BOOK JACKETS & LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?
How many times have you been drawn to a book by its cover? Book jackets are the first thing a reader sees. So the artwork should be gripping and reflect the text inside, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, self-help, mystery or sci-fi. Graphics and typography, coupled with alluring illustration or stunning photography, will engage your reader even before they read your first sentence.
BOOK JACKETS SPEAK VOLUMES, SO WHAT SHOULD YOURS SAY?
Matching the tone of your novel or non-fiction manuscript to your book jacket art is important. Just as you want your writing to have cohesion and substance, so should the artwork on your cover. The text and artwork should work together, compliment one another. Let’s say you’ve written a murder mystery. Joyful blues and greens are probably not going to be the colors you would want for your book. Unless, perhaps, your novel happens to be set in the Caribbean. Then blues and greens may work very well. They may even add a bit of irony that is also present in your novel. But if the backdrop for your book is say, the backstreets of Chicago, you will need a much grittier theme and most likely a darker palette. It’s all about context.
WHAT ABOUT NON-FICTION OR SELF-HELP?
Tone is still a consideration, and so is subject matter. Perhaps your book is about the nexus of technology and humanity. That’s a fairly broad subject. But your book focuses on mankind’s spirituality in the computer age. In your book, you have explored how technology harms the human spirit. Then conversely, how it makes the human spirit thrive. You have titled your book, The Yin and Yang of Technology. (See cover sample above for how that cover might look.) While not dire, the cover artwork sample above does depict a stark contrast, which your book does as well. But the cover artwork makes no claim to whether the impact is completely positive or negative. That’s for the reader to decide.
If you are self-publishing and need a cover designed, or you’re a publisher looking for cover designs for your authors, please contact me. I would love to hear from you.
To learn more about my design process and what you can expect, please check out this post, Design Strategy Planning.