Art Department
Musings from the Art Department
By Jacqueline Abromeit
You cannot judge a book by its cover! True, I think. You really cannot tell if a book is well written or if you will enjoy reading it by looking at its cover. Still, we need a book cover to communicate with us. At the very least it should clearly inform us of the book's title, author and genre, (no thriller fan will want to pick up a book with a moody, darkish landscape only to find out it is a gardening book) and of course, like all packaging, it should help to sell its contents by appealing to its targeted audience.
(Never try to please everybody – it is not possible!) The cover should intrigue the potential reader into picking up the book. Something that is even more important for the unknown author who hasn't yet a faithful following, or the famous name to attract attention.
Do: Think big! Most advertising of books in our digital world will be online in the form of thumbnails viewed on laptops, eBook readers and mobile phones, so title and author should be clearly legible even on the smallest device.
Don’t: Try to tell the story on the cover. The story belongs in the book and too much detail doesn't intrigue. Let's take, for example, a light hearted romance and the male lead is blond with brown eyes. Should he feature on the cover? No, because the girls who prefer the dark haired variety will buy another book.
Our
Art Department will work along-side you to create an eye-catching cover that
suits your book. Whether you have an idea of what you want the cover to look
like, or no idea at all – we are here to advise and talk to you from
drawing-board to print, keeping you informed and involved every step of the
way.
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