There’s a common phrase that you may have heard of before, which suggests that you “shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”. Whilst this phrase commonly applies to people, jobs, small polite-looking dogs and much more; I feel that it frequently provides lesser-value wisdom to books themselves.
It would be reckless to suggest that you storm to your nearest book shop or online retailer and demand to be given the book featuring the “Mona Lisa” of book covers as – from personal experience – that could very easily leave you with a pile of disappointing stories (and I don’t need that personal responsibility hanging over my head). Instead, what I will suggest is that you do consider the value a book cover really plays on your mind when browsing. Sure, you are going to read the blurb, and perhaps the gushing reviews on the front, but often the reason you are selecting your book in the first place is because something about the book cover stood out to you! Normally when I attack a bookstore, I strike my first blow by spending far too much time in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy section before gradually maneuvering around the rest of the store like a roomba that’s been left on whilst you’re out of the house. In this example, I got stuck in the British History section, and came across a book with a beautifully dramatic cover featuring a big boat getting pulled through an equally big blue wave. Ticking my big blue wave appetite (this is less a requirement but more a happy occurrence), I quickly gathered the book into my roomba-shaped hands, quickly scanned the blurb, and headed over to the checkout. The point is that, for readers, book covers are the most important markers of genre and personality and therefore, as a writer, you should consider them your most important marketing tool. In what can be considered a crowded market, both in traditional publishing and self-publishing, you need every advantage to stand-out.
The best book covers convey not only story but intentions as well. If you’re writing a Fantasy or Sci-Fi epic, do you want big landscapes highlighting the sprawling odyssey you are creating or something more symbolic that might convey story elements? If it’s a Horror, do you build a more abstract picture? Perhaps it’s a Romance and therefor you are looking to highlight your characters surrounded by your unique setting? Or are you a gigantic publisher and
are considering putting out endless movie tie-in book covers? The point is that there are a number of factors you can and should consider when determining how to make your best first impression.
Consider the sprawling world of sand and stars of Frank Herbert’s Dune vs the more individual-centered The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.
How you invest in book covers is entirely down to you and your own budget. However, it’s certainly hard to overlook investing in the tools or incredibly-skilled people – when possible – which can give your book that extra bright spotlight it needs. There are a number of resources better than this which you can access for support with this. I’d be inclined to recommend taking a look at IngramSpark, or reedsyblog. Also, gander over at 99designs for a greater understanding of the process of hiring professional designers. Your Paper Quest is proud to have shared many fantastical, insightful and downright beautiful covers over its time, ensuring that these books stand out just as much as any other book on your shelf. A special shout out to Domestication by Shannon Knight whose bright orange cover and “nightmare-esque” graphics deliver such a powerful punch!
You may have also noticed that we’ve redesigned our “book cover” of the website! Similar to the goals with these set out above, we want to make sure the website is more representative of our community’s personality and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do! We’re grateful to have had the support of Ryan Chan on this, and think he’s done a magnificent job of representing us in this new sparkly and folky design!
So please take the time to absorb our new website, before discovering more about the great work of our featured authors – your next adventure awaits!