Never judge a book by its cover...

...yeah, right!

Readers judge books by their covers.

And so they should.

Before your story. Before your reviews. Before your description.

A book cover is the first thing a reader sees.

It is a billboard.

It is a sales pitch.

It is not a work of art.

I see a lot of beautiful book covers, but a stunning cover is not effective unless it resonates with the right readers.

And this is especially true for independent authors who don’t have the same marketing clout as corporate publishers.

But having a good cover isn’t just about marketing, it is about giving your readers the best experience you can.

Good covers must communicate your story’s mood and genre in a fraction of a second.

Its composition and colours must draw the eye.

The typography must be readable, eye-catching, and appropriate for the genre.

It should be clear and not stuffed with too many details.

And it should look good as a greyscale thumbnail.

It’s a lot to ask. And it’s why ninety-nine percent of authors should not design their own covers.

This is the cover to my book Black Death Survival.

The colour and tone are right for the genre.

The typography is right for the genre.

The characters are right for the genre.

It looks great, but I wouldn’t call it a work of art.

Covers are symbolic communication devices that tell the right readers that this is a book for them.

Equally, it stops those readers who don’t enjoy your genre from buying and feeling disappointed.

Be clear who your story is for and give those readers something they want.

You can break the conventions.

You can carve your own path.

But it’s going to be more difficult to reach the right readers, and you might annoy a few in the process.

The perfect readers may squint at your cover for a moment, think it’s not for them, and click on a cover that resonates.

I want my stories to be read and enjoyed.

And the cover is the first step.

Like Indie Author Mastermind on Facebook. Visit: https://facebook.com/indieauthormastermind