it might be in an idealistic sense, the reality of the book industry is that the vast majority of readers do indeed use the cover of a book as a deciding factor in not only whether or not they should buy the book, but if they will enjoy it as well. If you want people to take a chance on an author they haven’t heard of, you need to have a cover that will win them over.

When it comes to book cover design, less is more. If a cover tries to explain too much and adds too many details, there’s a good chance it will fail to intrigue and actually have less impact than a simple concept. A minimalist cover design that carries across the message or mood of the story can be highly attractive. Steer away from being too ‘literal’.

It is important to remember that you are not trying to tell the whole story on the front cover of the book. The cover design sets the mood; it conveys a feeling/emotion and creates an expectation in the reader's mind. The purpose of the cover design should not be to explain or represent your story.

At the same time, the small technical details do matter. Do you choose a matt or gloss finish? Is the spine the correct width and is the text centred? Is the back cover text readable and well set-up? How do you write effective back cover blurb and how long should it be?

At Kwarts Publishers we understand the requirements of effective book cover design, as well as the more technical aspects. A striking cover design is about a good choice of imagery, colour scheme and fitting typography. We work closely with authors on designing a cover that will present the contents of the book in the most effective way and make a great first impression. We are interested in hearing the author’s ideas, preferences and specific requirements and these will be incorporated where possible. 

Though a book may be ‘self-published’ our aim is to ensure that it looks absolutely professional and can compete with the best the commercial trade has to offer. Have a look at our portfolio to see examples of covers designed by our skilled graphic designers.

Please read these insightful articles:

https://forums.createspace.com/en/community/docs/DOC-1781/version/1

http://www.creativindiecovers.com/is-your-book-cover-trying-to-do-too-much/